Welcome to my music blog -
The Soundtrack of My Life!
Many of you have asked me “What’s with all the music, Dr.
Weiss?” Well, as I’ve told some of you:
I personally call every surgery patient on the evening of
surgery just to make sure they are doing well and have no questions that need
answering. Occasionally, I would be at the piano and play a song that we had
listened to that day. I gradually realized that I wanted to go through all the music
that I had played during my life and at least start making a list of the songs that
I had recently played.
Well, there are now about 600 songs on the list and I realized
that it in a way it represented the ‘soundtrack of my life’! And that’s how I got
the idea to record these songs and share them with my patients, friends and family.
After I record them they will reside here, for easy access.
Music is truth. It’s honest. It’s really the first social
media, where in a way, people could share their souls directly. And isn’t that what
the purpose of social media is and why it’s so popular - trying to share who you
really are, as completely and directly as possible?
Finally, it has been (and will continue to be) a genuine
pleasure sharing these different songs with you and I really appreciate all of your
positive feedback!!
On this day (April 19) in 1971 the Doors released their sixth studio album, L.A. Woman, which included this song, Cars Hiss By My Window. We were BIG Doors fans in my Philadelphia neighborhood! This is the song where I first learned to play the blues. (I didn’t realize at the time that it was a very common but slightly altered I/IV/V blues progression, borrowed from generations of black blues musicians, originating in the Deep South of the United States around the 1870s.) Another interesting thing I didn’t suspect at the time (pre-Google in our pockets!) were the other musical influences: for this recording, the Doors hired Elvis Presley's bassist Jerry Scheff and Leon Russell’s rhythm guitarist Marc Benno to round out their sound. The band began recording without much material and needed to compose many songs, including this one, on the spot in the studio! Keyboardist Ray Manzarek recalled that "Jim said it was about living in Venice [Beach], in a hot room, with a hot girlfriend, and an open window, and a bad time…” Listening to this song, I can easily imagine the cars, waves, headlights and beaches of Venice. The ending’s pretty dark, but he was obviously [...]
On this day (April 17) in 1970, Paul McCartney released “Maybe I’m Amazed’ on his first solo album after the Beatles, simply entitled ‘McCartney’. I was a freshman in college, and at that time no one could get enough of McCartney’s voice, or his songs. He also played all the instruments himself - guitars, bass, piano, organ and drums - onto just a four track tape machine! Despite the spare arrangement, it’s been regarded as one of McCartney's finest love songs, and McCartney once said "Maybe I'm Amazed" was "the song he would like to be remembered for in the future". I’m not sure I agree with Paul on that, but I’ve always enjoyed this song! McCartney dedicated this song to his wife, Linda. I’d like to dedicate this performance to my wife, Portia. Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand piano. Try listening to it with a good set of headphones! It sounds better than any piano I've ever owned!!
In keeping with the continuing ’On This Day’ theme, today’s my birthday (April 15), so today I’d like to share with you a piano version of the song that I wrote which inspired me to found One World Sight Project, Inc., a 501.c.3 charity devoted to raising funds to cure needless blindness around the world. This song is dedicated to the tens of millions of needlessly blind people in the world who could be permanently cured with a simple 20 minute cataract operation that in many cases costs as little as $20! This performance is dedicated to Stevie Wonder, Nelson Mandela, Bob Welsh MD, and David Paton MD, who have all helped with their personal encouragement, advice and support. You can visit One World Sight Project at http://www.endblindness.org I hope you like it. Dr. Weiss PS Here is a vocal version of One Spirit - sung, arranged and performed by my good friend Jimmy Hopper (I also call him “the voice!”) Thanks again, Jimmy. The image is an original, created by Jimmy’s daughter when she was a young child! https://www.drweiss.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/One-Spirit.mp3 Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard [...]
The White Cliffs of Dover “(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" is one of the most popular World War II songs, composed in 1941 by Walter Kent to lyrics by Nat Burton. I’ve always loved this emotional song. The song was written about a year after the Royal Air Force and German aircraft had been fighting over southern England, including the white cliffs of Dover, in the Battle of Britain. Nazi Germany had conquered much of Europe and in 1941 was still bombing Britain. With neither America nor the Soviet Union having yet joined the war, Britain was the only major power fighting the Axis powers in Europe. The American lyricist, Nat Burton, wrote his lyric unaware that the bluebird is not indigenous to Britain and asked Kent to set it to music. The lyrics looked towards a time when the war would be over and peace would rule over the iconic white cliffs, Britain's symbolic border with the European mainland. My father always told me that it is hard to describe the overall feeling of what it was like during World War II. I still can’t imagine how it felt for the English fighting the Germans alone [...]
On This Day (March 31) in 1685 Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest composers of all time, was born in present-day Germany. Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Haydn and Schumann were all fans and were strongly influenced by Bach. Bach’s Inventions (and Sinfonias), 30 short keyboard compositions in all, were originally written as musical exercises for his students, to help them learn how to play two voices clearly. A bit more about Bach. One of his most enduring legacies was a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys, which he called the Well-Tempered Clavier. This collection is regarded as being among the most important works in the history of classical music, sometimes called the Old Testament of keyboard music. Although I had seen the phrase ‘well-tempered’ I really never knew what it meant. Well-tempered refers to the employment of a tuning system that would work equally well in all keys—a circumstance rare in Bach’s day. In 1722, the scale in use today (equal temperament, where the octave is split into 12 equal steps that we call semi-tones) had not yet been codified. There were unequal intervals between the notes within an octave. What [...]
Moonlight Sonata (the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor “Quasi una fantasia”, Op, 27, No. 2) is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven completed in 1801. The piece is one of Beethoven's most popular compositions for the piano. The name "Moonlight Sonata" comes from remarks made by a music critic 5 years after Beethoven's death, that likened the effect of the first movement to that of moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne. I can see that. Well put! Berlioz said that it "is one of those poems that human language does not know how to qualify". This sonata was very popular even in Beethoven's day, to the point of exasperating the composer himself, who once remarked, "Surely I've written better things." I guess even back in the day, musicians could never tell which of their songs would be hits! This performance of the first movement of Moonlight Sonata is dedicated to the over 40 people who have requested it, including Lisa M. Thanks. I really enjoy playing it! Dr. Weiss Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. [...]
On this day (March 26) in 1827, Ludvig van Beethoven, one of our great classical composers, died in his apartment in Vienna at the age of 56 during a thunderstorm (and there reportedly was a peal of thunder at the moment of death!) I didn’t realize that Beethoven apparently had a sense of humor. His last recorded words were "Pity, pity—too late!", as the dying composer was told of a gift of twelve bottles of wine from his publisher. Adieux to the Piano was one of the greatly popular parlor pieces for the piano during much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Although attributed to Beethoven, there is some controversy. During the 19th century unscrupulous publishers (so the music business is the same more than 200 years later!) would frequently attempt to improve sales of their works by slapping Beethoven's name onto them. However, it is listed in the library of congress by Beethoven. In any case, there is a simple meditative peacefulness to this song, and it’s fun to play! Beethoven also wrote the popular "Moonlight Sonata", which clocks in at around 4 minutes (I play it a little faster than usual.) It's a fun piece and I'd love to share that with [...]
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes On this day (March 25) in 1909, Jerry Livingston was born, who wrote the lyrics to “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, featured in the 1950 Walt Disney film Cinderella. Interestingly, the theme of the song was taken from an Etude by Franz Liszt. The song was also used in the medley for The Wonderful World Of Disney (1969–1979), where it must have been imprinted on my brain when I used to go over to my cousins’ house once a week to watch Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (as it was initially called), as our family didn’t yet have one of those miraculous new color television sets. The combination of a beautiful sentiment and an unforgettable melody must have touched other artists in the same way, as evidenced by versions by Brian Wilson, Johnny Mathis, Cher, Bette Midler, Linda Ronstadt, Shakey Graves and Hilary Duff, among others. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer [...]
On this day (March 22) in 1930, Stephen Sondheim was born. Sondheim wrote the lyrics to the beautiful love song “Somewhere” (sometimes referred to as “There’s A Place for Us”) from the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story. Stephen was one lucky boy when he got his first professional job to write the lyrics to Leonard Bernstein’s landmark musical. I think the music stands very strong on it’s own (understatement.) But I have to admit, Sondheim’s lyrics are pretty good. Sondheim has received an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards (more than any other composer (including a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre,) eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom. In the 1961 film, the song occurs after the rumble in which Tony has stabbed Maria's brother, Bernardo. Having nowhere else to go, Tony runs to Maria, who has just been told of her brother's death and who killed him. When Tony comes to her room through the balcony window, Maria, in shock, pounds against his chest. Realizing in spite of her anger that she still loves Tony, Maria begs him to hold her. After Maria cries [...]
Today I couldn't decide which song to choose, so here are the two Weiss Music Minute finalists! (recorded 3/16/19) First up, we have everyone's favorite Irish song: Danny Boy. This song was first written down in an old Irish song book from 1855 when it was called “Londonderry Air.” Although I had seen this title before, I didn’t happen to know that an air (Italian: aria) is a song-like vocal or instrumental composition. Or also that "The Londonderry Air" is an air that originated in County Londonderry, one of the original counties of the Kingdom of Ireland from 1613 onward. [Courtesy of Wikipedia :-) ] This is my short arrangement of a traditional song with a non-traditional ending. “I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover” was composed by Henry MacGregor Woods, who also wrote the music for "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)”! Although Woods became legendary from this song, in modern times the song is probably most associated with Merrie Melodies cartoons (maybe that’s where I first heard it). It’s also a common tune played by the string bands in Philadelphia's Mummers Parade (a shout out to my home town, Philadelphia! Picture the Mummers strutting to this [...]
