The (Most) Nabobist

In the genre of comedy based on classical music Peter Schickele is king and today is his birthday. If you've listened to his public radio program Schickele Mix you'll of course know that he's more than Victor Borge piano bench humor. He is able musicologist, performer, artist, satirist, author, ironist, humorist, funky uncle, singer, raconteur and equal opportunity teacher.

Unfortunately his program is no longer produced and you can't hear programs like Number 15 where he plays famous classical pieces and reads their contemporary composer's scathing reviews. Or an entire program dedicated to odd meter in classical music. In "We Never Make Mistakes" he diplomatically points out, to their performer's dismay, some of the more famous musical flubbs recorded.

And then there's Professor Schickele's "discovery" in the 1950's of little known composer P.D.Q Bach son of J.S. Bach. His subsequent scholarship on this subject has led him from performance to biography. He's studied at Julliard, composed for Lincoln Center and Sesame Street, won a Grammy, raised some rock music playing children and maintained a busy concert schedule.

With all this body of work, that voice I heard beginning some ten years ago still leads me optimistically to the next piece and assures me that classical music and its appreciation can be accessible from many different angles.