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program
Thursday, January 20,
2000
A Victorian Parlor
Evening
The latest in lyric and
literature was the common fare for parlor entertainment
around the turn of the century. Families and friends
gathered to entertain each other with songs, dramatic
and comedic
readings (often with a musical background), and piano
solos from MacDowell's classical compositions to Joplin's
ragtime.
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Thursday, February 24, 2000
Schubertiad: A Classical
Evening
Friends of the Viennese composer
Franz Schubert loved to gather to play through the beloved
composer's latest songs (he wrote over 600 of them), solos
for two and four-hand piano, and chamber music. Whether he
was plumbing the depths or blowing pleasant bubbles, Schubert
was always the melodic master with fresh tunes for every occasion.
Even though Schubert died in 1828, evenings featuring Schubert's
music were organized throughout the 19th century. Such evenings
were called Schubertiaden; they featured pianists, singers,
and chamber musicians on wind and string instruments.
Thursday, March 23 , 2000
Musical Comedy 1920-1950
By the mid-1900s Broadway had
transformed Viennese operetta into the now familiar American
musical comedy. Living rooms rang with the songs of Jerome
Kern, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and many others. This
evening will skim the cream of American musical comedy from
its golden decades with singers and pianists.
6:30 Doors Open
7:00 Program Begins
Cash Bar & Hors d'Oeuvres
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Prior to the advent of television in the American
home, many families made use of the evening leisure
time by participating in some form of musical entertainment.
Aided by the parlor organ, the piano, the phonograph,
and commercially printed sheet music and phonograph
records, people would gather together to sing and
play everything from new classical compositions to
popular songs of the day. In addition, there would
be recitations and dramatic readings of popular shows
or poems.
The Yakima Valley Museum and the Yakima Symphony
Orchestra are joining together to present an inaugural
series on the history of these live performances of
music in the home. Three evening programs will mix
social and musical entertainment in the relaxed informal
atmosphere of the Museum's Neon Garden with beverages
and hors d'oeuvres available. Participants will have
an opportunity to meet the musicians, ask questions,
and learn more about how people entertained themselves
with music in their own homes in the period before
sophisticated sound and video systems. |
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