Introduction to Classical Music by Way of Bach HEARD the MUSIC? by Dave Iden
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18 ARTS 02.19.08 The RetrIever Weekly Introduction to classical music by way of Bach HEARD the MUSIC? by Dave Iden Now Playing BARCLAY HOUSE (2101 N. CHARLES STREET) turbingly like James Hurley from BARCLAY STREET) http://www.lofi socialclub.com/ the television show Twin Peaks. Unfortunately for Fools & Horses, http://www.myspace.com/barclay- James’ music was MUCH better. house MR. MOCCASIN, RED COLLAR, BIRTHING NETS, BAD LIEUTENANT The other bands are a vicious brew of bad 90s rock. ‘Til Sunrise has a ASRA, THREE FACES OF EVE, Feb. 22, 7:00 p.m. synth player and likes Particle, so TOMBS, TRIAC, SLOTH OMEGA it might not be that bad... actually, DOOM You’ve probably seen Mr. Moccasin yes, it will be. Feb 22, 7:00 pm in or around Baltimore at one time or another, so you know the Sweaty basement death metal! Lo-Fi show will be another one of RED ROOM (425 E. 31ST The Barclay House offers up some those hole-in-the-wall, vaguely STREET) ear-gouging sonic abuse in New “indie” gigs all the kids love these http://www.redroom.org/ York’s ASRA, apparently short days. They’ve got a couple UMBC for Alleged Satanic Ritual Abuse, peoples/Solidarity Coalition mem- MICHELLE WEBB (guitar), SUSAN while fellow NYC psychgrinders bers/Vonnegut lovers among their ALCORN (pedal steel guitar) Tombs sound like a healthy mix number, so if any of those three Feb. 23, 8:30 p.m., $6 of late-period Swans, Celtic Frost, things apply to you, then get your and the Jesus Lizard. The show butt out there and shake it! Two awesome lady guitarists us- is rounded out with three local ing their instruments in ways the bands: Three Faces of Eve (self- OTTOBAR (2549 N. HOW- manufacturers probably did not described “the fastest doom band, ARD STREET) intend them to be! Michelle Webb ever!”), the crunchy Reptillian Re- http://www.theottobar.com/ hails from New Mexico and is in- cords’ Triac, and Maryland sludge fl uenced by musicians such as Terry rockers Sloth Omega Doom. THE MACGREGOR BURNS BAND, Riley and Jim O’Rourke, and her GOOD GUISE, THE BREAK UPS music is a barren mix of blues and COURTESY E. G. HAUSSMANN BLACK CAT (1811 14TH Feb. 22, 9:00 p.m. drone indicative of the southwest. >If you were famous, would you have the artist paint how you really look, or STREET NW, WASHINGTON Baltimore improv musician Susan paint you as Superman? D.C.) Psychedelic folk show at the Ot- Alcorn adapts traditional country- > from CLASSICAL [17] western pedal steel techniques to simply not accustomed to hearing this http://www.blackcatdc.com/ tobar. It’s the kind of folk where its foundation. In addition to refi ning kind of music.) Therefore, I’d recom- people play stand-up bass and create sparse, raga-like landscapes. counterpoint (in which two or more mend starting with Bach and other DANIEL JOHNSTON, BENJY FERREE drink lemonade on the porch and sit in rocking chairs, but still sing TALKING HEAD (203 DAVIS lines of music rely on each other for famous Baroque contemporaries, such Feb. 23, 9:00 p.m., $20 about brain damage and mor- STREET) harmony yet maintain a certain degree as Vivaldi, Handel, and Albinoni. Kurt Cobain thought so highly of phing into rabbits. http://www.talkingheadclub.com/ of independence), modernizing the Well-known favorites include Bach’s Daniel Johnston that he called organ, and developing foundational “Toccata” and “Fugue in D Minor,” “O him “the greatest songwriter on THE BLACK HOLLIES, SRI AUROB- works in instruments that were not his Haupt Voll Blut und Wunden” from Earth.” Similar accolades have RECHER THEATRE (512 INDO, THE FLYING EYES, WAIL- SOUNDS own (Bach was a celebrated organist), the St. Matthew’s Passion, the “Bran- been offered upon the songwriter YORK ROAD, TOWSON) from such disparate personalities http://www.rechertheatre.com/ Feb. 22, 9:00 p.m., $7 Bach understood music to its core. denburg Concerto No. 3,” “Jesu, Joy as Wayne Coyne, Matt Groening, While he may not be every musician’s of Man’s Desiring” (which has been Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, and FOOLS & HORSES, THE LAKE EF- The Black Hollies are fuzzy psy- favorite composer (most having weak arranged for virtually all instruments; Howe Gelb, among others, but you FECT, ‘TIL SUNRISE, INFRACTION chedelic soul in the same vein as spots for Beethoven, Mozart, and the I’d recommend solo piano for starters: don’t need their word to convince Feb. 22, $10 Small Faces, Booker T & the M.G’s, and late 60s Stax Records releases. Romantics), many instrumentalists Leon Fleischer’s a favorite of mine), you to check him out – Johnston’s music is so honest and unadulter- More 90s nostalgia that you can The other bands are more of the claim that a day of practicing is simply Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” (if you can, ated that even the hardest soul shake a board with a bloody nail same: The Flying Eyes sounds what not complete if they have not played try to get two versions: one with mod- will be won over with a few verses at! D.C. powerpop (read: bar rock) would happen if Jim Morrison a bit of Bach. And just as all budding ern instruments and the other with of “Life in Vain.” He’ll also be at band Fools & Horses has suppos- came back from the dead and poets begin with the Shakespearean Baroque in order to hear the differ- the Ottobar on Sunday. edly generated a lot of “industry joined the White Stripes, while Sri Aurobindo is like a holy blend of sonnet, so too do beginning compos- ence; there are some musicians who buzz,” but I fi nd it much more sig- LO-FI SOCIAL CLUB (1825 nifi cant that their singer looks dis- Sun Ra and the 13th Floor Eleva- ers start their theory studies with the believe that Baroque music should tors. Czech it out. four-part Bach choral. only be performed on Baroque instru- For those just getting started, you ments, as this is the instrumentation might be interested in trying out some that the composer would have had in Gregorian chant and Early/Renais- mind), Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus sance music CDs and, if so, defi nitely from the Messiah” and “Water Music,” tita in E minor” is a perennial favorite utter sweetness for solo soprano), and the AOK Library Media Center. do. I feel it important to note, how- and Albinoni’s “Adagio in G minor.” amongst violinists), Mass in B Minor any CD of his works for organ or key- ever, that these two periods tend to Those wanting to branch out beyond (the “Et incarnatus est,” “Crucifi xus,” board (piano). A CD of Handel’s sona- Christianna Stavroudis is a Staff be acquired tastes, even for the sea- the mainstream “greatest hits” should and “Agnus Dei” tracks are particular- tas for violin is sure to bring pleasure Writer for The Retriever Weekly soned musician/classical music lover. pick up CDs of Bach’s Cello Suites, So- ly stirring), St. Matthew’s Passion (“Aus on any rainy day. By the by, all of these and can be reached for comment (The main reason for this is that we’re natas and Partitas for Violin (the “Par- Liebe Will Mein Heiland Sterben” is works are available for check-out from at [email protected]. SLIGHTLY A MASOCHIST HELEN ZHANG lokklyn.deviantart.com.