Chopsticks and Bubbles

It’s time for a little trip down memory lane.  Remember Chopsticks?  It’s a wonderfully simple and fun ditty on the piano.   My guess is almost every American that has ever touched a piano has learned it or, at least, knows what it is.  And, let us not forget the magnificent duet played with Heart and Soul.

So, what got me thinking about Chopsticks?  A YouTube version of Joanne Castle playing it came across my computer the other day.   Watching it brought back big memories of being at my grandparents’ house and watching the very popular Lawrence Welk show.  Remember the bubbles?  I was just a little girl back then.  I loved all the music and dancing.  I would “dance” around their living room entertaining them with my great polka and waltz steps, all of which were whimsical whirling and twirling moves.  (I didn’t have any dance lessons until Keith and I had been married for twenty-six years.  By the way, my Auntie Jan actually got to dance with Lawrence Welk.  That practically makes her famous.)

Remember Joanne?  She was as bubbly as the bubbles released during the program.  When she was featured playing that ragtime piano, everyone’s toes tapped and there were smiles all around the room.  Hearing her play and seeing her joyfully bouncing on the bench stirred those same wonderful feelings of simple delight in a simpler time.  I suddenly felt my eyes dancing and cheeks smiling.  Enjoy Joanne playing her fun-tastic version of Chopsticks.

 

 
Researcher that I am, I had to do a “background check” on Chopsticks. Guess what?  It’s a “real” composition entitled, The Celebrated Chop Waltz.   The simple waltz was written in 1877 by a sixteen year old female name Euphemia Allen.  The music was published by her brother under the pseudonym Arthur de Lulli.  Too bad she couldn’t use her own name but that’s the way it was in those days.

According to Wikipedia, ”  A group of Russian composers -Aledander Borodin, César Cui, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Anatoly Lyadov – collaboratively composed four-hand piano variations on this teme for Borodin’s daughter Gania. (Modest Mussorgsk did not participate, thinking that the composition would be meaningless.) The original edition of this collection dates from 1879. The second edition was published the following year (1880), under the title Paraphrases: 24 Variations et 15 petits pièces sur le thème favori et obligé.  Franz Liszt was thrilled with this volume and composed a short tribute for piano solo to be inserted before Borodin’s Polka. Later editions of the work saw it grow from 15 to 17 other pieces, including a contribution from Nikolai Shcherbachov when it was reissued in 1893.”

That paragraph was especially for all you classical music fans.  I was glad to see that Franz Liszt “was thrilled” about it since Freeburg Pianos is presenting some of his works in our upcoming World Masterworks Series.  By the way, you do not want to miss the Liszt program.  It will be a “grand experience” that you’ll be talking about for a long time.

You might, after reading this blog, relive a memorable moment by sitting down at your piano and playing a little Chopsticks.  Even if you haven’t played it in many years, I expect it will be like “riding a bike.”  It won’t take long and you’ll be playing it like a pro.  If you don’t have a piano, or if you do, you

are welcome to come and make music, Chopsticks or otherwise on the pianos as our store.   Music always bring a smile.

“Life is Grand”

Joann

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