Miguel Muelle <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Hi, and welcome, Fernando Gobbi, who wrote:
>
>>So every night he put a tape recording down the chimney of Wanda Lanowski
>>(some name lika that)playing this very noisy tinkly piano, like it had
>>tacks on the strings.  It drove us crazy!
>
>Must have been her Goldberg Variations on the harpsichord.

I want to thank you sir for welcome me.  I don't know the name of that
tinkly music but it was so noisy I couldn't get no sleep.  Who is this
Goldberg fella? And why he needs variations? I never heard of this
composer.  When he die? Not an Italian name, that's for sure.  You know
I know a guy named Goldberg, he's an old timer like me.  He works down
on Orchard Street.  You know what that is? In New York you can buy what
you want there cheap - nice suits, pillow cases, mambo records.  You know
I like that Tony Prima.  I heard him sing Scarpia fro Tosca once in a
reastaurant.  Brought the house down.  Me, I just keep on eating.  I
remmber - it was eggplant rolatini.  But I gotta tell ya, he had this gal
with him who really whacked him good with that knife - I think maybe it was
Rosemary Clooney as Tosca.  She sing even better sometimes than Callas who
was real good too.

>Sir Adrian Boult described the harpsichord as the sound of two skeletons
>copulating on a tin roof.

Boult - what kinda name is that? Anyway, he sound like a dirty old man.
Did he really say that? He should go to church and get the priest to hear
his confession.  If I ever say such a thing my wife she beat me.  Or I have
to cross myself.

>>all by himself.  That's good for a singer, no? That Domingo fella is pretty
>>good, too,but his Italian sounds funny to me and it's like he sings
>>everything with a Puerto Rican accent.  I think he is from San Juan.
>
>Placido Domingo is from Spain, and I thought his Italian to be pretty good.
>He also lives in Mexico.  Not Puerto Rican, I'm afraid.  I'd take him over
>Pavarotti anyday.  (So would my wife...  ;o)

Yea I know about that, too.  My wife she is crazy for that Domingo.  I
have to turn off the TV when he comes on if I want her to pay atention to
me.  Its a good thing his name it means Sunday, because if it was Monday
or Tuesday I get real jealous.  That Domingo is a big guy, but I'm not too
old to take him on.  But he don't even know my wife, so all is OK.  That
Pavarotti he sings better, but he's too fat for her.  Not her type.  Not
mine either.  So he is from Spain.  That figures.  That's why he has that
funny accent when he sings the Italian.  But he sings good so who cares,
right?

>>Pollini - my friend Pauly (we call him "no neck") took me to the Carnegie
>>Hall over there on 7th avenus.  What a place that is!  Beautiful.  So this
>>guy Pollini - a real Italian, but not Sicilian- he plays beautiful!
>
>Yes.  I cut my Chopin teeth on his Etudes and Preludes.  I haven't heard
>his Beethoven.  A great musician.

Sorry you hurt yourself.  How do you do that? You go to concert for this
Pollini and get into a fight backstage? You gotta be careful what you say
to Italian who don't know you, or he'll punch you right in the mouth.  Even
to one who does.  Never say nothing about his mother.  Maybe if you make
little joke about his sister and her double chin is OK.  But he seemed like
OK guy to me, maybe a litte snobby.  I don't know.  I never talked to the
man.  But I like that Moonlight Sonata very much.  He played like he was
asleep.  Maybe he was because I swear I saw his head go up and down, up and
down like he had hangover or too many ladies in hotel the night before.
Who knows? Maybe that Pollini is big romantic.


>>out in the garage.  OK, I gotta go now because my wife she's screaming at
>>me and dinner is getting cold.  Smells good - she makes tonight a linguine
>>tuttomare.  OK bye.
>
>You wouldn't have to call me twice for that -- or any meal, for that
>matter!  So welcome to the list.  One thing -- I can't help thinking you
>almost sound TOO Italian -- but I suppose there's never too much of a good
>thing ;o).

My daughter Maria she say Papa, you lose touch with the old ways.  She
tells me I'm not Italian enough.  My oldest son Joey he tells me like you
I'm too Italian, outta touch.  They still fight one aonother, those dumb
kids.  But those kids they are good.  And smart too.  They don'ta buy that
crap about talking sweet to my grandchildren when do wrong.  They just
whack em with the strap, likea they should.  Thats the discipline.  like I
gave to them.  And now they have good jobs.  Anwyway maybe I make like that
Domingo and go to Spain.  Hey, I'm just an old dockworker who likes the
music, thats all.  I used to sing on the job, sometimes E lucean le stelle.
You know I hear once many years ago that fella Guiseppe Du Stefano singing
that aria.  Now that guy he was a real Italian, and boy he sing beautiful.
He had the real machismo.  He knew how to treat a woman.  Anyway I know all
the words to that song.  But now my wife, she think I'm lazy.  She tells me
I better go to church instead of the social club on Mulberry Street before
somebody finds me in East River.  OK, so she makes little joke.  Ha ha.
Hey you guys you know what you talking about it seems to me.  I dont
understand all these fancy names.  Some guy keeps talking about some other
piano playing guy named Svatoslawskis or something lika that.  How you
pronounce name like that? Is too difficult, too much trouble.And who is
this Boris Mussorksski guy that I read about here that the man says is
garbage? If hes garbage so why listen his music? Pollini - now his name is
so easy to say, so why not just talk about him? You know I never go to
concert unless I can pronounce the name.  Maybe he is one of those Polish
or Russian fellas.  I don't know.  Those Russians they are real agressive
and work hard.  But now they take over some of our territory.  Theyre all
over Brighton Beach.  Too many.  We still got Bensonhurst though and Carol
Gardens.  Most of Cobble Hill too.We lost Fort Greene many years ago, maybe
before you were born.  Now it is very dangerous.  You take your life in
your own hands to walk over there.  I dont know why they keep that Brooklyn
Academy of Music in that neighborhood.  it's a beautiful hall but who wants
to go there at night? I love the music, but not so much to be mugged or
worse.  Anyway, I don't know about these Russian Polish fellas.  Maybe they
play piano better than the kinda work they do in waste management.  How
they sing? Good, no? Gotta go now - Im up late and my wife she's getting
lonely alresady as usual.  Any minute now she starts sreaming and then I
go to the kitchen for leftovers.  Maybe she hides a little cappellini
marechiaro in there.  OK bye.

Fernando Gobbi