I've got parodies on the brain. A parody is any form of copying or mimicking of an existing work or person's style. Parodies are used for satirical purposes, commentary, critique, or just to be funny. What really defines the parody is the re-use of original material, and the art of parodying music has been around much longer than you may think, though not always in the now-prevalent humorous sense. Early composers fused older works into their own, hybridizing the result. It is hard not to just chalk this up as plagiarism, because the difference is subtle. The difference is easier to see with humorous parodies.
"Weird Al" Yankovic built his career around the Fair Use (Section 107) of the Copyright law. He takes popular songs and rewrites the lyrics, but keeps the spirit of the song intact (and usually everything else). Under Fair Use, parodies are allowable because the parodied result does not detract from the marketability of the original. Fans will still go out an buy the original music and not the altered version. They may still buy the funny version anyway, but it won't take away from original artist's work because the original artist still created the work in the first place.
Another kind of funny parody is "genre parody", where a group reworks songs within a specific genre, such as rap or heavy metal and presents it in a radically different way, such as in Renaissance style or lounge music. Think Pat Boone singing Metallica's Enter Sandman, among others.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Avenue Q follow-up
The writers of the music for the charming, puppet-filled, adult-themed musical that is Avenue Q are Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. The musical opened off-Broadway in March 2003. It went on to win the Tony "Triple Crown" award for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book.
Lopez and Marx are also the composers for most of the songs in an episode of the TV show Scrubs (My Musical). They are not, however, responsible for the masterpiece, Guy Love (written by Debra Fordham and Paul Perry), also heard within this episode. In the Scrubs episode, a patient enters the hospital because she hears everyone singing when they should be talking. It turns out she has an aneurysm, hence the brain wackiness. The patient is actually a guest starring role played by Stephanie D'Abruzzo, who is a Muppeteer, singer, and the actor responsible for bringing Kate Monster to life.
This was one of the most entertaining shows I've ever played for, and the reed parts are really fun!
Lopez and Marx are also the composers for most of the songs in an episode of the TV show Scrubs (My Musical). They are not, however, responsible for the masterpiece, Guy Love (written by Debra Fordham and Paul Perry), also heard within this episode. In the Scrubs episode, a patient enters the hospital because she hears everyone singing when they should be talking. It turns out she has an aneurysm, hence the brain wackiness. The patient is actually a guest starring role played by Stephanie D'Abruzzo, who is a Muppeteer, singer, and the actor responsible for bringing Kate Monster to life.
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| The Bad Idea Bears! And their handlers! |
This was one of the most entertaining shows I've ever played for, and the reed parts are really fun!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Listen closely
I heard another interesting tidbit on the local radio station this morning:
For the song Riders on the Storm, by The Doors, Jim Morrison wanted to create a more eerie effect. So, he layered his vocals over a recording of him whispering the lyrics. You can hear the whispering if you listen closely, or listen through good pair of headphones. This song is also the last recorded effort before Jim's death in 1971. According to one source, the whispering part is actually the very last thing he ever recorded. Which just turns up the creep factor, I think.
The whispering is supposed to allude to the "killer on the road" mentioned in the song. Think murderous hitchhiker.
Have a happy day!
For the song Riders on the Storm, by The Doors, Jim Morrison wanted to create a more eerie effect. So, he layered his vocals over a recording of him whispering the lyrics. You can hear the whispering if you listen closely, or listen through good pair of headphones. This song is also the last recorded effort before Jim's death in 1971. According to one source, the whispering part is actually the very last thing he ever recorded. Which just turns up the creep factor, I think.
The whispering is supposed to allude to the "killer on the road" mentioned in the song. Think murderous hitchhiker.
Have a happy day!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Mix Tape
I'm playing in a production of the musical Avenue Q. According to the character Trekkie Monster, the Internet is for porn. But, really, the Internet is for lists. So here is a list of the songs listed within the song Mix Tape, sung by the characters Kate Monster and Princeton.
Princeton gives Kate a mix tape, and, because she's trying to figure out if Princeton really likes her or not, she tries to get an idea from the selections on the mix tape. It is baffling, at best:
You've Got a Friend
The Theme from 'Friends'
That's What Friends Are For
She's not impressed.
But there's more:
A Whole New World
Kiss the Girl
My Cherie Amour
That's better, unless:
I Am the Walrus
Fat Bottomed Girls
Yellow Submarine
What?!
Stuck On You
Love Me Do
My Heart Will Go On
She's Got a Way
Yesterday
Goodnight Saigon
Through the Years
The Theme from 'Cheers'
Moving Right Along
And, finally, for Princeton's redemption:
I Have to Say I Love You in a Song
More Avenue Q fun to come!
Princeton gives Kate a mix tape, and, because she's trying to figure out if Princeton really likes her or not, she tries to get an idea from the selections on the mix tape. It is baffling, at best:
You've Got a Friend
The Theme from 'Friends'
That's What Friends Are For
She's not impressed.
But there's more:
A Whole New World
Kiss the Girl
My Cherie Amour
That's better, unless:
I Am the Walrus
Fat Bottomed Girls
Yellow Submarine
What?!
Stuck On You
Love Me Do
My Heart Will Go On
She's Got a Way
Yesterday
Goodnight Saigon
Through the Years
The Theme from 'Cheers'
Moving Right Along
And, finally, for Princeton's redemption:
I Have to Say I Love You in a Song
More Avenue Q fun to come!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The Castrati
The last post talked about a very popular piece of sacred vocal music. But, actually, that post was a detour from what I was really interested in exploring: castrati. (Apologies to any male readers, this may be a, ahem, sensitive subject.)
Castrati aren't around anymore. Back in "the day" (by which I mean post-Rennaissance Europe) women weren't typically allowed to sing or act or do anything in the theatre beyond perhaps tailoring a costume or watching the action from the balcony. They were especially prohibited by the Church from participating in sacred performances. So, the aforementioned Miserere was intended to be performed by males, with all the higher parts (that female voices are much better suited for) sung by castrated men.
A quick physiology lesson: the vocal chords of a child are not fully developed; they are shorter, producing higher voices. When males reach puberty, a greater supply of the hormone testosterone is released into their bodies (females have testosterone too, but in much reduced quantities) and influence all sorts of interesting bodily changes. One of which is a voice change in men (again, women too, but to a lesser degree) brought about by the lengthening of vocal chords. If a boy has an exceptionally fine singing voice, (we're going back in time now. Please try to keep up.) his parents saw this as a way to escape poverty, so they subjected their son to castration.
Castration is the removal of the testicles, or at least the severing of the ducts that lead out from the testicles. (Ovaries provide testosterone in women.) Testosterone is actually really important to the development of all bodies, not just those with a Y chromosome, but the effects on males is responsible for a whole list of critical developments that need not be discussed too much in a blog that is supposed to be devoted to music. Additionally, the act of castration can actually be traced back to ancient times, but more for political or social reasons.
Okay, back to 16th and 17th century Europe. Women weren't allowed to sing all of the pretty, high parts in church, so, often under guise of treating illness or injury, boys were castrated to preserve their high voices. A few castrati were actually very popular and reached the equivalent of star status. Most though were relegated to singing in smaller churches or less important services. Some fell through the cracks of society, and, because they couldn't marry or start their own families or really do much else for society, there were reports of suicide.
But, the really fine castrati, with the voices of boys and the lung-power of grown men were capable of astonishing things and lovely music. They were superstars in every sense of the word. They had music written for them in operas and sacred music and many were capable of some brilliant improvisation.
All things change though, and so do musical tastes, preferences and styles. With Mozart and the Classical style of music, tenors were soon taking more of the celebrated men's solos. Female sopranos were given more opportunities. The heyday of castrati basically came to a screeching halt. The are no more castrati. At least not by method of maiming. (It is possible to produce the same effects chemically.) There are a few, poor-quality recordings of the few remaining castrati as the remaining, aging individuals entered the recording age.
The practice only truly became condemned in 1878. The last castrato, Alessandro Moreschi died in 1922.
Castrati aren't around anymore. Back in "the day" (by which I mean post-Rennaissance Europe) women weren't typically allowed to sing or act or do anything in the theatre beyond perhaps tailoring a costume or watching the action from the balcony. They were especially prohibited by the Church from participating in sacred performances. So, the aforementioned Miserere was intended to be performed by males, with all the higher parts (that female voices are much better suited for) sung by castrated men.
A quick physiology lesson: the vocal chords of a child are not fully developed; they are shorter, producing higher voices. When males reach puberty, a greater supply of the hormone testosterone is released into their bodies (females have testosterone too, but in much reduced quantities) and influence all sorts of interesting bodily changes. One of which is a voice change in men (again, women too, but to a lesser degree) brought about by the lengthening of vocal chords. If a boy has an exceptionally fine singing voice, (we're going back in time now. Please try to keep up.) his parents saw this as a way to escape poverty, so they subjected their son to castration.
Castration is the removal of the testicles, or at least the severing of the ducts that lead out from the testicles. (Ovaries provide testosterone in women.) Testosterone is actually really important to the development of all bodies, not just those with a Y chromosome, but the effects on males is responsible for a whole list of critical developments that need not be discussed too much in a blog that is supposed to be devoted to music. Additionally, the act of castration can actually be traced back to ancient times, but more for political or social reasons.
Okay, back to 16th and 17th century Europe. Women weren't allowed to sing all of the pretty, high parts in church, so, often under guise of treating illness or injury, boys were castrated to preserve their high voices. A few castrati were actually very popular and reached the equivalent of star status. Most though were relegated to singing in smaller churches or less important services. Some fell through the cracks of society, and, because they couldn't marry or start their own families or really do much else for society, there were reports of suicide.
But, the really fine castrati, with the voices of boys and the lung-power of grown men were capable of astonishing things and lovely music. They were superstars in every sense of the word. They had music written for them in operas and sacred music and many were capable of some brilliant improvisation.
All things change though, and so do musical tastes, preferences and styles. With Mozart and the Classical style of music, tenors were soon taking more of the celebrated men's solos. Female sopranos were given more opportunities. The heyday of castrati basically came to a screeching halt. The are no more castrati. At least not by method of maiming. (It is possible to produce the same effects chemically.) There are a few, poor-quality recordings of the few remaining castrati as the remaining, aging individuals entered the recording age.
The practice only truly became condemned in 1878. The last castrato, Alessandro Moreschi died in 1922.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Miserere (and Mozart)
There is an interesting story about a solemn piece of music called Miserere that was composed by the Italian Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652) sometime before 1638. It is a setting of Psalm 51 for nine voices that was a big hit in the 1630s Italy. It was used during Holy Week, starting at 3AM, with 27 lighted candles placed around the church. One by one the candles were extinguished until one remained, when the pope (who was reported to have participated in these services) would kneel and pray during the performance of the Miserere. It was not the only setting of this Psalm, but it certainly became the most popular.
The piece was so valuable to the church, that it was forbidden for anyone to copy it or take a part of it or give it away. At one point, only three copies of the piece were believed to be in existence. However, in 1770 Mozart (yes, that Mozart) and his father, Leopold, arrived in Rome. As any other tourist would, they attended a performance of the Miserere while at the Sistine Chapel (yes, that Sistine Chapel). The ban on copying the Miserere was still in effect, but after the performance, the 12-year-old Mozart wrote out the music from memory. That is interesting enough, but what happened after that is even more so.
While Mozart was meeting with Padre Martini while in Bologna, he met another friend of Martini's: Dr. Charles Burney, of London, England, who was a music historian and biographer. Burney was touring France and Italy in research for a new book about the music in these countries at that time. There is little evidence of what actually happened during this meeting, but there are some theories. The main facts, though, are: Mozart's transcription of the Miserere hasn't been found, and after Dr. Burney's return to England, copies of Allegri's Miserere began to appear in Leipzig, Rome, England, and Paris. The monopoly on the piece was subsequently destroyed.
There are a few theories about how this happened. The obvious conjecture is that the piece was taken from Mozart during the meeting with Martini. It is possible, however, that Burney took Mozart's transcription to compare it to Martini's copy (one of the three copies believed to have existed at that time) or because Burney wanted to study the transcribed improvisatory elements that Mozart captured in his version. Burney may have then destroyed Mozart's copy to protect him from any backlash from the Church. The world may never know the full story.
At any rate, it is a beautiful piece of vocal music that deserves some consideration and appreciation by all music listeners.
The piece was so valuable to the church, that it was forbidden for anyone to copy it or take a part of it or give it away. At one point, only three copies of the piece were believed to be in existence. However, in 1770 Mozart (yes, that Mozart) and his father, Leopold, arrived in Rome. As any other tourist would, they attended a performance of the Miserere while at the Sistine Chapel (yes, that Sistine Chapel). The ban on copying the Miserere was still in effect, but after the performance, the 12-year-old Mozart wrote out the music from memory. That is interesting enough, but what happened after that is even more so.
While Mozart was meeting with Padre Martini while in Bologna, he met another friend of Martini's: Dr. Charles Burney, of London, England, who was a music historian and biographer. Burney was touring France and Italy in research for a new book about the music in these countries at that time. There is little evidence of what actually happened during this meeting, but there are some theories. The main facts, though, are: Mozart's transcription of the Miserere hasn't been found, and after Dr. Burney's return to England, copies of Allegri's Miserere began to appear in Leipzig, Rome, England, and Paris. The monopoly on the piece was subsequently destroyed.
There are a few theories about how this happened. The obvious conjecture is that the piece was taken from Mozart during the meeting with Martini. It is possible, however, that Burney took Mozart's transcription to compare it to Martini's copy (one of the three copies believed to have existed at that time) or because Burney wanted to study the transcribed improvisatory elements that Mozart captured in his version. Burney may have then destroyed Mozart's copy to protect him from any backlash from the Church. The world may never know the full story.
At any rate, it is a beautiful piece of vocal music that deserves some consideration and appreciation by all music listeners.
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