Tag Archives: Mark Twain

MARK TWAIN NEVER GOT TO THE LOUVRE (but I did)

Posted on December 14, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

A trip to the magnificent Louvre museum with Mark Twain.  Well actually Mark Twain himself never got there, but he wrote about not getting there in “The Innocents Abroad”, and that satirical anecdote about what happens to unwary, blustery Americans … Continue reading →

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Composing “Divertissement in the Snow”

Posted on December 10, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

“You should compose a piece for the family to play at Christmas”, my husband Ed said to me a few weeks ago (actually it was November 10, I have documented evidence, I’ll get to that later, not that it really … Continue reading →

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CANNIBALISM IN THE CARS – a Musical Take on Mark Twain’s Succulent Satire of Congress

Posted on April 11, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Congress … yuck!  A distasteful subject!  Quite literally even, according to Mark Twain. Every year Congress gives us more reasons to loathe it.  This year perhaps more than ever. Thinking ill and making fun of Congress is a sport that … Continue reading →

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Holiday Repost: HAPPY HOLIDAYS – How this Carol Curmudgeon Ended Up Unwittingly Writing Three Seasonably Suited Carols Himself

Posted on December 28, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

(Originally posted last Christmas… Last Christmas … sniff… R.I.P. George Michael…) I plead guilty to being a bit of a Christmas Carol Grinch.  OK, I used to be a BIG Christmas Carol Grinch, really loathing most carols and sometimes resorting … Continue reading →

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BRAZIL – Floating Forests, Piranhas, and Sunsets of the Amazon

Posted on August 5, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Above, the Jungle Lodge, where we stayed for a weekend Amazon Adventure on the Urubu River BRAZIL (Bachianos Brazil Samba) – Michael Kamen Below views of the Urubu River from the Lodge tower. The Urubu river gets its name from … Continue reading →

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LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI – a mini musical adaptation

Posted on July 15, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

  I recently created the TWAIN page, where you can read about stories and listen to musical excerpts from my Mark Twain musical comedy beTwixt, beTween & beTWAIN.  Below I will reproduce a complete scene from the musical, the mini-adaptation … Continue reading →

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Introducing the MARK TWAIN MUSICAL Page

Posted on July 5, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

  It’s been a while since I’ve built a new permanent page on Notes from a Composer.  See the black banner border above?  Where you can access the following pages, or skip to the following content: Home Bio Credits & … Continue reading →

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS – How this Carol Curmudgeon Ended Up Unwittingly Writing Three Seasonably Suited Carols Himself

Posted on December 21, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I plead guilty to being a bit of a Christmas Carol Grinch.  OK, I used to be a BIG Christmas Carol Grinch, really loathing most carols and sometimes resorting to lip syncing rather than singing out loud when drawn into … Continue reading →

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Revealed: SPEAKEASY Poster and Postcard DESIGN!

Posted on December 17, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Voilà, the poster/postcard design for the February/March 2016 showcase run of “Speakeasy – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland”! Designed by Derk Scholtz in an ever evolving process that I will get into more behind-the-scenes detail below.  But first, … Continue reading →

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An ORPHAN MELODY is remembered in POMPEII

Posted on July 30, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Mark Twain.  Pompeii.  An orphan melody.  What connects these three disparate things? Wait, what do I mean by an orphan melody? A week ago Ed plunked the latest Smithsonian magazine next to my breakfast dishes and pointed to its front … Continue reading →

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Jacqui Sutton waxes musically about Mark Twain and American Anthems

Posted on June 17, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Jacqui Sutton isn’t merely a performer who has sung my music at numerous occasions, she is also a friend whose wedding to the writer Edward Porter I have attended (with my husband whom I call “my Ed” to distinguish him … Continue reading →

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