Saturday 9: Mahler: Symphony No. 8

Good morning! It's my first Saturday 9 in over a month...I'm excited and glad to be back. Thanks, as always, to Sam for the music and questions.

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

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?  Not really. I enjoy it now and then, but it isn't something I tend to choose to listen to.

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?  I do not because I can't carry a tune in a bucket. My guess would be alto or maybe even tenor. 

3) Historians tell us Mahler kept fit by swimming and riding his bike along the Alpine trails. What's your favorite form of exercise?  I like to ride my exercise bike, do chair yoga, and in the summer I work out in the pool. I used to love to walk miles, do aerobics, etc., but arthritis and foot pain limit my options these days.

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?  It depends on the situation and project. I don't mind either as long as the "team" is truly a team effort. I don't like it when there is one person who either does nothing and takes the credit or who takes over everything because nobody but themselves knows anything.

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 exactly. Dad refused to let me go to the schools I wanted to attend and made me stay local. That indirectly limited my choices. The local school didn't have a program for what I really wanted to do...wildlife management.

6) Bernstein's best-known work is West Side Story. Without looking it up, can you name a song from this beloved Broadway classic?  One Hand, One Heart we had it sung at our wedding.

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?  Pure Prarie League in 1980 or 1981.

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?  I'm still an Andy Griffith Show fan!

9) Random question: When people ask for your advice, what do they usually ask you about?  It's different with different people. With our daughter it's about the kids, health, and cooking. With my mom it's about her computer or anything technical. With people at work it's crafts or other activities.