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American Portraits

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Joe Jalbert

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Jul 16, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/16/98
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Folks,

During the Second World War, a series of musical "portraits" of famous
Americans were commisioned. Most famous is Copland's "Lincoln
Portrait." I have also encountered a "Twain Portrait" on the Boston
Pops' "American Visions" album.

Heard of any others.

Joe Jalbert

Sean Newhouse

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Jul 16, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/16/98
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Joe Jalbert wrote:

How about Peter Schickele's P.D.Q. Bach Portrait? :)

-Sean Newhouse

Halvard Johnson

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Jul 16, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/16/98
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Try Virgil Thomson--lots and lots of portraits.

HJ

Halvard Johnson (hjoh...@umbc.edu)


Caius Marcius

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Jul 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/17/98
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In <35AE36...@nh.ultranet.com> Joe Jalbert <di...@nh.ultranet.com>
writes:
>
>Folks,
>
> During the Second World War, a series of musical "portraits" of
famous
>Americans were commisioned. Most famous is Copland's "Lincoln
>Portrait." I have also encountered a "Twain Portrait" on the Boston
>Pops' "American Visions" album.

Virgil Thomson composed several dozen miniature portraits of various
acquaintances, in keyboard sketches a minute or two in length.

- CMC

David Samuel Barr

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Jul 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/17/98
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Sean Newhouse wrote:
>
> Joe Jalbert wrote:
>
> > Folks,
> >
> > During the Second World War, a series of musical "portraits" of
> > famous Americans were commisioned. Most famous is Copland's
> > "Lincoln Portrait." I have also encountered a "Twain Portrait" on
> > the Boston Pops' "American Visions" album.
> >
> > Heard of any others?

> >
>
> How about Peter Schickele's P.D.Q. Bach Portrait? :)

Just for the record (or CD), "Portrait of P.D.Q. Bach" is the title of
one of the Vanguard albums. "Bach Portrait", the P.D.Q. Bach piece of
which you're apparently thinking (it's a "Lincoln Portrait" spoof about
J.S. Bach), is on the Telarc "1712 Overture" album.

Also, Virgil Thomson wrote a whole series of "portraits" for piano
based on various of his friends and acquaintances.

Halvard Johnson

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Jul 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/17/98
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If you'd like to broaden out, there are
Five Tudor Portraits by Vaughan Williams.

HJ

Halvard Johnson (hjoh...@umbc.edu)


Richard Schultz

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Jul 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/19/98
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David Samuel Barr (dsb...@mindspring.com) wrote:

: Also, Virgil Thomson wrote a whole series of "portraits" for piano

: based on various of his friends and acquaintances.

Does anyone else remember the old Peanuts cartoon in which Schroeder
is going to compose a musical portrait of Charlie Brown ("I got the
idea from Virgil Thomson") but gives up in disgust?

-----
Richard Schultz sch...@mail.biu.ac.il
Department of Chemistry tel: 972-3-531-8065
Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel fax: 972-3-535-1250
-----
"an optimist is a guy/ that has never had/ much experience"

Deryk Barker

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Jul 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/19/98
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Richard Schultz (sch...@gefen.cc.biu.ac.il) wrote:

: David Samuel Barr (dsb...@mindspring.com) wrote:
:
: : Also, Virgil Thomson wrote a whole series of "portraits" for piano
: : based on various of his friends and acquaintances.
:
: Does anyone else remember the old Peanuts cartoon in which Schroeder
: is going to compose a musical portrait of Charlie Brown ("I got the
: idea from Virgil Thomson") but gives up in disgust?

Yes.

In order not to post just for three letters, how about the cartoon
featuring Linus and charlie Brown in which the last frame has Linus
saying: Sorry Charlie Brown, I guess Beethoven didn't write anything
for piano and electric guitar.

--
|Deryk Barker, Computer Science Dept. | Music does not have to be understood|
|Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada| It has to be listened to. |
|email: dba...@camosun.bc.ca | |
|phone: +1 250 370 4452 | Hermann Scherchen. |


Hanns KREHBIEL

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Jul 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/20/98
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>
> In order not to post just for three letters, how about the cartoon
> featuring Linus and charlie Brown in which the last frame has Linus
> saying: Sorry Charlie Brown, I guess Beethoven didn't write anything
> for piano and electric guitar.

Wasn't it a cigar box banjo?

Deryk Barker

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Jul 21, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/21/98
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Hanns KREHBIEL (Kreh...@vxdesy.desy.de) wrote:
: >
: > In order not to post just for three letters, how about the cartoon

I think that's a different cartoon. I am 99% sure I recall an amplifier
by CB's side. But the cigar box banjo does strike a chord....

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