Just a couple short bits today. Apparently someone else was annoyed at the use of "authoress" on the subway flyer I mentioned last week, as I saw the flyer had been judiciously corrected. Bravo, mysterious subway grammarian.
Secondly, I've been threatening for awhile to do a photo tour of Fordham Road, the bustling thoroughfare in the Bronx that I must traverse each day. It's a long, wide avenue that was massively developed in the 1920s, with an elaborate running facade on both sides of the street. There's evidence of some truly beautiful brickwork, arches, columns, etc., but the vast majority of it has been covered over with hideous modern signage. The old stuff peeks out here and there, and sooner or later I'll take an hour to walk up and down the street and get pics. But for now, I can at least offer this extremely crappy cellcam pic of the original facade of the "Aeolian Hall," uncovered by renovation (and no doubt about to get ripped off, plastered over, or smothered with a TJ Maxx sign or something). I can't find any details about what went on at this Aeolian Hall, though I figure it must be a reference to the Aeolian Hall (scroll down) in Manhattan, or to aeolian halls in general, being a sort of grand and spiffy name for a music/performance space. Tomorrow I'll bring my real camera to take a better shot for posting. Or maybe I'll just go ahead and do the whole photo-walk-tour. Try to stay safely back from the edge of your seat.
Aeolus, as mythologians know, is a Greek mythology God-king who kept winds bottled up in a cave. There is a chain of islands near Sicily in the Mediterranean that were named for this Demi-god.
In more modern terms, musical "Aeolian" refers mostly to the A (natural) minor scale. It's an eight bar dealio which goes (more or less) Tone, Tone, Semi-tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-tone, Tone, Tone. Or, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. Also, Aeolian-Skinner pipe organs are among the most revered, and pricey in the world. They are particularly noted for the massive, pew-shaking bombards that will rattle loose fillings and fill one (hopefully) with awe of the Lord. Whatever. These things DEFINE what one expects of a pipe organ sound, these days!
The Aeolean Hall was made famous for a particular performance of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," during the late 1920s. It's an artistic, terra-cotta place of the neo-classical "Francis I" style with French Reniassance detailing, and a copper roof. It won awards for design excellence in its day. It would be REALLY interesting to be present when the facades come down, to see what marvels have lain covered for decades! Let's hope like hell it doesn't get turned into a TJ Maxx billboard!
JH
Posted by: JMH | April 18, 2005 at 10:13 PM
That Aeolian Hall is/was in Manhattan. I think it's long been demolished. This one is in the Bronx and is far more modest... I doubt it has anything original left except the facade. Forgot my camera today, but I'll try to get some pics tomorrow.
Posted by: chris m | April 19, 2005 at 11:36 AM