Long before “Weird Al” Yankovic, The Rutles or Judy Tenuta, there was P.D.Q. Bach. While it has been debated for decades whether P.D.Q. Bach is the “forgotten” son of composer Johann Sebastian Bach, or simply the creation of musical genius Peter Schickele, the musical legacy of P.D.Q. Bach lives on decades – or possibly centuries – since its unveiling. And fortunately for long-standing fans of the composer, Peter will be on-hand for the presentation of P.D.Q. Bach: The Golden Anniversary at The Town Hall on Dec. 28.
As one would never dare to directly ask Bob Zmuda if he is Tony Clifton, or whether Gregg Turkington is Neil Hamburger, I avoided asking Peter Schickele how he had first encountered the work of P.D.Q. Bach. However, within years of the release of Peter Schickele Presents an Evening with P. D. Q. Bach (1807–1742?) in 1965, Peter had also worked with Joan Baez on multiple albums as an arranger. He had also composed music for Broadway-bound reveue Oh! Calcutta! as one-third of the group Open Window. In the years since, Peter has composed extensively for various orchestras, choirs and film projects; among those credits is scoring the influential sci-fi film Silent Running.
As it turns out, The Town Hall is a significant venue in the history of P.D.Q. Bach. As noted on his website, the Manhattan venue is “where the whole thing began 50 years ago.” Beyond Peter, concert-goers on Dec. 28 will be treated to appearances by semi-conductor Jorge Mester, off-coloratura soprano Michèle Eaton, tenor profundo Brian Dougherty, and a backing group simply known as the New York Pick-Up Ensemble. Further special to the Town Hall event is that much of the audience contributed to P.D.Q. Bach’s recent Kickstarter campaign.
For more information on Peter and/or P.D.Q. Bach in the meantime, click on over to www.schickele.com.
What do you wish that more people knew about P.D.Q. Bach?
Peter Schickele: That his music is fun to listen to even when it isn’t being funny. Also that many of the great composers of the past had a sense of humor; having some fun with music doesn’t indicate a lack of respect for the genre.
P. D. Q. Bach has won four Grammys. Is that the most significant professional accomplishment related to the collected works of P.D.Q. Bach?
P: That and the publication of The Definitive Biography Of P.D.Q. Bach by Random House. It’s always good to find out that your peers appreciate your efforts.
For someone who hasn’t experienced the music of P. D. Q. Bach in concert, what should they expect from the upcoming show in New York?
P: Expect the unexpected. The usual rules of classical concerts are turned upside down. Weird instruments are used, such as the proctophone, which consists of blowing into a surgical glove attached to a trumpet mute, so that it inflates as the tone is sounded. The lyrics, too, are irreverent. Oedipus Tex tells the story of Oedipus and his mother as if it were a western horse opera. Another characteristic of the concerts is the combining of musical themes that were composed separately. For instance, it turns out that “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” may be played simultaneously with “Danny Boy” with pleasing results. Singers, too, are asked to perform in an unusual manner, as in musical gargling.
When did P. D. Q. Bach first have his music performed in New York City?
P: At the Juilliard School Of Music in May 1959, when I was a student there. This was an in-house concert for the faculty and students of the school. The first public concert was in April 1965. During that 6-year interim, annual concerts at Juilliard and the Aspen Music School were added to the repertoire. When the first public concert was performed, P.D.Q. Bach already had an underground reputation among musicians.
What do you remember about the first time you ever performed live in New York? Do you remember which venue it was at?
P: The venue was The Town Hall. I remember that Steve Schmidt, my friend who became my manager, rented a hotel room near The Town Hall so that I could work on my spoken introductions right up to the last minute. We knew that even if we sold out the house ,we wouldn’t really make any money, but we hoped to put P.D.Q. Bach on the musical map, and so we did. Steve Schmidt — with the aid of tapes made at Juilliard and Aspen — got Vanguard Records interested, and that first concert was recorded as the first of 20 P.D.Q. Bach albums, on the Vanguard and Telarc labels. The following summer, in 1966, we toured for the first time, and touring became an annual event.
Aside from keeping P. D. Q. Bach’s legacy alive, what are you working on at the moment?
P: I’m working on completing my third symphony. It is subtitled Prairie Skies, and it is inspired by my growing up mostly in the states of Iowa and North Dakota. This is a serious piece, not a P.D.Q. Bach work.
Was the experience of crowdfunding through Kickstarter an enjoyable experience for you?
P: Yes, I particularly enjoyed the comments that some people sent in along with their pledge. Also, it was exciting to see how quickly we reached our goal and the enthusiastic response we received.
Is there any chance of Schickele Mix being relaunched? Or perhaps you entered the podcast world?
P: It seems unlikely, due to the copyright problems involved with the music being played and the performances of that music. It may appear someday in some streaming format, but there are no plans for that at the moment.
Two of your children have followed you into the musical field. Is that something that had happened naturally?
P: I did not urge my children to follow my musical footsteps, but they both ended up being involved in music. One as the founder of a rock camp for girls, and a bass player and songwriter, and the other as a composer. Although I did not guide my children through musical endeavors, there was always a lot of music in the house.
When you’re not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your time?
P: With my family, and going to movies. I’m a bit of a hermit, and though I’m perfectly friendly, I can go quite a while without socializing outside of the family.
Finally, Peter, any last words for the kids?
P: If you’re not having fun doing it, don’t do it.
-by Darren Paltrowitz
