Klarinet Archive - Posting 000162.txt from 1999/01

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] huh?
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 09:21:49 -0500

On Tue, 5 Jan 1999 19:27:40 EST, pollyg@-----.com said:

> On Tue, 05 Jan 1999 13:51:31 GMT Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
> writes:
>
> > OK, I'll shut up. Opus number Yuck, definitely a pre-retrovirus
> > work.
>
> what's a retrovirus? and is the "pre" before or after? if you're
> going back (retro) and pre means before - wouldn't that make it
> after?

A retrovirus is a virus that reproduces by inserting its genetic
material into the host cell, whose normal function is thus hijacked into
producing more of the virus. As I understand it, it's called a
retrovirus because it contains an enzyme called reverse transcriptase,
hence re-verse tr-anscriptase virus --> re-tr-ovirus. The HIV virus is
such a virus.

It's not really accurate to say that the Berio is pre-retrovirus, but
it's pre any great concern about them. If you remember, there was a
sudden scare about playing other people's instruments when the AIDS
danger first surfaced. I remember a mother was really very worried
about her daughter attending a summer school I was teaching at, because
I was known to play on students' instruments quite often in the course
of a lesson.

The epithelial cells inside the mouth are quite susceptible to
transfection, hence the concern. I believe HIV doesn't transmit
effectively this way, so much of that concern has now evaporated.

Performances of the Berio (or a rather similar piece called 'Kreis', by
Holliger) in that period, would have been unlikely.

This rather po-faced but I hope nevertheless accurate post has been a
post-just-my-little-joke-type-post post:-)

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

"Believing Truth is staring at the sun
Which but destroys the power that could perceive."

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