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William C. Altreuter
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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

At dinner with friends over the weekend I was asked why I don't listen to classical music. The chief reason is that I don't understand enough about it to really grasp what's happening when I'm listening to it. Truthfully, I really don't know what is even meant by the term "classical music" which is frequently applied  to orchestral music, probably composed within a particular historical period, but is also applied to string quartets, and things like opera and, the subject of this video, baroque music. As it happens I have a friend who plays viola de gamba, so I've heard some of this sort of music, and even seen a Theorbo being played before. I've enjoyed the music, but it seems to me that a better knowledge of the history of this music, the theory of its structure, and the technology of the instruments is called for in order to  understand what's happening. When I listen to jazz, or the blues, or rock and roll-- or even the music that derives from the English folk traditions, like bluegrass or country & western-- I have that context for the most part.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

To the University at Buffalo Men's Basketball game last night, an entertaining outing. The Bulls are really good this year, ranked 25th in the nation going into the game, and having been ranked as high as 11th (I think) earlier in the season. I can't think of the last time I was at a college hoops game, but odds are it wasn't to see a team that good. How good are the Bulls? Hard to say. Ohio University (the Wildcats, not the Buckeyes) are not very good, and it was obvious just looking at the players during team introductions that they were in for a long night. The UB men are big and athletic looking, and the 'Cats were mainly tall and thin. They could occasionally work the ball in and sink a bucket, but the UB men would respond by sinking a quick trey, and then, usually, strip the ball, or rebound, or steal it back. 67-114, and it was never that close.

I remain of  the mind that WNY doesn't really care about college sports. This was a sold out game, but it seemed to me that  the band, the cheerleaders and the pep squad constituted the major student presence, and the remaining people in the stands consisted of parents who'd brought their kids to an affordable sports night out. Jim Kelly was there, though, so that was cool. I'd go again, but it was hardly the sort of electric scene I imagine when I think of high level college b-ball.

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