Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 2, 1990 TAG: 9003023326
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Donna Alvis
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
How many Bachs can you name before the little clown pops out and surprises you?
Three? Four? Five?
How about 60 or 70?
Scholars say the Bach family did produce 60 to 70 musicians, many of them notable composers during the baroque and classical periods. Most of us are familiar with the works of J.S., C.P.E. and J.C. Bach.
But what about P.D.Q. - better known as "Mock" - Bach?
P.D.Q. Bach is, indeed, that little clown who pops out and surprises you. An invention of Peter Schickele, once called "history's most justly neglected composer," P.D.Q. Bach is the imaginary "last and least of the 20-odd children of J.S. Bach."
Virginia Tech's music department has planned an evening of fun and music with Saturday's production of "Inside P.D.Q. Bach," a program featuring the parodies of Schickele, as well as the authentic classics of the maestros.
"If everything goes well, it's going to be plenty silly," said Jim Glazebrook, director for the program.
Glazebrook will be joined by members of Tech's music faculty, including Allen Bachelder, Wallace Easter, Kent Holliday, John Husser, David Jacobsen, Linda Plaut, Jim Sochinsky and Brian Whaley. The musicians will perform excerpts from the Eroica symphony by Beethoven and J.S. Bach's "Musical Offering" and "Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach."
They'll also perform P.D.Q. Bach's wacky works, including the "Erotica" variations for banned instruments.
That's right - banned instruments. The musicians will demonstrate the proper use of musical gadgets such as the windbreaker and the left-handed sewer flute, both original creations of Schickele.
Schickele explained why such instruments are important in the music of P.D.Q. Bach, saying the extramusical devices open up new vistas of programmatic identification while at the same time lowering artistic standards to a point very near Absolute Zero.
Now that's a mouthful - and you're sure to have a mouthful of laughter at this concert.
The program will get under way at 8 p.m. Saturday in Tech's Donaldson Brown Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for the public and $3 for students and senior citizens at the door. Advance discount tickets are available at the Arts at Virginia Tech Box Office in the University Bookstore.
\ BIG BAND MAN: They might as well turn off the lights Monday night in Burruss Hall. When Lionel Hampton takes the stage, everything starts to glow naturally.
It must be that beaming smile of his. Hampton has been flashing it for more than 80 years. And for more than 60 years, he's been keeping the beat.
He's the paragon of percussion.
Hampton has always been a rhythm man. He's a dynamic drummer, favoring a hard-hitting, energetic style, and he's as delightful to watch as he is to hear.
Twirling his sticks, dancing the flea-hop, directing his big band with non-stop enthusiasm, Hampton gives new meaning to the term "golden years."
He has be-bopped his way through the years, playing for seven different presidential inaugurations and performing with some of the legends of jazz music - Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa, to name but a few.
A host of popular jazz musicians, including Quincy Jones, Dinah Washington and Fats Navarro, have made their marks in music after training in Hampton's bands.
Also known for his humanitarianism, Hampton has performed benefit concerts throughout the world, generating aid for those in need, from victims of the volcano disaster in Colombia to handicapped children in Chile.
He's a diplomat, a philanthropist, an educator, a man who still dreams. "Eventually," he said, "I want to build a university in Harlem, where young black kids can learn to be doctors, lawyers - yes, even musicians."
No doubt, Hampton will be in the number when the saints come marchin' in.
Hampton's performance in Burruss Hall is to begin at 8 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $12 for the public, $10 for Virginia Tech faculty and staff and $3 for Tech students. Ticket information is available at the Arts at Virginia Tech Box Office, 231-5615.
The concert is part of the Virginia Tech Union Lively Arts Entertainment Series.
\ HOKIE, HOKIE, HOKIE! The New River Valley chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and the Blacksburg Hokie Club will sponsor the fifth annual "Hokie Celebration" at Saturday's basketball match-up with Metro Conference rival Memphis State. The organizations are inviting fans to join the activities throughout the day.
Pregame activities begin at 11:30 a.m. in Bowman Stadium Club at Cassell Coliseum. Snacks, refreshments and a cash bar will be available. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children.
After the game, head coach Frankie Allen and members of the basketball team will be on hand to greet folks attending the celebration.
All proceeds from the event will be used to sponsor academic and athletic scholarships for Virginia Tech students.
by CNB