HET Consort plays Palladio

This is a very nice recording. I think what I like about isn't so much the tempo but the range of dynamics and how all parts are involved in that range.

Of course, Alex Timmerman friended me on Facebook, and now I'm flooded with HET Consort and other information. That man has a lot of time on his hands, er, I mean, enthusiasm for his music!

It is very inspiring!

Better than CMA!

After playing at Crystal Care Center, we can add "We are better than the Country Music Awards" to our list of accolades!

MMO on Linked In

Some of you are on Linked In which is like a professional Facebook. I created a group called "Mandolin Players and Enjoyers," and there are some interesting discussions posted. It just dawned on me that I should post our YouTube "Palladio" performance video there, so I did. I can't copy the link (won't paste); you might have to be "Linked In" to view it.

Pick mania

Maybe a few of you are enjoying your new Fender Extra Heavies. I like to mix it up, myself - different picks make different sounds. As they say, does Picasso only use one brush? Does Arnold Palmer only use one club?

I forgot to bring any picks to a wedding reception job a few months ago - potential disaster for the rock/pop/R&B dance-band electric guitarist. I broke a compact disc into pieces and found a few bits that I could use as picks - they worked well enough to get through the night.

I used to know somebody who would use a dime as a guitar pick.

I have a stone pick made out of polished agate.

Any other pick stories?

MN Mandolin Clubs at the turn of the century

I ran across a very interesting article online about mandolin clubs in Minnesota.

I'm sure many of you have encountered it in your surfing....but in case you haven't, here it is!

Drigo background

From Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, vol. 2. Also, lots on Wikipedia, including pictures of one of the harlequins. http://www.answers.com/topic/riccardo-drigo

Drigo, Riccardo, Italian composer and conductor; b. Padua, June 30, 1846; d. there, Oct. 1, 1930. He studied

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music in Padua and Venice, then conducted opera in Venice and Milan. In 1879 he was engaged to conduct the Italian opera in St. Petersburg; in 1886 became permanent ballet conductor of the Imperial Theater there. He conducted first performances of Tchaikovsky's ballets The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. After Tchaikovsky's death, Drigo ed. the score of the ballet Swan Lake and orchestrated a number of Tchaikovsky's piano pieces. Drigo's own ballets, melodious and easy to listen to, also enjoyed excellent success in Russia. Particularly popular was his ballet Les Millions d'Arlequin, which includes the famous Serenade for a soulful cello solo and the ingratiating Valse bluette. Drigo conducted the first performance of this ballet in St. Petersburg on Feb. 10, 1900. From 1914 to 1916 he was in Italy, from 1916 to 1920 again in St. Petersburg, finally returning to Italy.

BIBL.: S. Travaglia, R. D., L'uomo e l'artista (Padua, 1929). —NS/LK/DM

Mandolin Symposium Lite - Mike Marshall, Caterina Lichtenberg

Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg are doing a workshop near Wichita,KS July 8-10.

Caterina is an amazing player and great teacher. She'll blow you away.

Mike is similarly great in a different way.

http://www.cmatb.org/campsfull.php?campid=19

I'm definitely considering this!

email about Jay

I got this today:

> From: Margaret Ingle
> Subject: About former mandolin player Jacob

. . .

> It would be wonderful if you or a couple of people from
> your group could visit with him and give him an opportunity
> to play. Please reply to
> this email or contact me at 952-546-6342 if you think you
> can arrange a time to visit with him. The nursing home
> is in St. Louis Park.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Maggie Ingle

Palladio

OK, I'm a Palladio addict now. It ranks up there with Jota as an audience-pleaser. But I think we can take it up a notch in speed. Maybe just 10%? They say that a difference isn't noticeable until 15%. If you search YouTube for Palladio, you'll notice that most other performers play this quite a bit faster. Can we do it? Probably!

MMO plays Palladio on YouTube

This is the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra's first appearance on YouTube. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bK3S4Og204

Anne, thanks for getting the video posted.