VIDEO: Richard Nixon plays his Piano Concerto #1

youtube.com ^ | 8/20/06 | klhoughton

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Nixon's own composition, set to concerto form with "15 Democratic violinists." Nixon takes a dig at Harry Truman just before playing.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

I find this amusing. I know Bill Clinton can play the saxophone and that Condoleezza Rice is a concert pianist, but did not know Nixon played the piano AND composed his own music. Interesting.

[Borges]

Nixon was a highly knowledgeable musician. He supposedly had many concertos memorized and was ready to go if an orchestra asked him.

[SolidWood]

This must be fake. Everybody knows that Nixon was a monster, worse than Attila the Hun. Nothing positive could ever be said about Mad Milhous./sarc

[Verbosus]

Ping for off-work time.

[Swede Girl]

Nixon was brilliant. Won scholarships to college, etc. Should have been the prez instead of the Kennedy (Old Joe won the election for his son.) History would have been different, Nixon understood world politics as no other. The Democrats skewered him. He was a great president. Period.

[skeeter]

If a man is defined by his enemies, Nixon was an exceptional character.

And, ethically speaking, he's an absolute prince by the standards set by the collection of punks and thugs in Washington today.

[Ann Archy]

That was BEAUTIFUL....except it cut out the sound at 2:16.

[arthurus]

He was a Great President, yes. But as with maqny great men, he was an Economics dunce

[rahbert]

especially at Forrreeiiiggggnnnn Polllicehhhh...

[Fiji Hill]

Richard Nixon was a talented musician. In 1925, when he was 13, his parents sent him to Lindsay, in Tulare County, Calif. to live with his aunt, a professional piano teacher who gave him intensive instruction. Nixon would learn to play several instruments. In junior high and high school, he played the violin, and he also played the accordion, clarinet, and saxophone. He could also sing.

However, his favorite instrument was the piano, which he played his entire life. It seems that his favorite song was “Happy Days are Here Again,” a smash hit from 1930. When he was elected to the Senate in 1950 he played that tune on every piano he could find as he made the rounds of Election Night victory parties.

[Fiji Hill]

Nixon’s composition was also featured in the movie “Nixon/Frost.”

[Eva]

I remember telling my father in law that I didn’t think that Watergate was such a big deal, that it wasn’t anything that all politics were dirty, one party was as bad as the other. He was shocked, but then we seldom agreed on anything.

[OneWingedShark]

Interesting, and very good too.

[SunkenCiv]

Well put.

[skeeter]

I tried to argue that same case in jr high school and received one of my first lessons in liberal logic & open mindedness.

[Sunshine Sister]

I also noticed that the sound stopped. I didn’t know that Nixon played the piano. I wonder if any of the current residents of the White House are so accomplished?

[lrb111]

doubtful, Nobama can’t operate even a microphone without a cheat sheet.

[Lockbar]

Nixon had his faults, but I’m proud that he was my CinC when I was in the military.

[Swede Girl]

Yes, and he loved to listen to the Victory at Sea music.

Unlike Kennedy, Nixon was a self-made man who had to work hard for anything he ever had. His wife Pat was an exceptional woman, also. Julie wrote a book about her and it was fascinating.

[thecodont]

Musical talent indicates a certain amount of gray matter. I understand Sarah Palin plays the flute.

I have not heard anything at all about BO playing a musical instrument.