Tag Archives: Bach

Dead Composers Review Prelude Cocktail

Our debut CD Prelude Cocktail came out last fall, but the reviews are still coming in.  Just in time for Halloween, we have these quotes from the latest edition of De-Composition Quarterly.  They are, well, mixed:

“I thought Stalin was bad, but Prelude Cocktail makes me feel truly repressed.” D. Shostakovich,  staff writer

“I’m skeptical of a flute made of gold…but the well-tempered clavier is amazing!” -J.S. Bach, editor-in-chief

“Flute and Marimba?! It’s an abomination! Negative 4 stars.” -F. Chopin, staff writer

“Sacrebleu! J’aime la flûte et le marimba! Lawler et Fadoul sont formidables!” -C. Debussy, staff writer.

Spring is almost here!

Have you missed us?  We know you have!   We’re gearing up for a Spring of shows.  Until then, you can watch our recent performance from the Kennedy Center Concert Hall online.  Check us out at this link. We go on around minute 140.

Tell your friends about us and like us on facebook.  Thank you SO MUCH for your continued support of Lawler & Fadoul.

Live Webcast from the Kennedy Center: 2/13/11

We’ll be playing a 15-minute set tomorrow night, including two of our new Bach and Shostakovich transcriptions. The program is part of the National Symphony Orchestra’s Young Soloists’ Competition, which Paul won back in the day.
You can watch a live webcast at this link. We’re on around 7:45–hope you can be there.

Postcard from Flamarimba Camp

Dear Mom and Dad,

I had a nice time at Flamarimba Camp.  I stayed up past lights-out one time, but don’t tell the counselors.

Mostly, we practiced for our show this weekend in NYC with the International Street Cannibals:

We will be playing our new versions of two Preludes & Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier, with live capoeira.  Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that is sweeping the nation.  Seriously!

Also, we did two school shows, and they went pretty well.  The kids really liked the music, and asked very good questions.  After the second show, a girl raised her hand and said,

I have a comment.  You have good fashion.

Not bad, even if it did come from a second-grader in a school uniform.

On our breaks from practicing, we watched Flight of the Conchords and Fawlty Towers, and a sad-but-hilarious video about life as an orchestral percussionist.

Paul had a cold, but that did not stop him from showing off his new concert snare drum.  Hopefully he will be feeling better by Sunday.  See you at the concert!

Love, z

PS. Please send cookies.
PPS. Preferably chocolate chip.

Yellow Barn Residency

We are here in beautiful Putney, VT, doing a residency at Yellow Barn. We are refining, rehearsing and performing our brand spanking new transcriptions of Bach and Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues.

Holy Smokes it’s gorgeous here:


Paul and I drove up separately, and each realized that we did not bring any sort of recording device with us. Immediately upon our arrival, however, Anna presented us with a Zoom to use! That was the first sign that this is going to be an awesome residency.

The next sign that this was going to be an awesome residency was the Pods–the music practice buildings where we are to rehearse. It’s as if someone said, “Now what would you like in a practice space? Abundant light? A beautiful view? Solar power? Climate control? Check and check.” Here’s a me practicing there the first night:
Here’s the same view, in daylight:


At Yellow Barn, they strive to create an “atmosphere conducive to undistracted study,” and there will be more about that in future posts. Today, we practiced and rehearsed a full 10 and a half hours. That’s more than 10, in case you were wondering.

Have another look at the Pods:

Paul and I each have our own Pod. Here’s what we look like to eachother:

I have only one suggestion for the folks at Yellow Barn: how about a zipline from Pod to Pod?

If you’re in the area, please come to our concert on Monday!

All of the Part

So, on Friday, PJ & I auditioned for a concert series here in NY (which shall remain nameless so as to minimize jinxes). We offered the following rep:

Bach C Major Sonata
Ravel Habanera
Piazzolla Histoire du Tango (1900 & 1960)
Takemitsu Toward the Sea
Part Spiegel im Spiegel

Now, even though the Part was made famous by the HBO movie Wit, we were pretty sure that was the last piece they would ask for.

So, we started with the Ravel, our choice. They asked for the second movement of the Bach. And then, believe it or not, the Part. And they heard it all: not part of the Part, the whole 7 meditative minutes of it. Seriously, not what you would expect from an audition committee.

In other audition news, the maintenance guys at the building were very accommodating and gave us a giant bucket on wheels in which to transport the marimba:

There it is, all of the parts in parts, all in a bucket on wheels, parked in the gutter as we load out from the audition.