The World's Library


Let's face it. If you're an old geezer like me (and if you're reading this blog then you probably are) then the internet can seem pretty hostile and strange sometimes. So much of it is about being young, hip and cool, and gray-haired toothless types like us have got to wonder what all the fuss is about. Sure you can track your investments or research whatever disease you think you're coming down with, but that's not where the "buzz" is. No, the "buzz" these days is all about social networking and Web 2.0, not the retirement calculator over at the AARP website.

So, with that in mind, I want to talk about Youtube. If you're over the age of forty I'd say the odds are probably 1 in 5 that you've ever heard of it. On the other hand, if you're under the age of 21 and you haven't heard of it then you are like "so don't get it". Well, I'm over forty and even though I'm way past the age of being either hip or cool I've been over to the site a few times just to check it out, and I have to say....

I don't get it.

Well, actually I do get it. Sure, if you're 16 years old what could be cooler than making some kind of off-the-wall (i.e. "indie") video and posting it to the web. That's what Youtube is, you see. It's a place to post videos and share them with other Youtube users. And if you're of a certain age then one of the things to do these days is to go over to Youtube and check out the latest totally killer videos. If you want to be au courant, that is.

Yeah, seems pretty harmless. I've got no criticism of the whole thing really, but I can't help but wonder if I was so easily entertained when I was 16. Oh hell, I probably was.

I wouldn't have brought the whole thing up if it wasn't for something I discovered on Youtube a couple of weeks ago. I was just digging around you see and thinking what a gigantic waste of time the whole thing was, when all of a sudden there, hidden behind all the highest rated and most watched videos I found a whole other secret place in Youtube. Not the sort of place the kids would go, mind you, and not the sort of place the advertise on the front page, but there it was, down among the dusty old shelves in the basement where old fuds like me have been quietly amassing an amazing collection of videos that aren't about the latest TV shows or off-the-wall antics. No, just clear away the cobwebs and pry open some of those crates and you know what you'll find?

Culture.

Honest. No kidding. I wouldn't lie about this. Culture right there in dark and dusty bowels of Youtube.com. I couldn't believe it at first because, I mean, where are you going to find culture these days? On TV? At the movie theater? In the schools? Give me a break. Symphonies are going broke and schools can't cut their arts education programs fast enough.

But it's there on Youtube. Unfortunately, you have to dig to find it, and that's the adventure of the whole enterprise I suppose. That's also why I've become such a Youtube junkie. The search for hidden treasures, it turns out, is a lot of fun.

Rather than blabber on and on about this I thought I'd post a few links and give a few examples of what I've found. This is some of the stuff that turns me on. You'll have to find what turns you on for yourself.

Opera:

Vissi d'arte from Puccini's opera Tosca, as sung by Leontyne Price. Her fans consider Leontyne Price to be the greatest soprano of her era. Listen to this clip of her singing one of Puccini's most famous arias and see if you don't agree. Can anyone argue about the beauty and richness of her tone or her incredible power and control?

E Lucevan le stelle from Puccini's opera Tosca, as sung by Mario Lanza. This one was a real suprise. I remember Mario Lanza from those old Hollywood musicals but I had no idea he could sing opera. This was really a revelation for me. Such a clear, ringing and powerful tenor. Why didn't he pursue opera seriously?


Classical:

Vladimir Horowitz playing Chopin's Polonaise Op. 53 in A Flat Major. The famous Russina pianist playing one of Chopin's most famous Polonaise's.


Arturo Rubinstein playing Chopin's Polonaise Op. 53 in A Flat Major. The famous Polish pianist playing one of of Chopin's most famous Polonaise's. I love this because you can compare and contrast 2 musical legends playing the same piece. Horowitz who seems to attack the piece and wrestle with it, and Rubinstein who sits back with his eyes almost closed and just lets the music flow spontaneously from his soul to the keyboard. I'll leave it to you to decide which is better.

Jascha Heifetz playing the Paganini Caprice No. 24. What can I say. The man was a legend.


Jazz:

Miles Davis and John Coltrane play So What. Here's Miles and Trane playing one of the most famous jazz compositions ever recorded. Not quite the original cast and I'm really not too good at picking out the players, however I believe that's Paul Chambers on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, Wynton Kelly on piano, and John Coltrane on sax, along with a host of others.

Miles Davis plays So What with his legendary quintet. Ok, here's another compare and contrast. This is the legendary quintet of Miles on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on sax, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums.

John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy play Impressions. Kind of a historical oddity. At the time I believe the critics labeled the music these two were making as "antijazz".


Just for fun:

Ruth Etting in Roseland. If you've read this blog then you'll know I'm a big Ruth Etting fan. What I want to know is where did this guy ever find this video! Not the best song Ruth Etting ever sung, but quite a rarity.

The Rhythm Boys singing "So the Blackbirds and the Bluebirds Got Together". Another rarity. So who were the Rhythm Boys? Check out the funny looking guy on the end. He got started with the Rhythm Boys but soon struck out on his own. Did kind of well for himself, too.

The Beatles - Hey Jude. I remember when they played this video on the Smother Brothers. How long ago was that? Oh man, I don't want to think about it.