- Title: USA: COMPOSER HAS WRITTEN SONGS BASED ON DONALD RUMSFELD SPEECHES
- Date: 22nd April 2004
- Summary: (L!2) SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (PERFORMANCE CLEARANCE FOR RESALE) VARIOUS OF SOUNDBITE (English) VOCALIST ELENDER WALL PERFORMING "THE UNKNOWN," SINGING: "But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know we don't know we don't know."
- Embargoed: 7th May 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC AND SANTA MONICA & LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAELMAIO37L87SYPNJU5IS6ASDO
- Story Text: A San Francisco composer has written music based on the speeches of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Donald Rumsfeld is a controversial figure: admired by some, feared by others, hated by others still. But although the U.S. Secretary of Defense has played many roles and worn many hats during his long career in Washington, he's never been a source for musical inspiration -- until now.
San Francisco composer Bryant Kong thinks Rumsfeld's words contain a powerful tension that makes them ideal for artistic manipulation. He first discovered the passages in a book by humorist Hart Seely, who had collected the Secretary's most absurd and literary comments under the title "Pieces of Intelligence: The Poetry of Donald Rumsfeld."
Soon, Kong began to imagine a harmony between those words and certain musical styles. The first song, "The Unknown," has a jaunty beat and a pop-influenced rhythms.
"Happenings" is a Hungarian-style march. Other songs include a haunting ballad, a waltz and even a Baroque aria.
Seven compositions made the final cut, which were recorded onto CD in a collaboration between Kong (on Piano) and soprano Elender Wall.
At a recent CD release concert in suburban Los Angeles, Kong and Wall performed their signature song cycle including "The Unknown," "Clarity," "The Situation" and "Happenings." The pieces seem to portray Rumsfeld as sensitive and introspective, though Kong tells Reuters he also sees the Secretary as a cold-blooded strategist.
"Donald Rumsfeld wages war for a living," remarked the composer, "and what I found in these poems and these songs is that we may feel angst, we may feel discomfort about the war, but Donald Rumsfeld does not because that's his job."
Interestingly, this project has given the two musicians a more intimate level of familiarity with Rumsfeld's character and speech patterns than is typical for most Americans. Still, Kong -- an anti-war activist -- says his political beliefs have not exactly aligned themselves with the current administration.
"I think setting Rumsfeld's words to music has given me more of an appreciation of the role that he plays and the situation that he's in," added Kong.
"I don't think it's changed my political opinions about war or the Bush administration, rather, it's reinforced them."
Singer Elender Wall is accustomed to performing operas as well as many other kinds of vocal works, but says she enjoys the unique audience reaction that the Rumsfeld pieces seem to elicit.
"Since we are the sort of people who perform at anti-war benefits, it's been overwhelmingly positive," she reported.
"And audiences roll in the aisles and they just laugh and laugh. I have a ballad where it's Rumsfeld in a very sensitive moment and I've learned to keep a straight face, but it's been challenge at times. It's very well received."
So, will the CD be a success? At one of Hollywood's most popular music stores, Amoeba Records, staff members and customers were mostly supportive of the project.
"It's brilliant, that's great.," said staffer Wolfgang Delgado.
"What a novel idea and I'm sure there's a large array of speeches and what not that should be put to music just like that just to show the absurdity and hypocrisy of it all I suppose." His colleague, Lance Rock, agreed, adding: "I think that's a really great subversive idea because when you take the speeches out of their natural context and insert them into something else you're going to get like a deeper meaning what Mr. Rumsfeld's trying to say to the American people."
But not all listeners were attracted to the music's formal, somewhat stylized nature. "If you made it into a dance tune, maybe, yeah," said customer Marte Breivik. "I think you need a couple of drinks to appreciate it."
Regardless of potential sales figures, Kong and Wall have already received a fair amount of media attention and say they plan to continue to perform during this election season. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.