Nietzsche's friend's music - Peter Gast's "The Lion of Venice"
A quick MIDI rendering in standard string grouping of about 2m 30s of the Overture to Peter Gast's comic opera "The Lion of Venice." Gast (whose real name was Heinrich Köselitz) was one of Nietzsche's closest friends and an invaluable helper in Nietzsche's later writing years. Nietzsche lauded his music as an antidote to Wagner and spoke of its sunny-skied cheeriness as just what he needed. Nietzsche has been endlessly studied, yet this music he praised and was personally involved with in a deep way has attracted almost no attention. This MIDI aims to give those interested quick access to a first taste of Gast's composing. Very quick hand-rendered MIDI from a piano reduction found by MRB; longer renderings to follow using automated transcription media. Opera completely out of the repertory - was evidently performed around thre late 1890s and then again in the 1930s. This is the first rendition in any reproducing format of this music.
