Search - P.D.Q. [pseudonym of Peter Schickele] Bach, Peter Gram Swing, Peter Schickele :: P.D.Q. Bach: Liebeslieder Polkas; Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs

Zodiac Zanyness

Greg Myers | Northridge, CA | 12/14/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are two types of PDQ Bach recordings, grand or intimate. This recording definitely is one of his intimate works, and is one of his best. It is riotously funny in parts, a tad slow in others. Peter really shows his comedic genius, diversity, and originality here. It is amazing how how he comes up with a different, hilarious style of music for each sign of the zodiac. He runs the gamut from love ballads to carnival music, from blatant groaner jokes to very subtle humor. Be prepared to start playing the songs and jokes over and over in your head because you can't get them out."

Wit and joy

Derek Dahlke | 04/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i just wanted to bring the average up on this, my favorite schickele album. the polkas, robust and maniacally gleeful, give some very familiar texts the best setting i've ever heard, truer to the spirit of herrick, shakespeare, and jonson than any of the wan art-songs that feyly bungle the same words. the pun-saturated zodiac demonstrates that schickele is a truly gifted writer of comic verse, at times worthy of ogden nash. the music is irreverent and silly but not egregious, so listeners narrowmindedly expecting the usual p.d.q. bach travesties may well be disappointed at the accomplished, even virtuosic writing. schickele wears the guise of his alter ego very lightly here and thus shows more of himself than we usually get to see. we should be grateful."