I remember discovering the music of fictitious composer P.D.Q. Bach 35 years ago. In early January 1986, I listened to the tape, "Report From Hoople: P.D.Q. Bach On The Air," and was impressed by the humorous compositions and commentary.
I asked Mr. D., my high school orchestra director, "Have you listened to the work of P.D.Q. Bach and Peter...Sickele?" I suspected I hadn't gotten the name of the announcer and inventor of P.D.Q. Bach quite right.
"Schickele," Mr. D. corrected me. "Schickele."
"Thanks," I said. "Have you heard his play-by-play of the first movement of Beethoven's fifth symphony? I thought it was funny, treating it like a football game."
"That type of play-by-play on a piece has been done by others, not nearly as well," Mr. D. responded. "Not nearly as well."
Likening a football player intercepting a pass and not letting go of the ball to a section of instruments taking a theme and running with it still amuses me all these years later. All of "Report From Hoople..." is worth a listen. The biggest highlight, however, is still "New Horizons in Music Appreciation: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," with Robert Dennis and Schickele. I haven't heard anyone else do play-by-play of a piece, but I wouldn't doubt that the Schickele-Dennis commentary is still the benchmark to emulate.
