Spam Roundup, April 2018

Even with spam filters, some comments manage to make it through the system. Some of it's so oddly written, that it's oddly amusing. Here's a roundup of some of the "best" comments I received this month from spambots around the world.

Say what?

Just keep using words. Eventually, they'll make sense - right?

 - the utilized accomplishment and care, your plot and it official document easily move quarry. By measure the section obligate, umteen family line who buy out from a new mixed bag.

 - Do not lack an opportunity to arise your sector mistreatment fluid mercantilism subject matter much speedily.

 - You nibble the compensate entity to get rid of it! If you sleep with to pay them off, the furnishing may get a chance to call forth halcyon.

Who wouldn't want to see this in action?

"Lumbering along" lumbers along

The Straco Express Layout, Part 23 - Lumbering Along still rakes in the comments. Spambots seem to take the subject of this cheap Japanese toy more seriously than I do.

 - With having so much written content do you ever run into any issues of plagiarism of copyright violation? [You've got to be kidding. Who would want to?]

 - Do you have any video of that? I'd like to find out some additional information. [Video? Who do you think I am - Ray Harryhausen?]

 - Your style is unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Yes, because *so much* has been written about these vintage toys.]

One last thought

 - A decorous appendage when you are in the chance.

Words to live by. That's all for this month.

#ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth - Week 4

What's the connection between classical music and classic poetry? That was theme some of us decided to explore with #ClassicsaDay. For April 2018 we posted examples of settings of poetry in classical music, works inspired by poetry, and more. Here's an annotated list of the works I posted for the last week of #PoetryMonth.

Gerald Finzi - 7 Partsongs, Op. 17
(Poetry by Robert Bridges)

Robert Bridges was a major literary figure in early 20th Century Britain. He was Poet Laureate from 1913-1930 and wrote verse drams, hymns, and prose as well as poetry. Gerald Finzi set seven Bridges poems for unaccompanied singers. He completed the work in 1937.

Samuel Barber - Music for a Scene from Shelley, Op. 7
(Prometheus Unbound - Percy Bysshe Shelly)

"Prometheus Unbound" was first published in 1820. Shelley's four-act lyrical drama was completed in Italy. Over a century later, while in Italy, Samuel Barber composed his tone poem. The immediate inspiration was the same scenery that purportedly inspired Shelley, and the lines from the poem to hear "voices in the air."

Elliott Carter - Scrivo in Vento
(Sonnet 212 "Beato in sogno" - Francesco Petrarch)

The 14th Century Italian poet Petrarch is considered one of the first humanist poets. His works greatly influenced poets for over 200 years. In 1993 Elliott Carter wrote "Scrivo in vento." The structure and the rhythmic shape of the work are based on that of Petrarch's Sonnet 212.

Guillaume de Machaut - Plourés dames
(Le voir dit - Guillaume de Machaut)

Guillaume de Machaut was not only considered one of the most important composers of his time, he was also regarded as one of its greatest poets. "Plourés dames" is one of many parts of his 1325 poem "Le voir dit" Machaut set to music. Although the poem is represented as "a true story," Machaut gives the reader plenty of clues to the contrary.

Charles Tomlinson Griffes - The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan, Op. 8
(Kubla Khan; or, a Vision in a Dream: A Fragment - Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Although completed in 1797, Coleridge's poem wasn't published until 1816. The work was inspired by the poet's visions while taking opium. "Kubla Khan" celebrates a highly romanticized version of Orientalism that was in vogue at the time. Charles Thomlinson Griffes wrote his tone poem in 1912. The music came to Griffes in a dream, and its impressionist score became one of his most popular compositions.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 085 Winding 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.

085. Winding Hoist

Without a doubt, this was one of the most difficult builds in the series. Once again, the illustrator took some liberties. The block and tackle assembly is not as compact as it appears in the drawing. 

And the dowels can't be extended as far as they're shown. This is a very fragile construction that could take no strain at all. 

I extended the upright dowels further into the base for additional stability, but they were still pulled back by the strain of the string. When I prepared the shot, the crosspiece was even with the top of the dowels. By the time I focused the camera, the weight of the block and tackle had pulled it downwards.

I was happy it held together long enough (in some fashion) to take the photo.

Robert Fuchs Works for Cello - Ready for Revival

Talent will out. But a little hustle helps. Gustav Mahler, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Alexander Zemlinsky all worked to get their music before the public. Their teacher, Robert Fuchs did not. Fuchs preferred the life of quiet academia -- although he wrote music of exceptional quality, he was indifferent to its fate.

The collected cello works of this self-effacing composer show a rare talent and one that can still surprise.

Fuchs was active at the tail end of the Romantic period, living into the mid-1920s. While his music remained mostly tonal, his works -- such as the cello sonatas here -- could be quite adventurous in their harmonies.

Brahms was a keen admirer of Fuchs. The Cello Sonata No. 1, Op. 29 suggests that admiration was mutual. This 1881 work starts out with a broad, Brahmsian theme that swiftly moves off in its own direction. There's no way to mistake this for Brahms. The phrasing and harmonic motion are all Fuch's own.

The second cello sonata, written in the 1910s, is much more sophisticated. Compared to the first sonata, the texture is thicker, and the structure much more compact. Fuchs says what he needs to more efficiently. And while the texture is thick, the harmonies seem leaner. Fuchs was an academic, but he wasn't out of touch.

Rounding out the release are his Phantastasiestucke, Op. 78 for cello and piano. These seven little works can be enjoyed individually, or in a single sitting. The pieces are organized in an arch - pieces 1 and 7 are complementary, as are 2 and 6, and so on.

Martin Ostertag and Oliver Triendl make a good team. At times the cello and piano seem to blend together. Occasionally, Ostertag's playing has an edge to it. But overall, I found these performances well-suited to the music. And I can only hope this recording may encourage other cellists to consider these beautiful works.

Robert Fuchs: Complete Works for Cello and Piano
Martin Ostertag, cello; Oliver Triendl, piano
One Note Music TXA 16078

Lessons from York - We See Change

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

From collector to operator

In Part 1 I shared some examples of a hobby in flux. The first three generations of toy train collectors are selling more than their buying. There is a fourth generation, though. But this middle-aged group is made up of operators rather than collectors.

Yes, they're interested in the larger gauge trains that were the mainstay of Lionel and American Flyer.  But they prefer to run trains on a layout rather than display them on shelves.

Trains made by Lionel, MTH, Atlas, Bachmann, and others for today's market are much more reliable that fragile and finicky vintage equipment that's a half-century old.

And that change was readily apparent at the meet.

Code Orange

The York meet had six dealer halls, designated by color. Four were for members who sell vintage toys (that being a loose definition). Two -- the Orange and Purple Halls -- were reserved for manufacturers of new products.

In these two halls were the latest offerings from Lionel, MTH, et al. There were also plenty of offerings from smaller companies that specialize in operating layout accessories; scenery, benchwork, electronics; structures, etc.

 The Lionel booth in the Orange Hall. It didn't look like this in
the members-only halls.

The Orange and Purple Halls were packed (at least while we were there). TCA allowed the general public into these two halls during the weekend. They did so at the last meet, and it was successful enough to continue this time as well.

Let's make a deal!

By contrast, the members-only halls weren't nearly as busy. These halls had the train items of interest primarily to the first three generations of collectors. There were many empty tables in these halls.

In the past, I had run across vendors who were anxious to close the deal. If I stopped to look at something, the table holder would appear at my side. He'd extoll the virtues of the object, and give me every reason why I should buy it right that minute!

And if I still resisted, he'd sometimes hint that the price was negotiable.

This time, it seemed that more of the vendors were like That Guy. Plus, I saw several signs at tables: "Prices negotiable" "Make me an offer" and so on.

I ran across a table with a pile of MPC Lionel boxes -- $10 each. Normally these would be in the $20-30 range, but not that day. The other half of the table was marked 50% off.

My two York purchases. I was really only interested in the red
Southern box car from Lionel MPC. But for $10 each, I couldn't resist.

To me, this suggests that the vendors also know the market is changing. And they want to get rid of their stock while there's still a window of opportunity to sell it. Because once the third generation stops buying, demand will plummet.

The October, 2018 meet should show if my impressions were correct.

One more thing

For the first time ever, I didn't see a Lionel Lifesavers Tank Car. Not one. It's been one of the few items I could count on spotting every meet. Have they all finally found homes?

 

Lessons from York - A Sea Change?

At one time, this volume was worth
over $100 - if you could find it. Now
it's readily available for $10.

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.

What we saw

Most of what we saw at the April 2018 meet seemed to suggest that the market for vintage toy trains was still shrinking. If anything, the decline of the hobby (at least in its current form) seems to have accelerated.

One big library sale

Throughout the years a number of hobby-related reference books have been published. Because of their highly specialized subject matter, these books tended to have very short print runs. The better ones seldom came on the market. These were books collectors would use -- and use often.

Out of print for years, and now back on the market.

This meet we saw several tables with piles of reference books. These weren't factory remainders. Each table usually had just one copy of a particular title. They just had a lot of titles.

Why? Reference works are one of the last things to leave a collection. Even after the objects have been sold, you can still enjoy looking at their color photos in books.

I think these books are the final liquidation of collections. The subjects of most of these books were for trains made between 1900 and the Second World War. This was the focus of the first and second generation of collectors, those who grew up in the 1920s and 1930s.


The past few years I've seen evidence of these collectors downsizing. I believe this flood of books represents estate sales.

Lionel and American Flyer HO

In the 1950s, HO scale was hot. And both Lionel (O-gauge) and American Flyer (S-gauge) started to lose market share. Both companies tried to enter the HO market, and both were unsuccessful.

This did not end well. 

This did not end well, either.

Which made their HO trains somewhat rare, but not especially desirable. Except for a certain type of collector.

Most collectors have very specific interests, but there are some who want it all. For a hard-core Lionel post-war collector, that means not just having every O-gauge train set the company produced from 1948-1970.

It means owning every rail car, every accessory, and every esoteric item Lionel produced, like their chemistry sets, science kits -- and HO scale trains.

The current active generation of collectors grew up in the 1950s. These are the people who would acquire Lionel and American Flyer HO trains to fill out their collections.

But this is also the generation that's just entering retirement. And that means downsizing. The easiest way to begin downsizing a collection is to get rid of the outliers. And if you're a Lionel O-gauge or American Flyer S-gauge postwar collector, these companies' HO trains are just that.

A changing hobby

So if the last remnants of the old collectors is now hitting the market, and the current generation is starting to downsize, is this the end? I don't think so. I think, rather, these are signs of change -- as I'll explain in Part 2.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 084 Mechanical Acrobat

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.

084. Mechanical Acrobat

Although it's called a mechanical acrobat, this week's build is actually the model of a mechanical acrobat. As you can see, there is nothing to make the figure move around on the crossbar. 

And there's something else. Once again, the illustrator got a little ambitious with his drawing. The set comes with two cubes. The model requires three -- two for the crossbar and one for the head of the figure. 

The only way to make the toy at all was to use one of the larger blocks instead.  

Tender Trap 13 - Auction Antics

 What is the Tender Trap? It's what happens when someone places the tender of a toy or model locomotive backward because it "looks right that way." Usually, to do so, they have to ignore the connectors that are specifically designed to work only when the tender's facing the right way. 

So to insist on placing the tender backward, ignorance isn't enough -- you have to deliberately ignore the evidence in front of you.

I'm willing to give a pass to some folks who fall into the tender trap. If you don't know that much about steam locomotives -- or toy trains -- then you don't have a point of reference for which way the tender is supposed to go. And for some toy trains, such as Marx, the couplers are the same on both ends, so there's no external clue as to proper connections. 

But none of that is in play with today's examples. These are photos from an auction house website -- an auction house that specialises in vintage toy trains. Surely their highly trained and experienced staff would know how to properly display a toy locomotive and tender.

Apparently not. You can see there are different couplers on either end of the tender.

Nope. Not right here, either. 

This one's really obvious. Obviously wrong, that is.

Here the wrong coupler is too short to reach the locomotive's pin. Did anyone wonder what that long thing was sticking out from the tender?

Only one of these couplers can physically connect to the locomotive. And it's not the one placed closest to it.

Here's the thing. These are not errors I expect knowledgable staffers to make. So if they don't know which end is which when photographing these items, how can I trust their catalog descriptions?

This was one auction I passed on. Because of what I saw, I couldn't trust what I read.

Dick Tracy, the Green Hornet, and a Masked Hero

Dick Tracy's creative team, Joe Staton and Mike Curtis, continue to add characters to the what I call the ever-expanding Tracyverse. In a storyline started in April 2018, they not only added a current hero, but also a famous one from the past.

In the sequence below, publisher of the Daily Sentinal, Britt Reid, comes to Tracy's city in pursuit of two criminals -- the Topper, and the Green Hornet.

In reality, Britt Reid is the Green Hornet. The Hornet fights criminals while posing as an outlaw. Reid is assisted by his Asian manservant, Kato. The Green Hornet uses a gas gun to disable, rather than kill his foes.

Reid's secretary Lenore (Casey) Case shares the secret of the Hornet's identity. In the Dick Tracy sequence, Case is filling in for Kato, who's working undercover for Topper.

The character debuted on radio in 1936 and ran through 1952. The Green Hornet spawned a comic book series and four movie serials in the 1940s. In 1966 "The Green Hornet" TV show appeared as a spin-off of "Batman." It lasted one season.

If you're only familiar with the Green Hornet because Bruce Lee played Kato on TV, read on.

George W. Trendle helped create the Green Hornet for his radio station WXYZ. It was his second successful character. The first was the Lone Ranger -- whose older brother was Dan Reid.

Over the course of the Lone Ranger radio show, the Lone Ranger adopted his nephew Dan Reid, Jr. And eventually the Green Hornet radio show revealed that Dan Reid, Jr. was Britt's father.

Britt Reid is the grandnephew of the Lone Ranger. Which means a famous part of the fictional Wild West is now part of the Tracyverse.

Eventually, the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet properties were sold to different companies. Because of copyright issues, the familial connection between the two heroes was never explored further.

But true fans know.

And in the world of Dick Tracy, back in the 1880s, the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode the trails of the Old West.

Diabelli Project 188 - Piece for Marimba (Part 2)

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.

Last week I started this sketch and established the parameters for the piece. For the most part, I treat the right and left hands as separate instruments. Each hand plays in a different key center, and the music is about the conversation between the two.

This week that conversation continues. Originally I thought the right hand should use hard rubber mallets, and the left soft yarn mallets. It would heighten the difference between the two hands. But it could also limit what the performer could do.

The single line sections below, for example, could be played alternating hands. That wouldn't be possible with different mallets in each hand.

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.

#ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth - Week 2

What's the connection between classical music and classic poetry? That was theme some of us decided to explore with #ClassicsaDay. For April 2018 we posted examples of settings of poetry in classical music, works inspired by poetry, and more. Here's an annotated list of the works I posted for the first week of #PoetryMonth.

Gustav Mahler - Rückert-Lieder
(Poetry - Friedrich Rückert)

Mahler set four of Rückert's poems in 1901. The last movement was finished a year later. The songs were published as a set in 1910. Although the songs were not conceived of as a cycle, they're often performed that way.Friedrich Ruckert (1788-1866) was a popular poet for German composers. Schumann, Zemlinsky, Wolf, and Strauss also set his poems to music.

Pierre Boulez - Le Marteau sans maître
(Le Marteau sans maître - René Char)

Boulez's landmark work was based on poems from René Char's 1930 Le Marteau sans maître. The elliptical imagery of the poems ("the pendulum throws its instinctive load of granite") is matched by the music. Boulez' multi-layered serialism created a work that only begins to reveal itself after multiple hearings.

Aaron Copland - Eight Poems by Emily Dickenson
(Poetry by Emily Dickenson)

Copland wrote his song cycle "Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson" in 1950. It was for voice and piano. In 1955, he orchestrated eight of them. Copland was careful to follow the rhythm of Dickinson's rhymes, letting the structure of each poem determines the direction of the music.

Claudio Monteverdi - Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda
(Gerusalemme Liberata - Torquato Tasso)

Torquato Tasso was one of the most important Italian poets of the Renaissance. His 1574 poem Gerusalemme liberata would inspire composers for the next three centuries. One of the earliest adaptors of Tasso's poem was Claudio Monteverdi. He set a climactic scene from the poem in 1624.

John Adams - The Wound-Dresser
(The Wound-Dresser - Walt Whitman)

Walt Whitman wrote "The Wound-Dresser" in 1865. The imagery comes from the time Whitman spent as a volunteer corpsman for the Union Army. Adams finished his setting of this poem in 1989.

 

Line Mar Match Box Construction 083 - Turning Figure

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.

083. Turning Figure

This toy was something of a puzzle. The most critical part of the turning figure apparatus is hidden from view. 

There are no gears in this set. So if, in theory, this illustration represented a working model, how do you transfer the power from the crank to the dowel supporting the figure?

No idea. Plus, it's not clear if the bottom of that dowel is attached to anything. 

So I improvised. To add stability, I had attached the long dowel to a cube. And I didn't worry about making this a functional model. So the crank assembly is just a dummy. But At least it (mostly) looks like the illustration.

Carl Friedrich Abel - Symphonies Op. 1 & 4 - Fun and delightful

Carl Abel was a student of Johann Sebastian Bach and a business partner with his son Johann Christian. His music shares some of the qualities of the "London" Bach.

The works on this collection come from two publications. Abel's Opus 1 was published in 1760, his Opus 4 two years later. Both sets feature short, three-movement works for the standard orchestra of the day.

Abel's works sound a little heavy when compared to JC Bach's frothy style galante. Nevertheless, they're tuneful, well-constructed pieces that I found quite entertaining.

The Opus 1 works are labeled symphonies, while the Opus 4 pieces are called overtures. These were interchangeable terms at the time. Both used the same fast-slow-fast structure. To my ears, the Opus 4 overtures sound a little lighter, so perhaps there was some distinction in Abel's mind.

If you enjoy early Mozart and Haydn, you should find much to like in this release.

The Kölner Akademie under Michael Willens delivers energetic performances. The Bach-Abel concerts were a sensation of the London music scene for almost thirty years. With works like these, it's easy to hear why.

Carl Friedrich Abel: Symphonies, Op. 1 & Op. 4
Kölner Akademie; Michael Alexander Willens, conductor
CPO 555 137-2 2 
CD Set

Diabelli Project 187 - Piece for Solo Marimba (Part 1)

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 marks a new project - a piece for solo marimba. I'll be working on this one for the next few weeks.

The concept behind this score is dual tonality. The right hand and left hand play in different key centers. Figuring out how to notate the music took some thought. In my original sketch, I used a separate stave for each hand.

But, as a percussionist, I think that might be somewhat hard to read. Plus, it doesn't show how the hands intersect, as they do in the last bar of the sketch below.

Next week, I'll continue on. We'll find out what happens together!

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.

#ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth - Week 1

What's the connection between classical music and classic poetry? That was theme some of us decided to explore with #ClassicsaDay. For April 2018 we posted examples of settings of poetry in classical music, works inspired by poetry, and more. Here's an annotated list of the works I posted for the first week of #PoetryMonth.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Hiawatha's Wedding Feast
(Song of Hiawatha - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

The 1898 cantata "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast" was Coleridge-Taylor's most popular work. He wrote two additional cantatas based on Longfellow's poem, "The Death of Minnehaha" (1899) and "Hiawatha's Departure" (1900). Coleridge-Taylor also composed a concert overture for the cantata cycle. All four parts were published as "The Song of Hiawatha" Op. 30.

Ralph Vaughn Williams - On Wenlock Edge
(A Shropshire Lad - Alfred Edward Housman)

Houseman's 1896 volume "A Shropshire Lad" features 63 poems. Vaughan Williams was but one of many British composers to set Houseman's poems to music. "On Wenlock Edge" consists of six poems from the collection. The work was originally composed for tenor, piano and string quartet in 1909.

 

Franz Schubert - Der Erlkönig, D.328
(Erlkönig - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Gothe originally wrote this 1782 poem for a Singspiel. Although Schuber's 1815 lied is the best-known, it's not alone. Many composers of the early Romantic era also set the poem to music.

Franz Liszt - Après une Lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata
(The Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri)

The final version of the "Dante" Sonata was first published in 1858. The much shorter original was composed in the late 1830s. The sonata presents thematic impressions of Dante's Inferno, including extensive use of the tritone (the "devil's interval"). Liszt also composed a Dante Symphony around the same time, based on the "Inferno" and "Purgatorio."

Claude Debussy - L'après-midi d'un faune
(L'après-midi d'un faune - Stéphane Mallarmé)

The symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé was a favorite of French impressionist composers. Ravel, Debussy, and Milhaud set his poems to music.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 082 - Wheel Barrow with Man

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.

082. Wheel Barrow with Man

This toy was impossible to build with the pieces provided. The set has two 3-hole braces. Since they're supporting the wheel assembly, I didn't have anything for the arms. 

So I have a rather sad-looking passenger (instead of the happy one depicted in the illustration).

Molter Concertos for Trumpets and Horn - Naturally Better

Not everyone's a fan of original instrumental performances. I am -- especially when they're done well. This release features Jean-François Madeuf performing Molter concertos with a natural trumpet and natural horn.

The results gave me a new appreciation for this under-appreciated composer. And real appreciation for Madeuf's technical prowess.

Modern trumpets and f horns have valves, which lets them easily play any note within the range of the instrument. Natural instruments -- basically just a long brass tube -- were limited to the harmonic series. In such a series, the gaps between notes the tube can produce get smaller as the pitch gets higher.

To play more than bugle calls, melodies had to be written in the extreme upper register of the instrument. And that takes lip control.

Madeuf plays with a clean, clear tone. His intonation artfully shapes the melodic lines. In these recordings, the natural horn has a softer, warmer sound than its modern counterpart. The natural trumpet also doesn't sound strident the way a modern trumpet can in the high registers.

These concertos were written to show off (or perhaps test) the mettle of the soloists. The music's easy to play with modern instruments. But with a natural horn or trumpet, some of Molter's passages are quite challenging.

Sometimes I heard the struggle in Madeuf's playing. And that was fine. It made me reassess this music. These weren't just the pleasant diversions they sound like with modern instruments. Rather, these concertos pushed the limits of the players and the instruments, which made them much more interesting to listen to.

Johann Melchior Molter: Concertos for Trumpets and Horns 
Jean-François Madeuf: natural trumpet and natural horn 
Musica Fiorita; Daniela Dolci, harpsichord, organ, and director 
Accent ACC 24327

Straco Expres Layout, Part 63 - Going Greyhound

Read all the installments of the Straco Express layout project here.

At the point, the Straco Express display layout is pretty full. So adding vehicles is something I always consider carefully.

I like to have taxis and buses going to and fro from the station. So when I saw a Haji Greyhound bus come up for auction, I placed a bid.

The wheel base is the right size, but the overall scale isn't. Of course, the Straco Display layout isn't about scale.

Two Haji vehicles from the early 1950s.

 I believe the bus is an early model. I compared it to the Haji gas truck, and the designs are similar.

Both have only three wheels. The back two are rubber, with metal sides. By the late 1950's that style of tire had been phased out.

Another clue is the bus itself. Greyhound introduced the GM Scenicruiser in 1954. Although GM would continue to make the bus through the early 1970s, the heyday for the PD-4501 Scenicruiser was 1954-56.

My best guess is that Haji brought out their version of the Scenicruiser in 1954-55.

It's an interesting addition to the Straco display layout. But it's one I have to be careful placing for photographs. The size difference between it and say, a Shioji truck is somewhat extreme!

Layout construction:

• Pegboard: $4.95
• Flathead Screws: $0.40
• Molding: $2.49
• SilClear: borrowed from a friend
• Green Paint: leftover  from another project
• Wood Screws: $3.60
• Felt Pads: $1.99

Power Pack: $5.90
Small Houses: $3.00
Testor's Gray Paint for road: $1.29

Bandai Areo Station: $8.99
Bandai Station: $10.00
2 tinplate signs: $1.00
4 tinplate signs (with train) $5.99
Cragstan HO Light Tower $20.49
4 nesting houses $4.99
Tinplate gas station: $5.00

Vehicles:

• Two Japanese toy cars: $2.00
• A.W. Livestock truck: $4.99
• Taxi: $2.99
• Ambulance: $2.99
• Two Japanese patriotic cars: $6.99
• Haji three-wheel sedan $3.00
• Haji three-wheel tanker $5.00
• 1950's sedan $2.99
• Haji Greyhound Scenicruser $5.99
• LineMar Police Car $9.00
• LineMar Pepco Truck $8.50
• LineMar Bond Bread Van $8.00
• LineMar Fire Engine $4.95
• LineMar Dump Truck $12.99
• LineMar GE Courier Car $10.98
• LineMar County School Bus $9.99
• Nomura Red Sedan $5.00
• Nomura Police Car $2.52
• Nomura lumber truck $3.48
• Nomura limousine $11.99
• 6 Nomura vehicles $16.99
• Shioji Express Truck $10.00
• Shioji Covered Truck $12.50
• Shioji Dump Truck $9.95
• Shioji Shell Tanker $10.50
• Shioji Tow Truck $25.00
• Orange Sedan $10.99
• King Sedan $9.95
• Indian Head logo sedan $4.99
• Indian Head (?) convertible $18.00
• Yellow/red Express truck $9.99
• Haji Greyhound Bus $5.00
• Red limousine FREE
• Jeep $12.00

Total Project Cost: $335.28

Diabelli Project - The Wind Duet Project (183-186)

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 flute and clarinet duet was written in 10-minute flash composition installments.

Below is the complete duet (that is, all four flash sessions stitched together). I have two other flute and clarinet duets in this series, No. 122 and No. 143. Like this piece, both are polytonal. Perhaps they all fit together? It's something I'll be exploring in coming weeks.

I'll also be sitting down and seeing if I can finish this movement -- with no time limit.

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.