Fate Music

Classical Music

I am trying together instances of Garcia engaging classical music, which are few and far between.

Alan Trist reports that ca. 1960-1961 one of their friends “John the Poet” had a great classical recording collection, and they listened to a lot of Bach. “Endless Bach,” Trist said. Jerry and Trist and a few others went to see three or four performance by the Vatican organist playing Grace Cathedral (Greenfield 1996, 17).

Of course, there’s Beethoven’s “Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor”, a.k.a. “Für Elise”, played by James Booker on 1/9/76.

Nick has hipped me to brief GD engagements with Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” over the years, including 55 seconds into the 11/30/73 Dark Star, the last minute of the Other One transitioning into Stella Blue on 3/14/81, @ 5:25 of Space on 10/28/84, 6 minutes into Space on 12/13/90, and @ ca. 9:25 of Space on 2/20/91. Phil dabbled around aplenty, too, I gather.

Any others I should know about?

Related, Heather Garcia Katz, his daughter by Sara Ruppenthal, is a violinist, and ca. early 1993 (according to Greenfield 1996, 285), she and Jerry had been working on a project with the Redwood City Symphony Orchestra. I would very, very much like to learn more about that. If anyone knows Heather, please send her my way!

Naturally, Blair is on the case, after narrating spring 1991, he says “Later that year, Jerry and the conductor of the
Redwood [Symphony], Eric Kujawsky, hatched a plan for Garcia to commission
several short works for guitar and orchestra, which he would perform with the
Redwood. With glee he told Sara. ‘I let him think I was doing him a favor, but
I’ve always wanted an orchestra!’ … Although Jerry did contact some composers
and Davies Symphony [403] Hall in San Francisco was tentatively booked for the
performance, this was one of the great plans that Garcia never managed to
complete” (Jackson 1999, 402-403).

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11 responses to “Classical Music”

  1. Nick Avatar
    Nick

    Don't forget that they canceled a GD show (and, I think, a JGB show) in June 85 so that they could see Wagner's Ring Cycle.

    Jerry seems to have been particularly taken with 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' during fall '73 — it's there at the end of Eyes on 10/30/73 before they move into WRS (appropriate!) and there are a couple of others that I will try and dig up.

    The jam after the Other One on 3/20/77 has always felt pretty "classical" to me, although none of the more educated folks I've talked to have identified anything specific. I wonder what others think?

    And, if you haven't seen them, you may appreciate both of these threads along these lines:
    https://archive.org/post/384412/influence-of-classical-music-on-the-gd
    https://archive.org/post/373487/mahlers-3rd-phil-lesh-interview-spring-1990-space

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  2. lesinsd Avatar
    lesinsd

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  3. Nick Avatar
    Nick

    https://www.gdao.org/items/show/825908 (p. 6) for confirmation about those Wagner shows: 6/8 & 6/9 at the Cal Expo were canceled, as was JGB 6/2/85 at the Stone. Regardless of any wisecracks about whether or not anyone but Phil stayed awake through all that Wagner, it's still remarkable that they canceled shows to attend!

    And while Garcia's direct engagement here is possibly iffy here, Bob Weir did report: "We used bridges from the developments of new jazz along with the modern classical influences of Penderecki, Stockhausen and ol' Uncle Igor Stravinsky." (and Bartok, who directly influenced Weir's 'Victim or the Crime'): https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bob-weir-the-music-never-stopped-bob-weir-by-lloyd-n-peterson-jr.php

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  4. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    Don’t forget the mysterious team-up with the Buffalo Philharmonic in 1970.

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  5. lesinsd Avatar
    lesinsd

    I was mistaken earlier, it's 9/16/81 at MSG that Hornsby slips "Jesu" into at least 3 different places. Although it might be Welnick who does it just after the "where does the time go" verses in UJB. I'm sure they do it all over this show (if my memory serves me well…" 🙂

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  6. Fate Music Avatar
    Fate Music

    Yeah, I had thought of that.

    Reply
  7. lesinsd Avatar
    lesinsd

    9/16/91…sorry for the typo

    Reply
  8. Robin Russell Avatar
    Robin Russell

    The reports on Buffalo Mar 17 1970 are fascinating:

    "Orchestra’s Rapport With Rock Bands Electrifies Audience," read the headline in The News. Smaller headlines that followed throughout the story read: "Dueling Drummers," "Orchestra Divided," and "Effective Light Show."

    Brennan, who went on to put in a long stint as editor of TV Topics, was captivated by the concert. He noted how Lynn Harbold, the BPO's percussionist, joined in a jam with Dead drummer Mickey Hart. And how Pigpen, the Dead's organist, brought the crowd of 2,200 to their feet with "Lovelight."

    He loved the grand finale:

    "As the groups and orchestras jammed, the atmosphere was intensified with a laser-beam light show. Rapid patterns and curves of pure light chased along the walls in time with the music like frantic balls of yarn. During this experimental work, a really exciting thing happened – a rock audience finally listening to a symphony group on its own terms suddenly took the initiative and began making music themselves by imitating the instruments and calls of the musicians."

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  9. Steve D. Avatar
    Steve D.

    One should remember that a version of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Delight" actually made the pop charts in 1972.
    It went to #1 on WCFL in Chicago, and got to #2 on the Billboard 'Easy Listening' chart.
    (ARSA data – requires login).
    I'm sure members of the group had heard it somewhere. So how about giving it a try?

    Reply
  10. Fate Music Avatar
    Fate Music

    Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I think I detect a hint of "Jesu" as early as 5/23/72, about 21:30 minutes into "Dark Star."

    Reply

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