Poetry Of Donald Rumsfeld, The

Piano and female singer deliver styles ranging from Italian operetta to spirituals to cabaret. I know you’re all interested in the Rumsfeld tracks, which are hilarious, but there are other gems here as well. The singer’s voice is rich and caressing in the low register, but she tends to be both thin and goaty up high. Unfortunately, the high bits are concentrated in the Rumsfeld tracks. If you’re more interested in good music than in political commentary, check out tracks 16-20. No FCC’s.
1: You’ve all heard this Rumsfeld quote: “There are known knowns….” Here it’s sung by a goaty soprano paired with a driving piano. Jittery piano. Sounds like Kurt Weill.
2: Rumsfeld remembers his youth. Stormy Ravel-esque piano, lots of tempo variations, strong yet plaintive vocals, elegiac ending.
3: Rumsfeld is disoriented. Creeping eerie melody. Low piano. Simple.
4: Rumsfeld talks about things that have, will, didn’t, or may happen. Driving, richly textured piano, rhythmic emotional vocals. Sounds like Sondheim.
5: Rumsfeld meditates on the capabilities of the trained ape. Italian operetta-style piano. Musically humorous. Big chord at the end.
6: Rumsfeld argues that a discontinuity is not the same as a pause. Fast ominous Schubert piano. Vocal arpeggios.
7: Rumsfeld assures the DoD that all will be known. Satie piano. Calm, hymnic.
Thus ends Rumsfeld.
8: Light, syncopated vocals describe the consequences of excessive personal attractiveness. Playful and cute-like Villalobos with cheese on top.
9: Rhythmic, dissonant traditional cabaret. Singer stays in low register (thankfully). “Death comes pimping.”
10: Spiritual. The singer’s careful inflection and intonation make her sound like a female Paul Robeson-a good thing. Supporting piano.
11: Madame Butterfly meets M. Butterfly. More standard cabaret.
12: Froggy piano, soaring melodic vocals, acknowledgely awful lyrics about…frogs.
13: Jazzy piano, awful high vocals.
14: Dissonant distortion of the Brahms lullaby tune. Goaty vocals. A lullaby to induce nightmares.
15: Stormy piano, lots of tempo variation.
16: Jazzy dancing piano. Pleasing vocals stay in low register.
17: Debussy piano with lots of arpeggios. Rather lovely vocals.
18: Piano style is quiet and otherworldly with melodramatic outbursts. Skillful vocals. Musically funny.
19: Serene pastoral feel.
20: Stormy, rhythmic piano, duchess-like vocals. Mommy dearest makes her second appearance.
-Kathryn