Brass, Reeds, and Percussion

The earliest record of shave-and-a-haircut-two-bits riff is in an 1899 song. The next identified publication occured in 1911. “Two bits,” of course, refers to a quarter in U.S. coins. In different English-speaking countries, it typically ends with different words: “five bob” for five shillings in Britain and “drop dead” in Australia. Numerous musical compositions include the riff, which is typically in as humorous musical punctuation. P.D.Q. Bach and Leonard Bernstein have both used the riff.

Vincenzo Bellini was an Italian opera composer who lived from 1801 to 1835. Obviously, he died at a young age, but another famous opera composer Rossini admired him and made all of his funeral arrangements. Hence, Rossini buried Bellini. Born in Catania, Bellini was known as the “Swan of Catania,” because of his long and flowing melodies. Another admirer, Giuseppe Verdi, praised Bellini’s melodies and remarked that no one had ever written such long melodies before.

In the movie Amadeus, Antonio Salieri is depicted as the bitter rival of Mozart with the hint that he may have had Mozart poisoned. In truth, they were probably respectful rivals. And both wrote music for the wind band. Yes, that’s right. I said they both wrote music for the wind band—or harmoniemusik as it was called at the time. So today’s edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion will feature the music of the lesser known composer Salieri.

Born in the United States of Australian Parents in 1925, Sir Charles Mackerras arranged music by Sir Arthur Sullivan to create a comic ballet called Pineapple Poll. When he was 2, his parents returned to Australia. At 7, he started learning the violin and wrote a piano concerto by age 12.

People tell me that one of the things they like about Brass, Reeds, and Percussion is the variety of music. This show certainly justifies that adjective—with music by traditional but modern Austrian composers, classical composers from Britain and the Czech Republic, wind-band arrangements of disco and rock-and-roll hits, and even some hot jazz from the 1920s. Brass, Reeds, and Percussion begins with a fanfare by Austrian composer Hannes Apfolterer, born in 1965.

The music of Josef Triebensee is featured on today’s edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion. In 1772, Triebensee was born in what is today the Czech Republic, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At age 19, Triebensee was the second oboist at the Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna in 1791 when he played the premiere of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. That explains why the second oboe part is so difficult. From age 12 to 34, he served in the emperor’s harmonie, which is the word used the classical period for the wind band.

Today’s edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion celebrates Black History Month by taking a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. We’re going to hear original recordings of two greats of the Dixieland and Jazz: Bunk Johnson and Sidney Bechet. And of course, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will also be performing, as well as the Treme Brass Band. And we’ll have contemporary New Orleans performers like the incompaable Dr. Michael White on clarinet.

Viera Blech is an Austrian brass septet founded in 2004, while of the members were still in high school. Some of the members attended the Mozarteum Conservatory in Innsbruck. In addition to performing with Viera Blech, they also perform with a variety of musical groups, from symphony orchestras to jazz ensembles.

When a taxicab injured 6-year-old Bert Kaempfert in 1929, his mother invested the small fortune from the lawsuit in piano lessons. Eventually, little Bert grew up, learned how to play the accordion and clarinet as well, and began playing professionally at age 16. During WW II, he served in a German navy band. In 1959, Germans record companies wouldn’t buy his recording “Wonderland at Night,” so he brought it to the United States where Decca records published it and it became a number-one big on the pop music charts.

Georges Bizet was admitted to the Paris Conservatory at age 9, just before his 10th birthday. Unfortunately, he died in 1875 at age 37, producing too little music. To some extent, he is a one-hit wonder, known almost exclusively became of his opera Carmen. Today’s edition features a wind-band arrangement of the Carmen Suite, originally an orchestral arrangement of music from the opera. The performance will feature the Johan Willem Friso Royal Military Band of the Netherlands. The JWF regiment is the most senior of Dutch military forces.