Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SCHICKELE, Peter

(b 17 July '35, Ames IA) Composer, arranger. Studied at Juilliard, was on faculty there '61--5; serious classical pieces on RCA, Bay Cities, CRI and Vanguard. Among freelance composing, arranging, conducting (tracks on early Joan Baez LPs) he is best known for musical jokes using persona of P. D. Q. Bach, affectionately sending up the sudden '60s popularity of baroque music, the work admired by musicians for the skill with which it was done: concerts were well attended; albums on Vanguard incl. An Evening With P.D.Q. Bach, Portrait Of P. D. Q. Bach, An Hysteric Return etc, pieces called 'Schleptet', 'Octoot', 'Unbegun Symphony', 'Eine Kleine Nichtmusic', 'Hansel And Gretel And Ted And Alice' etc; compilation The Wurst Of. Also opera/ballet The Stoned Guest (title from Don Juan story, e.g. Dargomizhsky opera based on Pushkin poem The Stone Guest). P. D. Q. survives on Teldec: 1712 Overture And Other Musical Assaults incl. 'Overture To Einstein On The Fritz'; Oedipus Tex And Other Choral Calamities '90 is by the Greater Hoople Area Off-Season Philharmonic with the Okay Chorale, followed by WTWP Classical Talkity-Talk Radio.