by Kurt Knecht | Aug 27, 2012 | Uncategorized
My son Zach answered an add in Craig’s list some months ago to play in a Southern Rock cover band. He eventually talked his younger brother into playing in the band as well. That my children play in a Southern Rock cover band in Lincoln, Nebraska only...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 21, 2012 | Uncategorized
According to Aristotle and other ancient authorities we have the dithyramb because Arion developed it in Corinth. Arion flourish from 625 to 600 BCE. He was born on Lesbos – which is always funny in and of itself. Even better, we learn from Herodotus...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
A brief panegyric to my now departed sweater. Ironically, my iconic wool knit sweater was purchased in Florida before we moved to Nebraska. A nice old lady accidentally did the best sales job of her life. I placed the sweater on and took a few steps...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
Thoinot Arbeau (1520-1595) was the anagram pen name of Jehan Tabourot (remember j and i are interchangeable). He wrote about dance and music. His writing remains a principle source for how the two were combined. Arbeau believed dance to be good for...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 9, 2012 | Uncategorized
I’m starting a new series of intermittent posts about some composers that I know. I have always found David’s music interesting largely because I find his writing so different than mine. Though I don’t know this for sure, he seems to compose with relative...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 4, 2012 | Uncategorized
Here is the premiere of a new piece that was commissioned by my dear friend Tinsley Silcox for the St. Mark’s Episcopal School in Dallas, TX. When the piece was written, I sent it of to Martin Neuman who is one of the singers in the fabulous young group...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 4, 2012 | Uncategorized
The context for the encounter was appropriately sad. A beloved English professor had been forced to retire because of poor health. The honors program at the University decided to give him an award, so they called the students in the honors program...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 2, 2012 | Uncategorized
Love Song (prequel)Churches that I work for have often sent me to various conferences. Most of them are fairly terrible, and this one was no exception. After the usual barrage of bad music and poor speakers, we had a break to meet other people. I was...
by Kurt Knecht | Aug 2, 2012 | Uncategorized
I was listening to the Smiley & West podcast this week. They interviewed the amazing Audra McDonald and spoke about the controversial new adaptation of Porgy and Bess that is currently on Broadway. The naturally mentioned Sondheim’s vehement reaction (which...
by Kurt Knecht | Jul 31, 2012 | Uncategorized
I just finished Buber’s two volume Tales of the Chasidm. Here are a few favorites.When Mendel was in Kotzk, the rabbi of that town asked him: “Where did you learn the art of silence?” He was on the verge of answering the question,...
by Kurt Knecht | Jul 27, 2012 | Uncategorized
Then Pilate went again into the courthouse and called Jesus and said to him: Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered: Are you asking for yourself, or have you heard that from someone else? Pilate answered: Am I Jewish? Your...
by Kurt Knecht | Jul 24, 2012 | Uncategorized
Bach contemplations – Riemenschneider #205Passages like this make Bach an endless source of musical contemplation. In a discussion with Stan Kleppinger some time yesteryear, he formulated a wondrous analogue for such seeming eccentricity. In the...
Recent Comments