Spam Roundup October, 2017

There's spam, and then there's spam so oddly written it's somewhat amusing. Here's a roundup of some of the "best" comments I received this month from spambots around the world.

Unambiguously preservedness

- I think this is one of the most information for me. And I am glad reading your article. But wanna remark on few general things. The site style is wonderful, the articles is really nice. [After the "but" I was waiting for the ax to fall.]

 - I am taking a look forward to your next post. I'll try to get the cling of it! [I strive for electrifying prose. Static's just the byproduct.]

 - Hi there colleagues, how is all, and what you want to say concerning this article, in my view its in fact awesome support of me. [It's not about you.]

 - What a material of un-ambiguity and preservedness of precious familiarity regarding unpredicted feelings. [I feel this is somewhat ambiguous.]

We continue to "Lumbering along"

The Straco Express Layout, Part 23 - Lumbering Along continues to attract the spambots. As you read the comments below, keep in mind that it was all supposedly prompted by the 3"-long tin friction toy shown at left. The post itself just describes the car and how it fits with the display. 

 - You actually make it appear so easy along with your presentation however I find this topic to be actually something which I believe I might never understand. It sort to feels too complicated and extremely vast for me. [100 words. Too vast. Riiiiight.]

 - If they know they cannot get a rise out of you they will continue until they do, but if you change the subject they will get the hing that you are not interested in debating. [Not to change the subject, but did ever I tell you about the vintage Japanese toy lumber truck I picked up?]

 - You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. [You've got to be kidding.]

Fastidious content

The usage of the word "fastidious" has tapered off in the spam comments. But spambots still have a lot to say in the comment field of the article itself. 

 - Pretty oration of content.[?!]

 - I know this web page offers quality dependent articles or reviews and additional stuff, is there any other website which gives such things in quality? [Nope. When it comes to commentary about fastidious spam, I'm in a class by myself.]

 - Everything composed was actually very reasonable. But, what about this? What if you wrote a catchier title? I mean "Fastidious Spam" is kinda lame. [It got you to click through, didn't it?]

That's it for this month. But not to worry -- the oration of content (both pretty and ugly) continues apace. We're sure to have more than enough material for a November roundup. 

Diabelli Project 168 - String Trio

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

I feel I need to apologize for the look of this score. My regular technical pens were about out of ink, so I tried some with angled nibs.

As for the music itself, it's sort of a continuation of last week's project. In that sketch, I used an ascending intervals pattern: a second, a third, and a fourth. This time, it's the same intervals in a descending pattern.

Plus, I just came off of a month of posting viola works (and jokes) on Twitter as part of the #ClassicsaDay feed. So even before I started I thought I'd be sketching out something for some type of string chamber piece.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 071 - Turn Stile

I found a Line Mar Match Box Construction Set from the 1930s, complete and with instructions. The box claimed the set made 100 different toys. I decided to test that claim -- one toy at a time. You can read all the posts for the Line Mar construction project at 100 Toys.

071. Turn Stile

Yes, a "turn stile" is the same as a turnstile. This construction set was made in Japan, and sometimes the translation doesn't quite work.

The build was pretty easy for the turnstile. The nub at the top of the capstan isn't as pronounced as it appears in the illustration. The dowel simply wasn't long enough to make that happen.

Otherwise, the complete toy looks like the image. And it does rotate. That makes it one of the few toys in this series that a kid could actually play with!

Gregory Mertl Piano Concerto - music with a strong narrative

How to best to describe the music of Gregory Mertl? According to the composer, it "often enfolds as a narrative generated from its opening ideas." The three works on this release all have a forward-moving narrative.

Yet each work achieves that in a different fashion. "Afterglow of a Kiss" for flute proceeds in fits and starts. While sometimes prickly, I'd call it non-tonal rather than atonal. The piece sounds grounded -- just not in a traditional dominant-tonic sense. In this narrative, there's a gradual move from chaos to calm. That calm only arrives towards the end of the 7-minute work (and it's not all that calm).

The solo flute part is challenging -- but not too challenging for Immanuel Davis. Despite the demands on her instrument, she maintains a beautiful, well-rounded tone.

"Empress" is as calm as "Afterglow" is agitated. The work proceeds through a series of long, drawn-out chords that gradually mutate. As the work progresses, the music gains momentum. Here the narrative seems to be that of awakening. The harmonies increase in dissonance and the mood moves from lethargic to energetic.

According to Mertl, his piano concerto is a journey of discovery for the soloist. It reminded me a little of late Bartok -- but only a little. In the first movement, the piano's fragmentary themes slowly coalesce. It comes together in the second movement. The piano and orchestra take turns with the melodic material as separate -- but equal -- partners.

The final movement brings both forces together. The piano and orchestra fit together in an interconnected whole. If you follow the narrative thread, the work can take you on an exciting journey of exploration. And one worth the time investment.

The University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble performs on par with professional ensembles. Long, sustained chords were rock-solid, never wavering in tone. The ensemble has a strong, full-bodied sound. Kudos to Craig Kirchhoff for leading them in such exciting performances.

Also of merit is pianist Solungga Liu's performance. Her playing in the first movement showed great sensitivity and power and dexterity in the third.

Gregory Mertl
Afterglow of a Kiss, Empress, Piano Concerto
The University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble; Craig Kirchhoff, conductor
Solungga Liu, piano; Immanuel Davis, flute
Bridge Records 9489

CPE Bach Violin Sonatas - Transparent and lively masterworks

This reissue from 2005 features four violin and piano sonatas by Carl Philipp Emanual Bach. He wrote three while serving at the court of Frederick the Great. The other was an early work, miscredited to his father.

CPE Bach composed the three 1763 sonatas while employed by King Frederick II, They reflect the atmosphere of Frederick the Great's cosmopolitan court. Frederick was a talented amateur musician, greatly interested in French culture.

Bach's sonatas have the lightness of the French style galante. Violin and piano nimbly trade melodic motifs, keeping the texture light. Amandine Beyer and Edna Stern play in simpatico. Phrasing and infections remain consistent as the music moves from one instrument to the other.

It's easy to hear how the 1738 Sonata in G major, H.545 (BWV 1031) could be attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach rather than his son. CPE wrote it when he was 20, and still developing his own voice. The textures are thick, and there's a lot of baroque busy-ness going on -- especially with the keyboard.

But after hearing the other sonatas, it's also easier to hear CPE's traits in this music, too.

I've stated before I don't care for the sound of the early fortepiano. But I have no complaints about the sound of it in this recording. The instrument does sounds a little blocky compared to a modern piano. But the action is quiet, and the keyboard seems very responsive to Stern's touch.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Sonatas for Violin and Fortepiano, WQ 76-78; H.545 (formerly BWV 1031)
Amadine Beyer, violin; Edna Stern, piano
Alpha 329

Lessons from York: What We Saw - Clearing out the clutter

Dad and I recently returned from our semi-annual trip to the Train Collectors Association (TCA) Eastern Division toy train meet in York, PA. This is the largest such show in the United States and provides an interesting snapshot of the state of the hobby.

It can also hint at the current state of collecting in general. As is our tradition, we spent a lot of time discussing what we saw a lot of (and what we didn't) -- and more importantly, the reasons behind them.

There were three things that we saw in abundance this time, and I think they were there due to an aging market and shifting tastes.

Victims of the Aging Market

Toy collecting is a nostalgic endeavor, and most collectors focus on the objects of their youth. For the founding members of the TCA, that golden age would be the early 1920s. For the second generation to join, it was the late 1930s-early 1940s. For the third generation (of which I'm a part), it's postwar. 

And then there's a break. Because the third generation -- late Baby Boomers -- are really the last to grow up with toy trains. When the organization was founded, early trains commanded top dollar. That remained so during the second generation but started to decline by the third. And the slide continues.

1. Blue Comet and State Sets

Right before the Great Depression Lionel's top of the line train sets were indeed non plus ultra. The State set (each passenger car bore the name of a state) was a massive standard gauge (bigger than 0-gauge) train. Next in desirability was the Blue Comet.

These sets were made of high-quality metal, with detailed interiors, hinged doors and illumination. But in the early 1930s few families could afford such luxuries, and not many were sold.

An original 1930s Lionel standard gauge Blue Comet. Looks nice on a shelf.

For many, these sets remain the pinnacle of collecting. Even those who weren't especially interested in prewar trains would have a Blue Comet or a State Set if their pockets were deep enough.

At this show we saw an unusually high number of these vintage sets for sale. And while there weren't any real bargains, prices were $500-$1000 below average.

Why? The hobby is shifting from collectors who put trains on shelves to collectors who run trains on layouts. Reproduction Blue Comets and State Sets have hit the market. They cost a little less than the originals, run more reliably, and have modern operating features (like remote control).

The MTH 2014 reproduction. More features (like smoke and sound), and even more cars!

I think the vintage set we saw were the result of down-sizing and estate liquidations.

2. Postwar American Flyer

We noticed the abundance of American Flyer trains at the last show. This time there were even more tables offering postwar American Flyer trains. This Lionel competitor went out of business in 1967.

Original locomotives and rolling stock were scarce. But then in the early 1990s both Lionel and a new company S-Helper began offering new equipment. For the collector/operator, there was no longer a need for the vintage 1950s stuff.

This show I think we saw an acceleration of the change from collector to operator. There's less of a market for vintage Flyer, and plenty of demand for the new.

Transformers!

Last show we saw a lot of vintage ZW transformers. This time, we saw even more for sale.
For layout operators, the Lionel ZW transformer was the Holy Grail. It was the most powerful of Lionel's transformers, rated at 275 watts. It had independent controls for two trains, plus terminals to power accessories and lights.

That ZW (right) may have been powerful, but if you're one from the
late 1940s-early 1950s, it can get real hot real fast.

Lionel offered the ZW from 1948 to 1966. The first generation of collector/operators created a huge demand for refurbished ZWs. But as locomotives acquired on-board electronics, these became less satisfactory.

The Z4000 has more features, plus it's UL-rated.

In the late 1990s MTH offered their own line of transformers for modern 0-gauge locomotives. Their top-of-the-line Z-4000 transformer delivers 400 watts of power, has an internal cooling fan and is UL-rated. If your an operator, it just makes sense to replace that vintage ZW with something that's not only more powerful, but less likely to burn your house down.

What we didn't see

What we didn't see at York supports the theory that toy train operators are now driving the marketplace. What we didn't see are the very things most operators would want on their layouts:

1) Operating accessories, both pre- and postwar (such as coal loaders, beacon lights, etc.). They're right at home on the modern collector/operators' layouts.

2) Post 1990 locomotives and rolling stock from Lionel, Atlas, MTH, and Bachman. If you're running it, you're not going to sell it.

3) Modern reproductions from Weaver, Williams, MTH, and others. Those are the products that are pushing the vintage originals off the shelves and into the market place.

Diabelli Project 167 - Piano Piece

he Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

Even a cursory look at my piano sketches will tell you I don't play very well. But the purpose of these flash compositions is to let the music flow unedited, and sometimes untrammeled by reality. There's been a recurring motif in these sketches recently. It's a series of ever-expanding intervals; a second, a third, a fourth. In other words, C-D-F-B. Or it could be C-D-F#-B, or even C-D-F-Bb.

That's really all that's going on here. Just building on that four-note idea.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 070 - Signal

I found a Line Mar Match Box Construction Set from the 1930s, complete and with instructions. The box claimed the set made 100 different toys. I decided to test that claim -- one toy at a time. You can read all the posts for the Line Mar construction project at 100 Toys.

070. Signal

Although the instruction sheet calls this model a signal, I'd consider it more of a semaphore. The picture shows a signal arm and lever linked by a taut piece of string (or thread). 

Well, compromises needed to be made. There's no way the fragile construction below could stay assembled if there was any stress added to it. So I went with wire instead of a string. 

 The cool thing about this build was that it possibly could have worked. At left is a detail of the lever. The original illustration is a little blurred, but it was possible to have a lever that rotated on an axle.

And it was also possible to build the signal arm so that it, too, would rotate. The problem was that there was nothing to hold back either the arm or the lever.

The fiberboard collars didn't grip the pieces tight enough to offer any resistance to the wire.

If you look closely, you'll see that only the top of the base is preventing the level from being pulled all the way up.

That wire is also keeping the signal arm in place.

When I tried, ever-so-gently to push down on the arm, the support post gave way. It's built of two long dowels joined together by a wooden collar. And the collar doesn't hold them together very well.

If you look closely at the photo, you'll see where I used clear tape to thicken the diameter of the dowels. It did prevent the collar from sliding down, but it was never a very solid joint.

I used wooden discs on the top and bottom of the dowels to add additional support, but it still wasn't enough. This toy works as a static display. But the first time I tried to signal with it, it signaled the end of the piece.

Draeseke Quintets - Music Whose Time Has Come?

Conductor Hans von Bülow was a champion of Felix Draeseke's works. Yet he considered Draeseke's music "a hard nut to crack." Because of that, von Bülow predicted that Draeseke would "never be popular among the ordinary".

After listening to these quintets, I don't agree with von Bülow's first assessment. Although the second's true enough.

Draeseke was a student of Franz Liszt and an early admirer of Richard Wagner. Draeseke's use of Wagner-like leitmotifs and his fondness for counterpoint may be von Bülow's "hard nut."

Wagner's music puzzled many contemporary audiences. It makes sense that Draeseke's might also.

A century later, though, it doesn't elicit the same response (unless you really hate Wagner).

Draeseke's quintets aren't slavish imitations in any way. His music builds logically, heaping line upon line in masterful polyphonic construction. While the key may not always be clear, there's still a strong sense of forward motion. And everything seems to resolve satisfyingly in the final cadences.

If you like the tried-and-true, Draeseke's works may not appeal to you. But if you want something beyond the ordinary, these quintets might be just the thing. Draeseke's music seems to flow from one idea to the next.

The performances on this release are well-executed. The ensemble has a robust, full-bodied sound that makes loud passages especially exciting. And yet the players can play with delicacy when necessary. That ability provides clarity to some of the especially thick contrapuntal sections.

Felix Draeseke: Quintets Op. 48 & 77; Scene Op. 69
Solistenensemble Berlin; Breuninger Quartet
CPO 555 107-2

Carl Abel Op. 7 Symphonies -- Better than Mozart?

For quite a while the 6th symphony of Carl Friedrich Abel's Op. 7 was attributed to Mozart as his third. It's a logical error. Young Mozart hand-copied the work in 1764 for study while visiting London. When the manuscript was found in his papers, stylistically it matched Mozart's and was in his hand, and so...

Carl Abel's Op. 7 collection represented the current state of the still-developing symphony. In the 1760s the symphony was in transition. It was growing from being part of a Baroque suite into a self-contained four-movement work.

Abel's contribution in his 1767 publication was the development of the slow movement. They become more lyrical and song-like, pointing the way to the symphonies of the 1790s and early 1800s.

No wonder the 11-year-old Mozart wanted to study these works further.

La Stagione Frankfurt directed by Michael Schneider does Abel's symphonies justice. They play the opening movements at breakneck speed. The ensemble races up and down scales and patterns with incredible precision.

Their performances of those slow movements are beautifully executed. The long, flowing melodies seem to sing at times.

 La Stagione Frankfurt eschews a galant style interpretation. Instead, they present Abel's symphonies as substantial, full-bodied Germanic works. And in the process, do Abel's music a great service.

My impression? Abel's Op. 7 symphonies might even be better than those of pre-teen Mozart.

Carl Friedrich Abel: Symphonies, Op. 7
La Stagione Frankfurt; Michael Schneider, conductor
CPO CX 7993

Collecting - and Collecting Information Part 30

Starting from nothing

There is very little source material about the Japanese toy manufacturers of the early postwar period. Most of it centers around the currently popular areas of collecting: space and robot toys, and large metal car models. Well-researched reference works can help you date a particular piece, and identify its Japanese manufacturer and its American importer.

No such luck for these companies' entry-level toys. There are no reference books -- just information printed on the boxes.

Nomura, the original

Most of the larger companies, such as Nomura, Alps, and Yonezawa, supplied toys to several U.S. importers. And sometimes interchangeably. These cross-currents complicate the picture -- like the examples below, made by Nomura.

The original - made by Nomura (TN), branded by Nomura.

The first example is the original box art for this Santa Fe H0 set. The Nomura logo ("TN" in a diamond) is right there on the box. The set is exactly as pictured. And note how artfully it's pictured. The last part of the second boxcar is hidden behind some trees, implying more freight cars and a long train.

Not so. One locomotive, two boxcars, that's it.

Rosko, the importer (of Nomura)

The second set is branded Rosko Tested. Rosko was a US importer of battery-operated tin toys in the late 1950s and early 1960s. As you can see, Nomura didn't go out of their way to change the cover art for Rosko. The maintenance instructions have been resized and moved over to make room for the Rosko logo. And, for some reason, a red film was laid over the front of the loco.

I don't think the color change on this box art is fooling anyone.

At this time, four-color printing involved using different plates of film - one for each for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. If you wanted to alter the image, you had to change each color plate the change affected. The black plate had to be changed, of course. And the only other color in the Rosko logo is red (which would change the magenta plate).

So why overlay the loco with extra magenta?

No idea. The set inside is still the same, with bold red, yellow, and black Santa Fe markings. Did they want the box to look different in case the two brands showed up side by side in a dime store? Perhaps, but I doubt the average customer would notice.

Whether branded Nomura or Rosko, the contents are the same.

No, this one's a mystery.

Diabelli Project 166 - Piece for Solo Violin

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

This isn't the first sketch for solo violin in this series. When I went through the records, though, I was surprised at how long it's bee since the previous ones. The sketch below is only the third I've done in this flash composition exercise. The first was in 2014, the second over a year ago.

I knew when I started my 10-minute dash that I wanted to write without a set meter. That suggested a solo instrument, and the rest just flowed.

Is this part of the same piece as the other two sketches? I'm not sure. One thing that struck me was how much further I got on this piece before time ran out. The other two sketches run just three staves each. This has seven.

Of course, quantity isn't the same as quality. But I think I like this sketch better than the other two.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 069 - Signal Block

I found a Line Mar Match Box Construction Set from the 1930s, complete and with instructions. The box claimed the set made 100 different toys. I decided to test that claim -- one toy at a time. You can read all the posts for the Line Mar construction project at 100 Toys.

069. Signal Block

This is one of the few builds in quite a while that was simple and straightforward. All the dowels used fit as shown in the illustration (right). The model was fairly stable after assembly.

And that's all I have to say about this one.

Wagner Concert Overtures Delightfully Charming

Jun Märkl and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra present a program of rarely-performed Wagner. And it's a darned appealing program.

The two concert overtures and the overture to König Enzio were all written before 1832. Wagner was in his teens, and his influences run close to the surface. The works sound like a mix of Beethoven and Weber -- with a dash of originality.

The 1836 overture to Shakespeare's Measure for Measure leans more towards Bellini. This tuneful work bustles with energy and sparkles with exotic percussion.

The "Christopher Columbus Overture" is from this same period. It sounds suitably heroic. But the overture doesn't convey the feeling of the open sea as effectively as Der fliegende Holländer, written six years later.

"Die Feen" (The Fairies), Wagner's first opera, was also written around this time. The overture seems to come from the same fantastical sonic world as Mendelssohn's "Midsummer's Night" and Weber's "Der Freischütz." The exotic harmonic progressions, though, are all Wagner's own and look to the future.

That future arrives in the final work of the release, the Siegfried Idyll. This is music by the mature Wagner, in full command of his own musical language.

Wagner's early works were seldom performed in his lifetime, and only rarely afterward. Unlike some Wagner's minor works -- like the Centennial March -- these deserve a second hearing. While the influences are easy to spot, these works aren't derivative. Wagner's personality keeps bursting through.

The MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra perform well. While the early works might not be Wagner at his best, Jun Märkl takes them seriously. His thoughtful interpretations bring out the merits and charms in these pieces.

None of these works (except for Siegfried Idyll) are on the same level as Wagner's famous operas. But as concert overtures, they work just fine. And I enjoyed hearing them performed well.

Richard Wagner: Concert Overtures
MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra; Jun Märkl, conductor
Naxos 

The Cardinals' Cellos - Instrumental Music from 1690s Rome

From the 1680s through the 1710s, Rome was one of the major music centers of Europe. Corelli, Handel, and Scarlatti were all active in the city. Their presence, in turn, attracted the best musicians to the Eternal City.

Cardinals Benedetto Pamphill and Pietro Ottoboni were major patrons of this musical activity. Some of the finest cello virtuosi/composers were in their retinues. This release presents some of their music.

Originally released in 2015, "The Cardinals Cellos" presents works by eight of these virtuosi, spanning 24 years. While they wrote music for their instrument, all eight composed oratorios, operas, concerto grossi, and other forms.

Giovanni Lullier is the earliest, entering service in 1676. None of his cello works survive. He's represented by a transcribed aria "Amor di che tu viol." It's a charmingly simple work, with an appealing melody with regular phrasing.

The last composer of the line is Giovanni Costanzi, active through 1778. His Sinfonia in D major represents a dramatic change over Lullier's work. And it anticipates the style of Luigi Boccherini, one of Costanzi's star pupils.

Marco Ceccato plays with a nice, rounded tone that's somewhat unusual on a cello of the period. He performs with a very light touch and precise articulation -- particularly in the rapid passages. The Accademia Ottoboni have a clean ensemble sound that nicely showcases the solo cello.

The close-mic'd recording gives these modest chamber works an appealing intimacy.

Another fine early music rerelease from Alpha.

Il violoncello del cardinale 
Music by Boni, Amadei, Haym, Perroni, Costanzi, Bononcini, and Lulier 
Accademia Ottoboni; Marco Ceccato 
Alpha 368

Collecting - and Collecting Information Part 29

Our story so far:

There was no brand on the traffic signs I found for the Straco Express display layout. They were made in Japan in the late 1950s-early 1960s. But that was all I knew.

Then I found them in a floor train set made by Ichimura. So the mystery was solved.

The Ichiban set. Originally, it was about the signs.

Soon after, I found them again in a penny toy car set imported by Cragstan. There was no other brand on the packaging, so it was logical to assume that it also was made by Ichimura.

The KHT train set. So who made the signs?

I then ran across another penny toy set that had the signs. This one had a train and was branded KHT, Kawahachi Toy Co. Ltd. So who made the signs? KHT or Ichimura?

Enter "NT"

I recently ran across a set that further muddies the waters. There are no signs, but this little box set has the same loco and rolling stock as the KHT set.

The surprise isn't inside -- it's on the top of this box.

The lithography has been changed, but it's definitely the same stamped metal design. Only the box bears an N with a T overlay -- the brand of Nakamura Toy of Tokyo, Japan.

The logo, an N and T inside a circle, is on the far right of the box.

Who was Nakamura Toy? I can find examples of their products, but no information about the company itself. What was the relationship between KHT and Nakamura? Who supplied the original train, and who rebranded it? Or did they both get their product from Ichimura? Or vice-versa?

The Nakamura set (top) and the loco from the KHT set (bottom).
The locos are identical, save for the lithography.

The only thing that's remained constant is the importance of the packaging. It's the only place any type of branding has appeared in relation to these toys.

Diabelli Project 165 - Woodwind Quintet

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

This week my subconscious sketched out another woodwind quintet. I'm currently working on expanding previous Diabelli Project quintet sketches, so that's not too surprising.

Originally, I thought they might be all part of some larger piece. But when I look at them collectively, I think rather I have two different quintets going on. The sketch below looks like it belongs with No. 162 (same key signature) and No.160 (near-related key).

In the sketch below, the goal was to break up the ensemble with shifting combinations instruments providing the melody and harmonic support.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 068 - Hoist

I found a Line Mar Match Box Construction Set from the 1930s, complete and with instructions. The box claimed the set made 100 different toys. I decided to test that claim -- one toy at a time. You can read all the posts for the Line Mar construction project at 100 Toys.

068. Hoist

I have to admit I had trains on the brain when I started this project. I had just completed the series of Line Mar train builds. When I looked at this illustration (right), I assumed it was a crossing gate for the train.

Not so. It's a hoist, according to the instruction sheet.

The arm assembly went together pretty much as the illustration showed it. But as you can see in the photo below, the pillars were another story. In order to secure them to the base, the dowels had to go through the top and bottom of the pillars as well as the base.

The shorter dowels were simply too short. So I had to use the taller dowels, which were a little too long for the task.

I still think it looks like a railroad crossing gate, especially the hand-operated ones used in Britain before WWII.

Johann Mayr - Missa in C justly revived

Johann Simon Mayr wrote almost 70 operas over 600 sacred works. Only a few have been performed since his death in 1845. Based on the quality of the music in this new release, it's not the quality of the compositions.

"One recognizes the hand of the master in everything, and this work will always remain in our musical archive in the front row with the beautiful masses by outstanding composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Hummel." That's what the Kapellmeister who first performed Mayr's Missa in wrote in 1826.

It's pretty good company. And the work bears up well in the comparison. Mayr's mass is a big choral work with more than a trace of operatic flair. Similar, I think, to Rossini's Petite messe solennelle. Mayr exploits the dramatic possibilities of the text. It results in some exciting choral and orchestral passages.

According to the liner notes, Mayr quotes both Beethoven and Donizetti in this work. They're so well-integrated into the music, you might not notice them. There's a recurring clarinet obbligato that reminded me somewhat of Weber.

The Stabat Mater dates from 1802, the year Mayr became maestro di cappella at the Cathedral of Bergamo. It's a more introspective and somber work, reflecting the text. But it also has its share of dramatic gestures, with some superb choral writing.

The recorded sound of the Orpheus Vokalensemble has a luminous beauty. The soloists are in fine form. The Concerto Köln has the transparent blend of an early 19th-century ensemble.

If these are representative samples of Mayr's catalog, then I want more.

Johann Simon Mayr: Missa in c; Stabat Mater
Katja Stuber, soprano; Marion Eckstein. alto
Fernando Guimarães, tenor; Tareq Nazmi, basso
Orpheus Vokalensemble; Concerto Köln; Florian Helgath, director
Carus 83.480

László Lajtha: Orchestral Works, Vol. 5 - A Revolutionary Symphony

Volume five of László Lajtha's orchestral series features but one symphony -- his seventh.

In some way's the 1957 "Revolution Symphony" is one of Lajtha's most honest works (not that he was one to dissemble). Lajtha wrote it in reaction to the Soviet suppression of Hungary's revolution the year before.

It's a dissonant, turbulent work that includes some big, heroic gestures. They reminded me somewhat of Shostakovich's fifth symphony.

Unlike that work, though, Lajtha's symphony seems designed to provoke rather than appease. "La Marseilles" is obliquely referenced, and the piece ends with an altered form of the Hungarian National Hymn, a mordant commentary on the New Order.

Nicolás Pasquet and the Pécs Symphony Orchestra seem to understand what Lajtha was trying to express. Their performance conveys a sense of urgency, as they breathlessly relate the birth and death of a revolution. And yet they also perform the quieter passages with restraint and sensitivity.

The emotional intensity of the Revolution Symphony is lightened by the other works on the release. Lajtha's Suite No. 3 reminded me a little of Vaughan William's "The Wasps" Overture, mixed with a dash of Prokofiev's "Love of Three Oranges."

Lajtha composed the work for the 100th anniversary of the Hungarian Philharmonic, and each section gets a turn in the spotlight. It's a beautifully orchestrated, light-hearted work that should really be performed more often.

Lajtha extracted an orchestral suite from his score to "Life on the Hortobágy." This 1937 film depicts the destruction of the Hortobágy Plainsmen's traditional life by the arrival of mechanization. The suite effectively depicts that conflict by mixing traditional Hungarian folk elements with daring modern dissonances.

László Lajtha: Orchestral Works, Vol. 5
Suite No. 3, Op. 56; Hortobágy Suite, Op. 21; Symphony No. 7, Op. 63 "Revolution Symphony"
Pécs Symphony Orchestra; Nicolás Pasquet, conductor
Naxos 8.573647

A Compendium of Comic Strip Cameos

Cameos in film and television are common. In comic strips, they're not. One of the challenges is copyright, of course. When the Spirit did an extended appearance in Dick Tracy (site), the current owners of Will Eisner's intellectual property had to clear character treatment and depiction.

The other challenge is the blending of style. Sometimes the artist of the strip can't convincingly duplicate the style of cameo's artist. In the cases that appeared in June 2017 strips, that wasn't a problem. The first example comes from Blondie.

Dean Young''s clean style was a perfect match for Greg and Mort Walker's. Although Blondie is more detailed than Beetle Bailey, the styles were close enough to make Sarge's appearance appear natural.

Mark Tatulli has riffed on Peanuts many times in his strip Lio. His depiction of Charles Shultz's characters is close enough for the gag to work.

In September 2017, Jim Scancarelli sent Joel looking for his sidekick Rufus in an extended Gasoline Alley sequence.

This isn't the first time Gasoline Alley has featured Dick Tracy characters (see The Alley Comes to Tracy). Scancarelli draws Tracy and B.O. Plenty in the style of their creator, Chester Gould. If you're not familiar with the current iteration of Dick Tracy, it works. If you are (as I am), it seems a little off -- almost as if we're looking at an alternate universe, Dick Tracy!

Still, all three strips are good examples of comic strip artists showing they can draw in more than one style.

Diabelli Project 164 - Chorale

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

The last post (No. 163) was a setting of the Benedictus. I must have still had choral music on my mind when I wrote this flash composition. It's just a simple hymn tune set for SATB chorus. If I were to really work on this, I'd definitely clean up some of the weaker voice-leading sections. But for 10 minutes writing without any internal filter, I'll let it pass.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.