PDQ Bach: The Jekyll and Hyde Tour

It's been 12 years since there was a new PDQ CD - another is coming out this fall. And they recorded it last night in Owings Mills - and I was there! And dying of laughter.

Four Next-to-Last songs - written in Deuglish - including Das kleines Birdie (ich leibt das kleines Birdie, der bestest ist by far; Ich hatte him fur dinner und he tasted wunderbar!) and Der Cowboykönig (Du bist mein Hero, mein Role-model, too: Du liegst mir in Herzen, Ja das ist was du do. Du bist ja der König of all du kannst see - Besser dann Lone Ranger and Hipalong Cassidy; Du bist ja der Kowboy, but lass mir explain: du bist not just a Kowboy, bei mir bist du Shane.).

Some PDQ Bach rounds, and some songs by Schickele (including If Love is Real, which hysterically veers into metacommentary on the song's title and refrain) and a medley of Shakespearian soliloquies in various styles.

And of course the long-awaited PDQ Bach string quartet - as Schickele said, the string quartet is so central to 18th century music that PDQ Bach could no more ignore it than master it. This "big string quartet" in F Major (The Moose) is so funny I can't begin to describe it - let's just let this quote say it all: PDQ Bach is most original when he's forgotten how what he's stealing from goes.

What can I say? Buy the CD from Telarc when it comes out in November! And if you live near Eugene, Oregon - go to the concert June 30th, part of the Oregon Bach Festival.