Wilson Pereira asks:

>It reminded me that the other day I was reading Stefan Zuckers review of
>Verdis Ernani (Bel Canto Society # 5011), published in the Operas Fanatic
>Catalog, when I was surprised by what follows:  "One thinks of Ernani as an
>'oom-pah-pah' opera".  Oom-pah-pah opera? Does anyone on the list know what
>he was talking about??

It refers to a style - a melody over an exceedingly simple and repetitive
rhythmic bass.  As a waltz might be accompanied with a strong down beat
from the cellos and basses (the OOM) with the remaining quarter beats a
chord in the strings lightly bowed (the pah-pah).  Refer to Tchaikovsky's
"Waltz of the Flowers."

Steve Schwartz