Peter Schickele and P.D.Q. Bach, the 18th century composer he rescued from oblivion, have introduced glee and raucous laughter into sedate concert halls where formality is expected to rule. Now they have implicated maestro Leonard Slatkin in a madcap fest, three days of “Serious Fun” with otherwise decorous musicians.
“A lot of conductors would shy away from these kinds of programs,” Schickele says. “They’d be afraid of lowering their stature in the eyes of the audience, but Leonard has a great sense of humor.”
The series opens Thursday with co-hosts Slatkin and Schickele welcoming pianists Katia and Mariella Labèque to a merry evening of music from Europe. Works for two pianos and orchestra and humorous variations on straight-laced compositions reach a climax as Schickele recites his own narration of Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals” accompanied by the sisters at twin pianos.
Schickele’s own sense of humor rushed to the fore while growing up downwind from Washington’s National Zoo. When music by Spike Jones and the City Slickers poured forth over the family radio, he realized that serious musicians are allowed to smile.
Duly inspired, he gleefully chooses titles for his compositions that coax peals of laughter, such as the titillating “Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice,” the off-putting “My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth” or the uplifting carol “Joy to the World, Especially Out of Work Musicians.” Artists performing his symphonies, oratorios and solitary opera (“The Abduction of Figaro”) vie with kazoos, a shower hose, a tromboon (part trombone, part bassoon) and a battery of other unlikely instruments.
Schickele’s relationship with P.D.Q. Bach was enhanced during their zany “What’s Your Sign,” “The Vegas Years” and “Jekyll and Hyde” tours, but his moments of lucidity often produce truly serious works, such as the cello trio that premieres during his Pacific Serenade concert series in June.
“I enjoy all my concerts because I like making people laugh,” Schickele says. “A comedian who says he makes jokes for the good of mankind is lying; he just enjoys what he does.”
IF YOU GO
The National Symphony Orchestra and artistic co-directors Leonard Slatkin and Peter Schickele have “Serious Fun”
» When: 7 p.m. Thursday; 1:30 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday
» Venue: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
» Tickets: $20 to $80
» Info: 202-467-4600, 800-444-1324, www.kennedy-center.org
For more info
Those wishing to check out more about Schickele and P.D.Q. Bach should tune in to Schickele Mix on NPR and visit his Web site, www.schickele.com, complete with “crosspuzz wordles.”
