Monday, January 16, 1SS4
14
Daily Mcbraskan
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Question: What recently discovered baroque
choral work call3 for tarragon, sesame seeds, and
cumin?
Answer: P. D. Q. Bach's 'cantate culinaire,' The
seasonings (S. 1 12 tsp.)," which is one of the choral
delights on the menu for the University Oratorio
Chorus' spring concert
For those who have never heard of P. D. Q. Bach
(1807-1742?), legend has it that he was the last and
least understood of Johann Sebastian Bach's 20
plus children. He, was virtually ignored throughout
his childhood by his family, primarily because of his
lack of interest in music. It was not until he was was
five years old when his father bestowed the name of
P. D. Q. upon the child. When asked by one of the
children what the initials stood for, the elder Bach
replied they stood for nothing. The same could be
said about the composer and his music.
The program notes to "The Seasoning" point out
that "P. D. Q. lived an exceptionally pointless life
which is mirrored by amazing fidelity in hu work."
His other compositions include two madrigals, "The
Queen To Me a Royal Pain Doth Giv " and "My Bon
nie Lass She Smelleth," an opera in one 'unnatural
act,' "Hansel & Gretel & Ted & Alice," and "Fanfare
for the Common Cold."
It has been suggested that P. D. Q. Bach and the
man who discovered most of his works, Professor
Peter Schickels, are one and the same. However, the
Ames, la. native denies it whenever challenged.
Schickele touts P. D. Q. as history's most justifiably
neglected composer and also has commented that
P. D. Q.'s plagiarism knows no bounds.
This particular oratorio, a work for chorus and
orchestra, is a parody on Haydn's more famous
work "The Seasons." It is written for soprano, alto,
tenor, and bass soloists, mixed chorus, two slide
whistles, two kazoos, trombone, windbreakers and
slidebreakers, shower hose in D, foghorn, organ, two
trumpets, tympani, and strings. "Bide Thy Thyme,"
"Open Sesame Seeds," and "By the Leeks of Babylon"
are only a sampling of the 12 movements in this
delectable piece of music
The Seasoning" will be performed along with a
coronation anthem, The King Shall Rejoice by 4
more well-known Baroque composer, G.F. Handel,
on Sunday, May 6.
Afternoon auditions for the oratorio chorus are
scheduled for today, Tuesday and Wednesday. There
also an audition scheduled for Monday evening
" from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in 220 Westbrook Music Building.
No prepared music is necessary and all students,
faculty, and Lincoln-area community members are
welcome to audition particularly tenors, basses,
and those people who need something fun and cul
tural to do on a Monday evening.
, Auditions for UNL's more select choir, the Univer
sity Singers, are also being held at the same time in
the same room. The University Singers meet every
day from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. They perform a
wide variety of challenging literature, and do many
concerts in Lincoln and on tour.
For more information about the choral music
program, contact G. Edward Bruner, director of
choral activities, in 220 Westbrook Music Building.
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Too much Streisand mars film
Sheldon F!!m Thtttrt
Anne Carlisle as Jimmy In a scene from Liq
uid Sky. See At the Sheldon.
Television
Lionel Richie will host the 1 GS3 American
Music Awards, which airs live at 8 p.m. on Channel
7. Besides giving awards to performers in pop, black
and country music, the show will feature a special
salute to Michael Jackson. The more influential
Grammy Awards will air on CBS in February,
t In the past few months, made-for-television
movies have evolved from trivial ventures to films
that make potent statements about the American
condition. Within the past few weeks, the networks
have aired movies dealing with incest; Vietnam vete-
rans and nuclear annihilation. Tonight, A Matter of
Sex depicts the struggle of eight Minnesota women
who go on strike in order to receive wages equal to
their male counterparts. Based on a true story, the
film starring Jean Stapleton airs at 8 p.m. on Chan
nel 3.
Radio : "
Zubin Mehta conducts the New York Philhar
monic Orchestra at 8 p.m. on KUCV (00.9 RI). Fea
tured pieces include Bach's "Suite D in C minor" and
Daresey's "Ionization" and "Arcana."
At the Sheldon "
The Film Theatre season opens with the New
Wave film Liquid Sky. The movie will run through
Jan. 26. (There will be no screenings on Tuesday or
Friday.) It was produced, directed and co-written
by Slava Tsukerraana Russian emigre, and stars
Anne Carlisle and Paula E. Sheppard. Admission is
$3. Screenings are at 7 and 9 p.m., with weekend
matinees at 3 p.m.
By SheUcy Speny
Quite a ruckus has occurred over Barbra Strei
sand's many roles in the making of Yentl, her newest
film. She is the co-writer, co-producer, director, and
star. -
Streisand's personality so thoroughly dominates
every aspect of Yentl that it fails to develop poten
tially rich characters and settings into anything but
blurred, nostalgic backdrops for the star's lifeless
arias.
Yentl (Streisand) loves her papa (Nehemiah Per
soff) who has broken with Jewish tradition to teach
his daughter to think and study. This means, of
course, that she cannot cope with cooking or gossip-
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Film
Review
ing or any part of a peasant woman's life. When her
father suddenly dies, she dons her long-dead brother
Anschel's name and clothing in order to enter a
yeshiva to continue her studies. Predictably, she is a
brilliant student, equalled only by the dark, kind,
sexy and slightly mysterious Avigdor (Mandy Patin
kin), the man with whom she falls in love.
From the first calls of the peddlar, "Picture books
for women! Sacred books for men!" the movie's
theme is thrust upon the audience with ail the sub
tlety of a holocaust. Yentl is not about a student's
hunger for knowledge, nor is it an exploration of the
unique Jewish subculture of eastern Europe at the
turn of the century. References to these details of .
the story (taken from one by Nobel prize winning
author Isaac Bashevis Singer) are trite and senti
mental. Yentl kneels at her papa-scholar's feet to
intone, "Learning is my life!" Students at the yeshiva
toss around lines and page numbers of Talmud and
"Wasn't it Rabbi Akiva who said" like Nebraskans
toss around the metaphysics of the '71 Oklahoma
game and proberbs from Bob Devaney.
' ' ' Yenti has 5 many redeeming . qualities. Thematpp:.
caily, it can be praised for addressing the question of
i why such artificial divisions exist between the sexes.
Yentl Anschel's relationship with Hadass (Amy Irv-
c ing), the only other significant female character,,
becomes committed and tender. Through Yentl's
eyes, first cameraderie,.then sexuality are disco
vered in a confusing, array of male-male, male
female and female-female relationships'
Humor is the one element Streisand can always.
pull oft When the sappy lyrics and obscenely gran-
: diosa orchestrations fail, she can recapture wander- '
ir.g attention with an "Oy vey" roll of the eyes and
some fertive lovesick schtick.
Humor is indeed one of the best features of Yentl,
yet it also illustrates a major flaw. Much of the film is
. a rehashing of good and bad Streisandisms. As weVe
seen, them all before, from the klutzy kid wowed by
.- ritzy dishes and cuisine to a triumphant "Hey New
World, Here J Come" maritime solo, they have
become tiresome.
Devoted Streisand fans will se Yentl several times
no matter. what. Others can only enjoy the expe
rience if they can overlook the banal lyric, Michel
Legrand's too-grand music (Wouldn't some simple
Yiddish folktunes have better conjured the mood?),
and a sentimental endir.g.
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KZU Films
Darbra Ctrtband as Yentl
Ynli, directed by Barbra Staittnd; screenplay by Barbra Strtisind and
Jack Rosenthal, baaed on a atory by Isaac Bashevis Singer; produced by
Barbra Streisand and Rusty Lemorande for United Artists films. At the
Douglas 3, 1300 P St. Rated PG. .
Yentl.
. Avigdor , . . .
Barbra Streisand
Mandy Patinkin
Amy Irving
Nehamiah Person
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the story far more clearly than word3 and music: a
peasant market, the closing of the gates on the Jew
ish quarter of the city, the constant clamor and
ana laces 01 naaass. me aosence of female nuriltv
and the rather mptical treatment of female sexual
ity are both unusual and refreshing.
Lighting of varied colors plays a significant role in
almost cverv scene." esnprifdly in ranhcWnrt
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sacred nature of the vrsfciVa frr
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that knowledgs i3 the end, not merely the means to
life, until her experiences with Avigdor and Hadass
teacn her ctr.cnvce.
This film is one to be watched, not listened to. The
rich greens and blues and browns of the Czech and
English countryside where Yentl was filmed are
pure escapist indulgence for slush-weary Lincoln
ites. The stars are beautiful, the photography is sen
sual ana-ciose-up3 aoound. It is possibis to enjoy
Yentl with a bit of effort. As Yentl declares. "Nothings
impossible" except perhaps for anyone less omni
present than Orson Wc'Jes to create a good movie
singie-h&ndedly. .
