Welcome to our first blog entry for Big and Tall Records! A little about us first. We're a company that loves to find old, forgotten, never heard of musicians and music and bring them to the attention of the public. The more obscure, the better! We have a staff of six people that make the rounds as best they can to find unknown talent. Cheap bars, filthy gymnasiums, crashing wedding receptions, bar mitzvoth, anywhere there will be live music played. But enough about us! Let's move right to our first unknown composer!
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| Travis McGonigle and the tools of his trade |
So he found a piano teacher in nearby Louisville, and took piano and theory from a teacher whose name Mr. McGonigle has forgotten. After traveling to Louisville in an old Model T three times a week for two months, he figured he was ready to write the opera. After struggling for two years on the manuscript, not only with the music but the Italian he wrote the libretto in. When he was asked why he wrote it in Italian, he said, 'Just so I could show the stuck up bastards I could do it!'. After he finished it, he tried to get a run through with the Louisville Orchestra, but as he had no experience or name recognition, he was refused. Many times. So after a time he put the manuscript in a drawer and got on with his life. He actually was a barber himself, and based much of the opera on his experience.
Then years later, the tenor Luigi Trasudante was performing a recital in Louisville. He wasa staying in the town for three days, and while getting a haircut in a Mom and Pop shop, the conversation turned to McGonigle's opera. At the time it was just a rumor as no one had seen it. It tweaked Mr. Trasudante's interest, and with information and directions to Bardstown, he went to pay him a visit, if he was still alive. No one in Louisville seemed to know if he was or not. Luigi cancelled some recitals, rented a car and went to find out.
After asking the locals, Luigi was given the address of Mr. McGonigle, with a warning that we was old, and 'grumpy as hell'. But when Mr. Trasundante paid him a
visit, he was delighted in
the interest the musician showed in his work, and offered up his withered, decaying manuscript of the
opera. As Luigi began to turn the pages, he realized McGonigle's Italian was Italian only in the broadest sense as it was a mixture of English colloquialisms and broken Italian.
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| Luigi Trasudante |
The two went to the local Steak 'n' Shake with Luigi treating. To shorten the tale a little, Luigi found an Italian language professor who accepted the challenge after many refusals from others. The professor managed to make a clean copy of the libretto in English and Italian. Luigi paid him for his efforts, but the professor wanted no credit, preferring to stay anonymous. Luigi worked on the music along with some other musicians, and finally a clean copy of the music and a piano reduction was arrived at.
It is hoped by Mr. Trasudante's recording of this dramatic aria (even if it is rather profane) will give the music enough exposure to interest an opera company to put on a production. Mr. Trasudante chose the English version to sing, although his accent lends a distinctive authenticity to the lyrics. NOTE - Instead of the proper English words 'What's The Matter', Mr Trasudante has opted to use the broken English version of Wassa Madda. One version of the Italian translation of 'What's The Matter' is Cosa e la Questione, What's the matter, cosa e la questione, how does anyone get wassa madda out of either?
Wassa Madda*
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