Mark Twain loved music, and many of the most important moments of his life, joyous and tragic, were imbued with particular songs and melodies of many kinds.

This unique and varied program at historic Cooper Union brings together the musical pieces that meant the most to him: the songs and tunes that Mark Twain himself loved best (and a few that he loathed) during a lifetime that took him from the Mississippi Valley and the western frontier in the mid-19th century to New York, New England, and the capitals of Europe in the glittering era that he himself christened "The Gilded Age."

The performers are Ann Kirschner, mezzo-soprano, and Anthony Michalik, baritone, accompanied by Michael Thomas on piano. Peter Salwen, President of the Mark Twain Circle of New York, wrote and directed the program and provides the narration, which is largely drawn from Mark Twain’s own notebooks and correspondence as well as his published writings.

"Mark Twain savored just about every aspect of life," Mr. Salwen says, "and being Mark Twain, he generally had something to say about it, music as much as any other subject. His appreciations, his memories, and his sometimes pungent observations about the selections will be a big part of our fun."

As to the music itself, he adds, “The musical numbers in our program are all over the place, just like Mark Twain was: tunes from the pre-Civil War blackface minstrel shows, and some fairly awful, but really fascinating, popular songs of a hundred, a hundred-fifty years ago, all the way up to Beethoven, some operatic arias, and the African-American spirituals that were Twain’s special favorites. We’ll also be performing something no one is likely to have ever heard before: a couple of numbers with lyrics by Twain himself."

"Better Than It Sounds" is being presented for the first time in the Great Hall at Cooper Union, 51 Astor Place (Cooper Square), on the same stage where Mark Twain himself made his first East Coast appearance as a platform entertainer in 1867. Admission is fifteen dollars at the door.

This performance is offered under the auspices of the Adult Education Forum of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art & Science, the oldest adult education program in the U.S., established in 1858.

No reservation necessary, but please feel free to call Cooper Union (212-353-4165) or use this automatic e-mail link to let us know if you plan to come or to get additional details.

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