Double Entendre

I just could not resist this pin:

Another Musical Treat

I just acquired another cd in my exploration of the works of little known composers--String Quartets Nos. 1-3 by Anton Zimmerman on Naxos 8.553952. It is indeed thoroughly enjoyable listening.

 

From the notes on the CD, Wikipedia, and other on-line sources, I learned a little about Anton Zimmerman:

Silesian-born Anton Zimmermann was born in 1741 in Široká Niva (Breitenau); he died 1781, Bratislava.  He was a composer and contemporary of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Zimmermann spent most of his career in Bratislava, then capital of Hungary, where he worked as a composer, violinist, conductor, and artist manager.

The most important and influential post that this Austrian composer held was as the composer to Count Joseph Batthyany, the Archbishop of Hungary. He held this position  from 1776 until his death. As the first violinist he conducted from his chair performing instrumental secular works. Zimmermann composed approximately twenty five symphonies as well as numerous works in a variety of genres, including works for the stage, masses, offertories, concertos, nocturnes, and sonatas. He is considered to be one of the first composers to actually capture theatrical qualities in his melodramatic compositions. The sacred music which Zimmermann composed demonstrated his capacity for fugal developmental with full harmonic sonorities.

Modeled on those of Joseph Haydn, Zimmermann’s quartets and other chamber works for strings are noteworthy for their ‘symphonic” writing and expressive melodies, which set them apart from the decorative chamber music of many of his contemporaries.

His music has been recorded by, among others, the Musica Aeterna Soloists for the Naxos record label.

I continue to be impressed by the amount, variety, and quality of music that exists outside the realm of the musical giants.

Theodore Roosevelt Visits Chehalis

While exploring a box of political odds and ends yesterday, I came upon what at first appeared to be a common 1-1/4” Theodore Roosevelt pin.  It’s in really poor condition. The shell of the pin is bent.  The paper is discolored.  The celluloid has several long cracks in it.  There is a hole punched right through the knot in Theodore’s tie.  At the top, is written “Our President.”  At the bottom is printed “Chehalis, May 22, 1903,” which, I think, makes this pin not so common after all.

When I researched the date and location, I learned that on May 22, 1903, during his campaign for the presidency, President Theodore Roosevelt visited Chehalis, Washington, and gave a 15-minute speech about hard work from atop the “McKinley Stump” at the intersection of West Street and Market Boulevard. 

Nearly 10,000 people attended, which must have made this a big event for a fairly small town:

In May 1901, The McKinley stump was cut from a 360-year-old Douglas Fir tree near Pe Ell in May, 1901 It was transported to Chehalis to serve as a speaking platform for President William McKinley. The trip was cancelled when McKinley’s wife took ill. A few months later, McKinley was assassinated, and Vice-President Roosevelt assumed the presidency. 

In 2007, the stump had to be removed because it was riddled with carpenter ants and internal rotting.  A replacement stump was put in place in 2008. 

An article describing the Roosevelt campaign event appears at the Washington State history site, http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8373.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Hungarian Dances Revisited

I have always enjoyed an occasional listen to the Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms.

I own a budget cd on the ONYX label, an orchestral version by the London Festival Orchestra conducted by Alfred Scholz.  It's nothing special; it was the only one I could find at the time that had all 21 dances.  So, it has been just a "pretty listen."

Yesterday on internet radio, I heard a recording of the original version for piano, 4 hands.  It virtually knocked my socks off!  There were harmonies, dissonances, and rhythmic structures that seem to get lost in the orchestral versions.

It was such a wonderful experience I thought I should mention it.  Here is the summary information:

Performers:             Stign Kolacny and Steven Kolacny
Label:                      EtCetra Records
Catalog Number:     ETC 5250

 

Yet another "hold-to-Light" Card

My collection of hold-to-light post cards continues to grow.  There are probably hundreds of cards in the "hold-to-light" category.  Most of them are scenic views; many are cartoons.  Except for the one card I have that depicts the town of Heidelberg, Germany, my collection is limited to those cards that depict ships.  In that restricted category, I have obtained 16 so far. This is the most recent acquisition:

Today I added a twelfth ship to my hold-to-light card collection.

Another hold-to-light post card

Today I received the 11th addition to my collection of hold-to light post cards.  This one appears to have been made in 1899.  It depicts a ship called The Hare.  When you hold it up to the light, the words "In a Thunderstorm" appear under the ship's name.  The ship is a "hybrid," as it has both a steam engine and sails.   I think it is the most attractive one I have seen so far...

Update on Mutt and Jeff pins

I should probably be using my term, "Fisher pins," in the title, because the cartoons drawn by Bud Fisher are the only ones I am collecting from the Mutt and Jeff series of cartoon pins.  I have made considerable progress since I wrote about them in July.

As I continue to find 7/8-inch multicolor pins, I have learned of at least 28 designs in the Fisher series. I now have 25 in multi-color and 1 in black and white. Here are pictures of the 3 that I still need to find:

 

I also found and obtained two Fisher designs for one of the phrases; the first, and more common one depicts both Mutt and Jeff; the second, only Mutt. 

 



 

Finally, in addition to the 11 designs I already have in the 1-1/4 inch size, I learned that I need to find at least two more designs in the larger size:

 

While most of these pins are relatively inexpensive, the "OH YOU CUBS!" pins seem to be selling for around $85.00.  The higher price is probably because they fit in 3 areas of collecting:  cartoon phrases, tobacco premiums, and baseball memorabilia.

 

I still do not know how many illustrations Bud Fisher made for the cigarette pins, nor how many of them were produced in the 1-1/4 inch size.