Saturday 9 -- Mahler: Symphony No. 8

Sam's Saturday 9 -- Mahler: Symphony No. 8 (1968)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Mahler's No. 8 is sometimes referred to as "Symphony of a Thousand" because it was scored for a large orchestra and choral force. Do you often listen to classical music?

Once in a great while and I have only one album that it like, Ferde Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite

2) This piece has solos for each of the main vocal ranges: soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Do you know which range your voice is in?

That of a frog croaking.

3) Historians tell us Mahler kept fit by swimming and riding his bike along the Alpine trails. What's your favorite form of exercise? 

Well since the great plague I haven’t done any exercise which I have to correct because lack of exercise is causing medical problems which makes it even harder to exercise.

4) Mahler could be difficult to work with because when it came to his music, he was a stickler over even the most minor details and wouldn't give an inch. Would you rather work as part of a team or on your own?

Yes. I’m on several committees but I also like working on my own, it really depends on what the tasks are. Some jobs lend themselves to be group work while other are individuals jobs. And some jobs even are both group and single jobs.

5) This week's featured artist, Leonard Bernstein, said his father didn't want him to pursue music. Instead the elder Bernstein wanted his son to either join the family business (a beauty supply company) or become a rabbi. Did your family try to influence your choice of career?

Not directly… my father was an engineer (Civil) and my brother was an engineer (System) and I liked electronics.

6) Bernstein's best-known work is West Side Story. Without looking it up, can you name a song from this beloved Broadway classic?

Yeah, it was about… about… wait it coming to me. It was sung by the leading lady. Ah… America. How could I forget that name.

7) Born in Lawrence, MA, Bernstein "went home" when he performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA. Tanglewood has played host to a variety of musical artists. In 2022, Ringo Starr, Bonnie Raitt, and James Taylor all performed there (with James Taylor scheduled to return this summer, as well). What's the first concert you ever attended?

Here we go again with 50 year old memories… I think it was a brand new group called Genesis with a no name called Phil Collins and it was their first US tour back in 1972.

8) In 1968, when Bernstein released this album, a sitcom called Mayberry R.F.D. premiered. It was a spin off of the highly successful Andy Griffith Show, which ran from 1960 to 1968 and is still broadcast and streamed today. Were you an Andy Griffith Show fan?

Nope, I did watch the  Andy Griffith Show but none of the other spin offs.

I am currently watch YouTube videos "The trip between Oslo and Bergen with Bergensbanen is just stunning"

9) Random question: When people ask for your advice, what do they usually ask you about?

Three guesses what question that I get asked about.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!