Tia Leschke

I'm aiming this at Elizabeth (gotcha!) because I think she's mentioned that
her husband is a musicologist, but anyone else with info please jump in.
I'm looking for books, websites, even search terms that will help me find
anecdotes about composers that I can work into articles and/or stories. I'm
thinking of things like the story behind Haydn's Farewell Symphony, or the
(possibly true) story about Bach sneaking manuscripts to copy that he wasn't
allowed to have. I've found some sites and books by searching on composers
+anecdotes, composers +stories, and "classical music" +anecdotes. Any other
ideas?
Tia

Betsy

**I'm looking for books, websites, even search terms that will help me find
anecdotes about composers that I can work into articles and/or stories. I'm
thinking of things like the story behind Haydn's Farewell Symphony, or the
(possibly true) story about Bach sneaking manuscripts to copy that he wasn't
allowed to have. **

Hi, Tia --

Long ago, when my mom had the radio tuned into classical stations, the
announcer, Scott Beach, would do brief segments called "Musicdotes" and
I know that he published a book with that title. (I suspect it is long
out of print.)

I remember buying a copy of the book for my mother and reading just a
tiny bit of it. I think the book led off with the story that Chopin
composed one of his works basing the notes on a pattern of freckles on
his mistress (Georges Sand, whatever her girlie name was.)

This may be badly mangled, but I offer it up for what it's worth. The
book would be cool, if you could find it.

(If there wasn't nudity and implied sex in the story I doubt I would
remember it at all.)

Betsy

[email protected]

I have a book of the letters of Mozart, many to his sister or his parents,
while he was a teenager. Some of that stuff might be online.

[email protected]

I'll forward this to Mark to have him answer. He's full of anecdotes (mostly
about conductors) and we have shelves full of books. I'm sure he can point
you in the right direction. He's more of a Bruckner and Mahler fan, though,
I'm afraid...Which begs the question of how many recordings of the Bruckner
8th can one have and how many time can you listen to it without going
ballistic...

Elizabeth

Tia Leschke

> Long ago, when my mom had the radio tuned into classical stations, the
> announcer, Scott Beach, would do brief segments called "Musicdotes" and
> I know that he published a book with that title. (I suspect it is long
> out of print.)
>
Thanks Betsy,
Our library doesn't have it, but I'll see if they can get it on interlibrary
loan. Sounds like the kind of thing I'm looking for.
Tia

Tia Leschke

> I have a book of the letters of Mozart, many to his sister or his parents,
> while he was a teenager. Some of that stuff might be online.

That may be one of the books I ordered from the library and am picking up
today. Thanks.
Tia

Tia Leschke

> I'll forward this to Mark to have him answer. He's full of anecdotes
(mostly
> about conductors) and we have shelves full of books. I'm sure he can
point
> you in the right direction. He's more of a Bruckner and Mahler fan,
though,
> I'm afraid...Which begs the question of how many recordings of the
Bruckner
> 8th can one have and how many time can you listen to it without going
> ballistic...

Ah, back to my college days, toking up and staying up all night listening to
Mahler with my boyfriend.
If he knows any good Mahler stories, I'd love to hear them, and any other
ideas he has. Thanks.
Tia

[email protected]

OK, here's the response from my husband:

There are two wonderful books that go right to the heart of this request,
Victor Borge's "My Favorite Intermissions" and "My Favorite Comedies in
Music." The Internet still can't touch print media for such specialized
research (IMO of course). The books are packed with anecdotes about famous
composers, some of them obscure and interesting (not just funny).

Both the Borge books are out of print, but any large library should have at
least one of them. Used book sites like bookfinder.com or abebooks.com will
have at least a dozen copies of each title listed at any time. Don't be
suckered into paying $50-75 for a signed copy. These went through several
printings and Borge must have signed hundreds of them. She can probably find
a decent reading copy for $10, and a signed first for $25. As a matter of
fact, I have a spare copy of "My Favorite Intermissions" in the eBay pile
upstairs, a first in very good condition with dj. I'd send it to her for $10
postpaid just to avoid the hassle of listing it.

***
I'm wondering how many duplicate copies of how many things we have lying
around. Our eBay pile is upstairs, so I haven't sold much of anything since
I broke my ankle. Somehow, even with the cast off I can't get upstairs more
than once or twice a day.

Hope this helps you in your quest.

Elizabeth

[email protected]

Tia -

I'll tell him to contact you directly. Except he'll kill me for the Bruckner
8th comment.

Elizabeth

Tia Leschke

Just getting back to this list. The one I moderate has been very busy and
on the brink of trouble the last couple of days.
Thanks for the book suggestions. I'll see if our library has them. I came
home Friday with a couple of music anecdote books, though not ones that had
been recommended here.

> I'll tell him to contact you directly.

Cool!

>Except he'll kill me for the Bruckner
> 8th comment.

Ah, you don't have to like *all* the same music. <g> I think that's the
one we played a couple of years ago. Even borrowed Wagner tubas for it.
Not as wonderful as playing Mahler, but I enjoyed it.
Tia

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/8/2002 10:26:17 AM Central Standard Time,
leschke@... writes:


> Ah, you don't have to like *all* the same music.

A couple of years ago Mark was writing some liner notes for a Wagner piece.
(I don't even pretend to be as literate as he is, so forgive my ignorance) He
played the "kill the wabbit" scene from Fantasia (?) about 300 times at high
volume - different recordings, different conductors and orchestras. Today I
can smile about it, back then I had more sinister thoughts.

We just had to miss our Chicago Symphony concert yesterday because of my leg.
And my laryngitis. We are in the gallery, front row. Cheap seats, but nice
view. Except that getting to them requires a really long flight down
extremely steep stairs. There is no way I have the strength or confidence to
do that on my crutches. Don't know why I harbored the fantasy of walking
soon after my cast was removed, but there you go.

Elizabeth


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/9/02 5:45:25 AM, ejcrewe@... writes:

<< We just had to miss our Chicago Symphony concert yesterday because of my
leg.
And my laryngitis. We are in the gallery, front row. Cheap seats, but nice
view. Except that getting to them requires a really long flight down
extremely steep stairs. There is no way I have the strength or confidence to
do that on my crutches. Don't know why I harbored the fantasy of walking
soon after my cast was removed, but there you go.
>>

Wheel chair! You could've used a wheelchair and sat in the wheelchair
section.
I know this because that's how I saw Fiddler on the Roof. Maybe even without
a wheelchair they would have let you, but putting a moveable chair. Keith
sat with me that night. They have a little docking area with pipes around
it, where we go. Maybe there's something like that for you.

Sandra

But this Friday we're seeing Sound of Music, and the wheelchair spots were
all gone. So I'm going UP into the balcony, slowly, and sitting in a chair.
It will work.

Betsy

**We just had to miss our Chicago Symphony concert yesterday because of
my leg.
And my laryngitis. We are in the gallery, front row. Cheap seats, but
nice
view. Except that getting to them requires a really long flight down
extremely steep stairs.**

I would have hoped you could have used the special seating that's
available for people in wheelchairs, even if you had to borrow a chair.
The theater HAS to accomodate people who can't walk. You're entitled!

I know it's disappointing that you missed it.

Betsy

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/9/2002 8:21:07 AM Central Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:


> But this Friday we're seeing Sound of Music, and the wheelchair spots were
> all gone. So I'm going UP into the balcony, slowly, and sitting in a
> chair.
> It will work.


Sandra -

Good for you. How scary to get up there and back down, though. We could
have researched the wheelchair thing, placed a couple of calls, etc. I think
I'm going to need real therapy to get over my fear of stairs, though.
Particularly the basement stairs, where I fell.

On another note, I WALKED! OK, I had my crutches and it was only a couple of
steps, but Rome wasn't built in a day, right? I put my full weight on the
left leg and moved my right leg forward slowly. Still don't have enough calf
muscle to actually bend my knee while my foot is on the floor, but I can feel
it growing more each day. I have my first physical therapy on Wednesday - it
took nearly a week to get the appointment. Today I might just be able to
squeeze a shoe on.

The excitement never stops...

Elizabeth


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/9/2002 10:30:19 AM Central Standard Time,
ecsamhill@... writes:


> would have hoped you could have used the special seating that's
> available for people in wheelchairs, even if you had to borrow a chair.
> The theater HAS to accomodate people who can't walk. You're entitled!
>
> I know it's disappointing that you missed it.
>

You know, this is right. I just have a problem with it because my disability
isn't somehow real to me. It's not permanent, I think that's the problem. I
felt strange asking about a parking pass too. So, I never did and just went
farther on my crutches. Of course, now that our driveway is a sheet of ice,
I'm pretty much homebound. But I'll be walking soon.

While out an about in my wheelchair, though, I did notice that people seem to
really avoid you when you are disabled. Maybe it's a height thing, not being
at eye level and all. And I'm 5'8" normally, so I'm used to being at eye
level.

Just thought I'd share my neurosis about my broken ankle.

Elizabeth


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Betsy

**On another note, I WALKED!**

YAY!!!!


Betsy

Dan Vilter

> The theater HAS to accomodate people who can't walk. You're entitled!

It is my understanding that unless there is a state or local law that is
stricter than the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they don't.

What ADA requires is that the theatre make a *reasonable* accommodation. ADA
requires that new construction have 3% of the seating capacity accessible to
wheelchairs. That is 3 times the percentage of the general population that
use them. Once those spaces have been sold the theatre has gone beyond the
reasonable accommodation required by law. If the theatre has a "no refund/no
exchange" policy, which most do, there is no requirement that the theatre
exchange your tickets for wheelchair accessible seats. Most theatres will if
they are available, but there is nothing requiring it.
All of the theatres I know of do their best to accommodate all of their
patrons. None of them can afford to piss them off and loose future
audiences.

Please remember, these theatres are run by people. People that want to be
friendly and helpful. Most of them bristle and become less flexible in their
accommodations when a patron approaches them demanding their entitlements. I
think it is just human nature to do so. Honey works so much better than
vinegar.


Elizabeth, I'm sure you know this, but it doesn't matter if your injury is
temporary or permanent, you are entitled to the parking permit and every
kind of reasonable accommodation. I encourage you to seek them out.

-Dan Vilter

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/10/02 9:39:42 AM Central Standard Time,
ecsamhill@... writes:

>
> **On another note, I WALKED!**
>
> YAY!!!!

Thanks. Big bow to the applause.

And I've been forcing myself to do it all day except when Julia (three)
stepped on glass from a broken ornament from yesterday and started dripping
blood. I'm faster on one leg. And Julia is fine.

Elizabeth

[email protected]

In a message dated 12/10/02 10:24:20 AM Central Standard Time, dan@...
writes:

> Elizabeth, I'm sure you know this, but it doesn't matter if your injury is
> temporary or permanent, you are entitled to the parking permit and every
> kind of reasonable accommodation. I encourage you to seek them out.
>

Dan, I know, I know. I guess I just feel stupid for having fallen in the
first place. My husband knows the head of the symphony well, so we could
have easily gotten better seats if the accessible ones were sold out. But we
aren't good at asking for favors or being given much attention.

This whole experience has given me a whole new appreciation for what
wheelchair bound people have to go through.

Elizabeth

Dan Vilter

on 12/10/02 12:50 PM, ejcrewe@... at ejcrewe@... wrote:

> This whole experience has given me a whole new appreciation for what
> wheelchair bound people have to go through.

A colleague of mine gave a talk a few years ago to explain the ADA
regulations. He had worked with the congressional committee that wrote the
legislation. He related a story of one of the wheelchair bound members that
took him aside and said that the name many of his friends called people like
him, walking around types, was "the temporarily able-bodied."

It still gives me pause.

-Dan Vilter