Klarinet Archive - Posting 001314.txt from 1997/08

From: "Andrew Scholberg" <ascholbe@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Blue steel; Mahler at SMU
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 15:47:18 -0400

Neil,

Blue steel is regular steel that has been dipped in a chemical bath to
give it a bluish-black appearance. Gun barrels are commonly blued by this
method.

I see you're from SMU. I attended Perkins School of Theology there about
20 years ago, but I didn't bring my record player or record collection with
me. One day on campus I had a *gnawing* hunger to hear Mahler's symphony
number two in c minor, "The Resurrection," so I went to the music library,
whereupon I saw Mahler's writing desk and chair on display! My jaw dropped
with astonishment and awe. When the librarian's back was turned, I slipped
over the rope and sat in that chair at that desk. What an experience. I had
hoped that some of Mahler's genius would rub off on me. (It hasn't,
according to my four children.)

Then I found a scratched up dusty recording of Mahler's second by
Furtwangler and the Berlin Philharmonic. As I listened to that heavenly
music through the earphones, somehow my mind filtered out and ignored all
the scratches and dust in the grooves, and, with my eyes closed, I
practically floated away, oblivious to my surroundings. It was the most
gorgeous, inspiring interpretation of that masterpiece I have ever heard or
ever will hear. My hunger was satisfied that day.

Andy Scholberg
ascholbe@-----.com

----------
> From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
> To: Klarinet List <klarinet@-----.us>
> Subject: Blue steel vs. regular
> Date: Saturday, August 30, 1997 12:13 PM
>
> What is the difference between "blue" steel and regular steel?
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Neil Leupold
> Southern Methodist University
> Meadows School of the Arts
> nleupold@-----.edu
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>