American composer
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Episode 12 of Fragile Juggernaut turns the lens on the situation and activity of white-collar, professional, and creative workers in the 1930s and 1940s. Together with guests Nikil Saval (state senator from Pennsylvania and author of Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace) and Shannan Clark (historian at Montclair State University and author of The Making of the American Creative Class: New York's Culture Workers and Twentieth-Century Consumer Capitalism), Alex and Gabe dig in on a few key sectors: office workers, journalists, academics and scientists, and workers in the culture industries—art, film, radio, theater, and publishing. How did the labor movement and the left conceptualize these kinds of workers and what role they might play? What was the relationship between their organization and struggle, on one hand, and the content and function of their work, on the other?Sonically, this episode is a bit of a concept album, interspersed with excerpts from Marc Blitzstein's 1937 musical play The Cradle Will Rock (actually a higher-quality 1964 recording). Inspired stylistically by the plays of Bertolt Brecht and institutionally sponsored by the WPA (until it panicked and backed out), The Cradle Will Rock is set in Steeltown, USA: a sex worker is thrown in jail after refusing a cop free service. There, she meets academics, artists, and journalists who have been arrested in a police mix-up at a steelworkers' rally, which they were monitoring as members of the anti-union Liberty Committee of steel baron Mr. Mister. While these anti-union professionals and creatives wait for Mr. Mister to come clear things up and bail them out, they explain how he recruited them to the Liberty Committee. Also with them in jail is steelworkers' leader Larry Forman, who warns them that the cozy “cradle” where they sit will soon fall.A correction: Gabe says in the episode that the Disney strike was in 1940. In fact, it was in May 1941.Featured music (besides The Cradle Will Rock): “Teacher's Blues” by Pete Seeger.Archival audio credits: “I Want to Be a Secretary,” Coronet Instructional Films (1941); Dan Mahoney Oral History, San Francisco State Labor Archives and Research Center; Oppenheimer (2023); “WPA Helping Theaters All Black Production of Macbeth”; Isom Moseley oral history, Federal Writers Project (1941); Dumbo (1941).Fragile Juggernaut is a Haymarket Originals podcast exploring the history, politics, and strategic lessons of the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the rank and file insurgency that produced it. Support Fragile Juggernaut on Patreon and receive our exclusive bimonthly newsletter, full of additional insights, reading recommendations, and archival materials we've amassed along the way.Buy Ours to Master and to Own, currently 40% off: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/366-ours-to-master-and-to-own
On this episode, local musician, Lars Woodul, and local composer David Wolfson perform experts and discuss their forthcoming multidisciplinary art-song cycle: "Lyricycles."Lars Woodul has performed as a soloist in professional opera and concert in the US and abroad, specializing in 20thcentury repertoire. He created roles for premières with New York's Center for Contemporary Opera, including The Secret Agent and Enemies, A Love Story; Marc Blitzstein's Sacco and Vanzetti; and Seymour Barab's License to Marry at the York Theater. On the New York concert stage, he has appeared with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Lincoln Center's Meet the Artist Series, and many others. David Wolfson holds a PhD in composition from Rutgers University, and has taught at Rutgers University, Montclair State University, Hunter College and Penn State University. He is enjoying an eclectic career, having composed opera, musical theatre, touring children's musicals, and incidental music for plays; choral music, band music, orchestral music, chamber music, art songs, and music for solo piano; comedy songs, cabaret songs and one memorable score for an amusement park big-headed-costumed-character show. Most recently, his Fortune's Children was (probably) the first opera to be performed live over Zoom; it and its sequels Changing Fortunes and Family Fortunes make up (almost certainly) the first serialized opera. His CD Seventeen Windows, featuring the solo piano suite "Seventeen Windows" and the Sonata for Cello and Piano, is available from Albany Records, iTunes and Amazon.com.
From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art.Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Click here. Confronting shadowsFull Circle Theater Company's thought-provoking new production “They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues” delves deep into the dynamics of a family grappling with the aftermath of their patriarch's death.St. Paul actor Chris Collier had a chance to read the script for Full Circle Theater Company's current show, “They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues,” and he's looking forward to the staged production. Written by Minnesota playwriter Siddeeqah Shabazz, the play follows a family reconciling with the loss of their patriarch and a burgeoning secret that threatens to shatter their long-held perfect image. Trigger warning: the play deals with sexual assault and mental health issues within the family dynamic. “Especially as it pertains to communities of color and to black families, specifically, I think that there's such a stigma surrounding mental health and sexual assault that just doesn't get talked about,” said Collier. “And I think that this show does a great job of addressing a much-needed conversation.” “They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues” runs through April 28 at the Gremlin Theatre in St Paul. Rhythms and threadsRevel in the vibrant energy of the Guild of Middle Eastern Dance's Spring Spectacular. MJ Gernes is a St. Paul fiber artist and drummer who has had a chance to drum before with members of the Guild of Middle Eastern Dance. For more than 40 years, the Guild has drawn dancers from around the Twin Cities and beyond to perform a variety of folk dance styles from across the Middle East as well as other American-fusion styles. Gernes loves the high energy, the beautiful costumes and welcoming atmosphere of the Guild's dance performances, and she's looking forward to their Spring Spectacular, this Sunday, April 21 at 4 p.m. at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal. For those interested in learning new dance skills, the Guild is offering six workshops this weekend in St. Paul and Crystal. Revisiting rebellionExperience a timeless tale of struggle and satire with An Opera Theatre's production of “The Cradle Will Rock.”Twin Cities illustrator and designer Jerrald Spencer Jr. had a chance to see a preview production of An Opera Theatre's performance of “The Cradle Will Rock.” Written in 1937 by Marc Blitzstein and billed as “The Working Man's Musical,” the opera still feels relevant today; Spencer described it as “Succession meets The Producers.” The villainous Mr. Mister (whose wife, naturally, is Mrs. Mister) seeks to control the media and crush rising labor unions. The opera is laced with some “very, very funny lines,” says Spencer, along with beautiful singing and shadow puppetry, which adds to the emotional depth of the story. The Cradle Will Rock runs April 18 – 21 at the Heart of the Beast Theatre in Minneapolis. The show is 90 minutes without intermission.
Reciban un cordial saludo. Desde Cali (Colombia), les habla Sergio Luis López, compartiéndoles un nuevo episodio de "Así la escuché yo..." Una de las canciones más representativas del género Salsa y de la carrera artística del cantautor panameño Rubén Blades es sin duda alguna “Pedro Navaja”, la cual se publicó inicialmente en el emblemático álbum “Siembra” de 1978, grabado por la exitosa dupla que Blades conformó junto a Willie Colón. Así la escuché yo… En un acto de total transparencia, el propio Rubén Blades ha contado en diferentes oportunidades que su inspiración para “Pedro Navaja” proviene de otra famosa canción. La canción en mención se titula "Mack The Knife" (Mack “El Cuchillo”), la cual ha sido grabada en idioma inglés por diversos artistas. A nivel mundial, la popularidad de la canción “Mack The Knife” se debe al célebre trompetista estadounidense Louis Armstrong, quien grabó una versión en 1955 con letra adaptada al inglés por Marc Blitzstein. Cuatro años después (en 1959), el español José Guardiola publicó una versión libre al castellano titulada “Mackie El Navaja”. En 1998, el también español, Miguel Ríos, lanzó otra versión al castellano de “Mackie El Navaja”, aunque con diferente letra, la cual se acerca más a la canción original alemana. Las anteriores versiones están basadas en la canción “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer” (La balada de Mackie El Cuchillo), escrita originalmente en alemán por el reconocido dramaturgo y poeta Bertolt Brecht, con música de su compatriota Kurt Weill, quienes la compusieron para la famosa “Ópera de los tres centavos”, interpretada inicialmente por Harald Paulsen en 1929. Como dato curioso, hay que decir que la “Ópera de los tres centavos” es una adaptación al alemán de la obra “The Beggar's Opera” (Ópera del mendigo) del inglés John Gay. También hay que decir que la canción “Mack The Knife” no hace parte de la ópera original inglesa, sino que fue compuesta por Brecht y Weill especialmente para la alemana “Ópera de los tres centavos”. No podemos terminar sin aplaudir el talento creador del gran Rubén Blades, quien se inspiró en una canción para componer otra en un contexto musical y social totalmente diferente; regalándonos de esta manera, una de las clásicas de la música popular bailable latinoamericana. ¿Y tú, qué opinas de este episodio? Autor: Rubén Blades (panameño) para "Pedro Navaja" Autores: Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weill (alemanes) para “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer” - Adaptación al inglés por Marc Blitzstein (estadounidense) para “Mack The Knife” Pedro Navaja - Willie Colón & Rubén Blades (1978) “Siembra” álbum (1978) Canta: Rubén Blades (nombre real Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna, panameño) Willie Colón (nombre real William Anthony Colón Román, estadounidense) Género: Salsa Mack The Knife - Louis Armstrong (1955) single “Mack The Knife/Back O'Town Blues” (1955) Louis Armstrong (nombre real Louis Daniel Armstrong, estadounidense) Género: Fox Mackie El Navaja - José Guardiola (1959) “Pequeña flor/Mis besos te dirán/Mackie El Navaja/Ten piedad” mini-álbum (1959) José Guardiola (español) Mackie El Navaja - Miguel Ríos (1998) “Big Band Ríos - Miguel Ríos en concierto” álbum (1998) Miguel Ríos (español) Die Moritat von Mackie Messer - Harald Paulsen (1929) “Die Dreigroschenoper (Ópera de los tres centavos)” Soundtrack álbum (1929) Textos escritos por Bertolt Brecht (alemán) & musicalizados por Kurt Weill (alemán) ___________________ “Así la escuché yo…” Temporada: 8 Episodio: 1 Sergio Productions Cali – Colombia Sergio Luis López Mora
This Listeners' Favorites episode serves a dual purpose: first it is a celebration the publication this week of my partner David Savran's new book, Tell It to the World: The Broadway Musical Abroad, by Oxford University Press. (I'll be doing two episodes with David on this book in March in conjunction with the book launch.) Second, David introduces us to one of his favorite Countermelody episodes, a 2021 Black History Month celebration of the life, voice, and career of the great African American contralto Carol Brice (1916-1985), whose career encompassed both Broadway and opera. It's that very versatility that most attracted David to Brice's work. He describes to us his first exposure to a variety of her recordings, from Falla to Finian's Rainbow. I myself first heard Carol Brice in her recording of “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” which exemplifies all her musical virtues: simplicity and directness of utterance, lack of sentimentality, and deep identification with both text and music. Add to this a voice of such depth and refinement and a technique so secure that she is almost without equal. From her early career outings as the first African American to win the coveted Naumburg Award, through her appearances on the Broadway stage and in Porgy and Bess, Carol Brice brought an emotional honesty to her performances such as is rarely encountered in any field of genre. On this episode I feature her in a wide range of live and commercial recordings from Marc Blitzstein's Regina to concert pieces by Brahms and Mahler, focusing in particular on a matchless 1947 song recital with her brother Jonathan Brice as her collaborator. Brice's second husband, the baritone Thomas Carey is also featured in a pair of recordings. Thank you, David, for re-introducing my listeners to this great artist, and congratulations on your monumental new book! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford.
First broadcast on February 01, 1985. Leonard Bernstein discusses his career as a composer along with his thoughts on American culture, musical theater, Black music, classical music, and education; music is played throughout the program including songs from Marc Blitzstein's play "The Cradle Will Rock."
The Mercury Theatre on the Air | Julius Caesar | This episode aired, September 11, 1938Cast: Orson Welles (Brutus), Martin Gabel (Cassius), George Coulouris (Antony), Joseph Holland (Caesar); music by Marc Blitzstein; H. V. Kaltenborn(Commentator): : : : :My other podcast channels include: MYSTERY x SUSPENSE -- DRAMA X THEATER -- SCI FI x HORROR -- COMEDY x FUNNY HA HA -- VARIETY X ARMED FORCES.Subscribing is free and you'll receive new post notifications. Also, if you have a moment, please give a 4-5 star rating and/or write a 1-2 sentence positive review on your preferred service -- that would help me a lot.Thank you for your support.https://otr.duane.media | Instagram @duane.otr
Mac the Knife (literalmente Mac el del cuchillo), también conocida como Moritat fue compuesta por Kurt Weill con letra original de Bertold Brecht y en inglés de Marc Blitzstein. Desde una versión de 1928 en alemán, pasando por la de Lotte Lenya (esposa del autor), la inmortal de Satchmo; las trompetas de Dorham, Terry y Sandoval; a Grapelli; Rollins, Stanley Clarke pasamos a Pedro Navaja con el mismo tema y rematamos con Ole' Blue Eyes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today is the final regular episode of Season Three of Countermelody, as well as the last of my summer series documenting musical life in New York City during the years 1950 through 1975. I am thrilled to start what I hope will be an occasional series of episodes that will drop throughout Season Four, which begins in two weeks. I present to you a small sampling of the extraordinary singing actors that peopled the stage of New York City Opera during the years in question. The most famous of these, of course, is Beverly Sills, and she is aptly represented in her most radiant early prime. But there are many other singers as well, including African American divas Carol Brice and Veronica Tyler, preceded by Camilla Williams (the first Black singer to be awarded a standing contract with a major US opera company… in 1946!). City Opera was celebrated for presenting an absolute slew of new American work in its heyday, and we hear works by Carlilse Floyd, Robert Ward, Douglas Moore, Marc Blitzstein, and Jack Beeson in performances by Phyllis Curtin, Frances Bible, Brenda Lewis, and Ellen Faull. Other divas strutting their stuff include Olivia Stapp, Johanna Meier, and the three mesdames Patricia: Brooks, Wells, and Wise. The episode is capped by some of the rarest live recordings from the stage of City Opera by three singers who made their mark during their heyday, and would be the biggest stars in the world were they singing today: Gilda Cruz-Romo, Maralin Niska, and Carol Neblett, all of whom will be featured in her own episode during Countermelody's upcoming season. A fitting way to end Season Three, as well as a harbinger of vocal delights to come! (Next week will be a preview of the upcoming season!) Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available exclusively to Patreon supporters are currently available and further bonus content including interviews and livestreams is planned for the upcoming season.
Join us on Leonard Lopate at Large when the After Dinner Opera Company reviews the New York and Orchestral Staged Premiere of SACCO AND VANZETTI Begun by Marc Blitzstein. Completed & Conducted by Leonard Lehrman. Directed by Benjamin Spierman. In 1921, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, both Italian-Americans, were convicted of robbery and murder. Although the arguments brought against them were mostly disproven in court, the fact that the two men were known radicals prejudiced the judge and jury against them.
Orson Welles y John Houseman se movieron para formar lo que se convirtió en su muy apreciado Teatro Mercury en el año del estreno de la obra The Cradle Will Rock. Con José Manuel Corrales.
Orson Welles y John Houseman se movieron para formar lo que se convirtió en su muy apreciado Teatro Mercury en el año del estreno de la obra The Cradle Will Rock. Con José Manuel Corrales.
Marc Blitzstein did not die in a car accident. Marc Blitzstein was murdered in Martinique on January 22, 1964. Blitzstein was the genius creator of "The Cradle Will Rock" with Orson Welles. Marc was also a collaborator with Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill on "Three Penny Opera." He also worked with Lillian Hellman's "Toys in the Attic." He was murdered for daring to be Gay in a foreign land.
La obra era una patata caliente política, ya que se ocupaba de la sindicalización de los obreros de las fábricas de acero, justo cuando magnates ultracapitalistas y tiranos del sector, como Tom Girdler, se oponían a cualquier intento de sindicalizar a los obreros de sus empresas. Con José Manuel Corrales.
La obra era una patata caliente política, ya que se ocupaba de la sindicalización de los obreros de las fábricas de acero, justo cuando magnates ultracapitalistas y tiranos del sector, como Tom Girdler, se oponían a cualquier intento de sindicalizar a los obreros de sus empresas. Con José Manuel Corrales.
La ópera de jazz, de izquierda, de Blitzstein, The Cradle Will Rock, literalmente hizo historia al estar en el lugar equivocado, en el momento equivocado, con el productor equivocado. Con José Manuel Corrales.
La ópera de jazz, de izquierda, de Blitzstein, The Cradle Will Rock, literalmente hizo historia al estar en el lugar equivocado, en el momento equivocado, con el productor equivocado. Con José Manuel Corrales.
THE CRADLE WILL ROCK COMPOSER: Marc Blitzstein LYRICIST: Marc Blitzstein BOOK: Marc Blitzstein DIRECTOR: Orson Welles PRINCIPLE CAST: Howard DaSilva (Foreman), Will Geer (Mister), Olive Stanton (Moll) OPENING DATE: June 16th, 1937 CLOSING DATE: April 02, 1938 PERFORMANCES: 131 SYNOPSIS: Set in the fictional “Steeltown, USA,” everyman Larry Foreman attempts to get his fellow workers to unionize against the greedy businessman Mr. Mister who controls the entire town's work force, press, and religious organizations. Johanna Pinzler traces the development of Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, to date the only Broadway musical ever shut down by the United States government and argues its significance as a work that fused music and text in radically new ways. As part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, the United States launched the Federal Theatre Project, a nationwide effort to employ people in the performing arts, and Project #891, a classics-oriented subdivision of the project, opted to produce Blitzstein's controversial, pro-union musical under the direction of Orson Welles and the producer John Houseman. When the Works Progress Administration circulated a memo restricting the performance of new works-- a suspicious ordinance which wreaked of censorship-- and armed federal guards blockaded the theatre on opening night, Cradle opened in a completely unexpected fashion. Working around stringent union rules and limitations placed by the WPA, members of the cast and orchestra pulled off the performance as an impromptu exercise in free speech, rising from the audience when their cues came and never setting foot on the stage. This guerilla-style theatre informed future Broadway works which employed a minimalist or paired down approach to theatricality. Johanna Pinzler is an award winning theatre director and educator. She directs at regional theatres and serves as an Artistic Associate and a Resident Director at Summer Repertory Theatre in Santa Rosa, California where she spends most summers working with students from top theatre programs around the country. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing at Marymount Manhattan College and serves on the faculty of the Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre at New York Film Academy teaching Directing, Musical Theatre Performance and Comedy. She lives in Brooklyn with her wonderful family and has an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College, CUNY. SOURCES The Cradle Will Rock Original Cast Recording. Musicraft (1938) The Cradle Will Rock Original London Cast Recording. Polydor (1985) Cradle Will Rock, starring Hank Azaria and Cary Elwes, directed by Tim Robbins. Touchstone Pictures (1999) The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein, published by Random House (1938) Cradle Will Rock: The Movie and the Moment by Tim Robbins, published by Newmarket Press (1999) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Synopsis When your instrument is nicknamed “the burping bedpost,” it's hard to get respect in refined circles. So it's understandable that the bassoon section of, say, a major London orchestra might indulge in a bit of day-dreaming in which a gang of hot-rodding motorcycling bassoonists blow into town and take over a concert hall. And guess what? That is EXACTLY the scenario of a piece written for Britain's Philharmonia Orchestra by the American composer Michael Daughtery. “Hell's Angels” is a concerto for bassoon quartet that received its premiere in London on today's date in 1999, with Daughtery commenting: “I find the bassoon to be an instrument with great expressive and timbral possibilities, ranging from low and raucous rumbling to plaintive high intensity.” Daugherty often takes inspiration from icons of American pop culture, so it's not surprising that he should choose “Hell's Angels” for inspiration. After all, he writes: “the bassoon is similar in size and shape to the drag pipes found on Harley Davidson motorcycles … When the noise-curbing mufflers are illegally removed from the drag pipes, they create a deafening roar. I have removed the traditional mufflers on the bassoon repertoire in order to compose [my] concerto for bassoon quartet and orchestra. Music Played in Today's Program Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) — Hell's Angels (Oregon Symphony; James DePreist, cond.) Delos 3291 On This Day Births 1834 - German composer, pianist and organist Julius Ruebke, in Hausneindorf, near Quedlinburg; 1878 - Austrian composer Franz Schrecker, in Monaco; 1895 - French-born American composer, painter and mystical philosopher Dane Rudhyar, in Paris; Premieres 1731 - Bach: "St. Mark Passion" (S. 247, now lost) performed in Leipzig at Vespers on Good Friday; 1748 - Handel: oratorio "Alexander Balus" in London at the Covent Garden Theater; The event possibly included the premiere of Handel's "Concerto a due cori" No. 1 as well (Gregorian date: April 3); 1783 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 13 and final version of Symphony No. 35 ("Haffner"), at the Vienna Burgtheater, with composer as piano soloist and conductor; An earlier version of the symphony was performed in Salzburg at private concerts arranged by the wealthy Haffner family in the summer of 1782; 1792 - Haydn: Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise"), conducted by the composer, at the Hanover-Square Concert Rooms in London; 1828 - Beethoven: String Quartet in F, Op. 135 (posthumously, and almost one year to the day after the composer's death on March 26, 1827), in Vienna, by the Schuppanzigh Quartet; 1886 - Tchaikovsky: "Manfred" Symphony (after Byron), in Moscow (Julian date: Mar. 11); 1912 - Gliere: Symphony No. 3 ("Ilya Murometz") in Moscow (Julian date: Mar. 10); 1917 - Bloch: "Trois poèmes juifs" (Three Jewish Poems), in Boston, with the composer conducting; 1923 - de Falla: opera "El retrablo de maese Pedro" (Master Peter's Puppet Show) (concert version), in Seville at the Teatro San Fernando; 1935 - Barber: "Music for a Scene from Shelley," by the New York Philharmonic; 1939 - Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, by the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, Willem Mengelberg conducting and Zoltán Székely as the soloist; A live recording of this premiere performance has been issued on both LP and CD; 1944 - Cowell: "Hymn and Fuguing Tune" No. 2 for strings, in New York on a WEAF radio broadcast featuring Henri Nosco and his Concert Orchestra; The first concert hall performance took place at Town Hall in New York on October 8, 1944, with the Daniel Saidenburg Little Symphony; 1945 - Copland (and 9 other composers): "Variations on a Theme by Eugene Goosens," by the Cincinnati Symphony; 1946 - Marc Blitzstein: "Airbourne Symphony," in New York City; 1962 - Irving Fine: "Symphony 1962" by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting; 1969 - Gene Gutchë: "Genghis Khan," by American Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1999 - James MacMillan: "Cumnock Fair" for piano and strings, at Cumnock Academy by members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Others 1703 - Antonio Vivaldi becomes a Roman Catholic priest at age 25; 1721 - Handel completes the composition of Act 3 of "Muzio Scevola," as part of a "competition" arranged by the directors of the Royal Academy of Music to settle the rivalry between their three house composers (Filippo Amadei composed Act 1, Giovanni Bononcinni Act 2, and Handel Act 3); Handel was deemed the victor in this "contest" (Gregorian date: April 3); 1729 - J.S. Bach visits Coethen to perform funeral music for his former employer, Prince Leopold; 1743 - London premiere of what is billed as "A New Sacred Oratorio" by Handel(Gregorian date: April 3); This was his "Messiah" which had its first performance in Dublin the previous year; Links and Resources On Michael Daugherty
Synopsis Ask a serious music lover to name major figures in 20th century music and it's likely the names Schoenberg, Stravinsky and Bartók will crop up. But in addition to those Austrian, Russian, and Hungarian composers, a lively group of Italian modernists were also active throughout the 20th century – only their names and music are not so well-known. One of them was Goffredo Petrassi, born in 1904. Petrassi became one of the leading figures in a group of Italian composers that included Luigi Dallapiccola, Alfredo Casella, and Gian Francesco Malipiero. This group tried to compensate for Italy's almost total preoccupation with opera by concentrating more on instrumental pieces. Petrassi's own musical influences range from the Italian Renaissance music he sang as a young choirboy in Rome to the works of abstract painters like Jackson Pollock that he viewed when visiting America. Petrassi's largest body of work was his eight Concertos for Orchestra composed between 1933 and 1972, but in his final years he turned to chamber works, such as this “Autumn Sestina” completed in 1982, scored for six instruments. When asked where the “Autumn” in the title came from, the 78-year-old Petrassi responded: “Perhaps it's got something to do with my age.” Music Played in Today's Program Goffredo Petrassi (1904 - 2003) — Sestina d'autunno (Compania; Andrea Molino, cond.) Stradivarius 33347 On This Day Births 1824 - Bohemian composer Bedrich Smetana, in Leitomischl; 1900 - German-born American composer Kurt Weill, in Dessau; 1905 - American composer Marc Blitzstein, in Philadelphia; 1917 - British composer John Gardner, in Manchester; 1921 - British composer Robert Simpson, in Leamington; Deaths 1959 - Finnish composer Yrjö (Henrik) Kilpinen, age 97, in Helsinki; He was the most famous Finnish composer of art songs (lieder); 2003 - Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi, age 98, in Rome; 2003 - Australian composer Malcolm Williamson, age 71, in Cambridge, England; In 1975 he became the first non-British born composer to serve as the Queen's Master of Music; Premieres 1724 - Handel: opera "Giulio Cesare" in London (Julian date: Feb. 20); 1744 - Handel: oratorio "Joseph and his Brethren" in London at the Covent Garden Theater (Gregorian date: March 13); 1792 - Haydn: Symphony No. 98, conducted by the composer, at the Hanover-Square Concert Rooms in London; 1795 - Haydn: Symphony No. 103 ("The Drumroll"), conducted by the composer, at the King's Theater in London; 1874 - Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 3, in St. Petersburg, with the composer conducting; This was a benefit concert for the victims of the Volga famine, and marked Rimsky-Korsakov's debut as a conductor (Julian date: Feb. 18); 1887 - R. Strauss: "Aus Italien" (From Italy), in Munich; 1911 - Scriabin: Symphony No. 5 ("Prometheus: Poem of Fire"), in Moscow (Gregorian date: Mar. 15); 1961 - Copland: Nonet for Strings, at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., by members of the National Symphony conducted by the composer; 1977 - Benjamin Lees: "Dialogue" for cello and piano, in New York City. Links and Resources On Petrassi Petrassi obit from 2003
Subscribe to Quotomania on Simplecast or search for Quotomania on your favorite podcast app!Orson Welles, (born May 6, 1915, Kenosha, Wis., U.S.—died Oct. 10, 1985, Los Angeles, Calif.), was a U.S. film director, actor, and producer. He began acting on stage at 16 and made his Broadway debut in 1934. He directed an all-African American cast in Macbeth for the Federal Theatre Project. In 1937 he and John Houseman formed the Mercury Theatre, creating a series of radio dramas, attempting to mount Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock in the face of determined opposition, and winning notoriety with their panic-producing broadcast of War of the Worlds (1938). Welles then moved to Hollywood, where he cowrote, directed, produced, and acted in the classic Citizen Kane (1941), noted for its innovative narrative technique and atmospheric cinematography and considered among the most influential movies in film history. His other films include The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Stranger(1946), The Lady from Shanghai (1948), Touch of Evil (1958), and Chimes at Midnight (1966). His problems with Hollywood studios curtailed future productions, and he moved to Europe. He was also notable as an actor in Jane Eyre (1944), The Third Man (1949), and Compulsion (1959).From https://www.britannica.com/summary/Orson-Welles. For more information about Orson Welles:“Orson Welles at a Hundred”: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/07/the-shadow“Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française”: https://www.cinematheque.fr/henri/film/125173-orson-welles-a-la-cinematheque-francaise-pierre-andre-boutang-guy-seligmann-1983/“Why Orson Welles lived a life like no other”: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/28/orson-welles-simon-callow
I am so thrilled today to announce Part 1 of my episode with Broadway star and Tony Nominee Nancy Dussault. She's done it all: from starring on Broadway in Do Re Mi, The Sound of Music, and Bajour, to her memorable appearances on screen in Too Close for Comfort, The In-Laws, and more. In this candid and funny conversation, she shares just some of the stories of her amazing career. Those include a quip from Judy Garland, how Garson Kanin made her cry, why she felt uncomfortable around Richard Rodgers, why it's so rare to be a Broadway star, the art of putting together a cabaret act, watching her name go up on a marquee, the brilliance of Joseph Papp and John Kenley, the kindness of Lady Bird Johnson, the one project of hers she would love to see a video of, her signature audition songs, compliments from Lena Horne and Jule Styne, plus Liza Minnelli, Marc Blitzstein, Burton Lane, and more!
Marc Blitzstein, composer and lyricist noted for THE CRADLE WILL ROCK, THE AIRBORNE SYMPHONY, JUNO, and REGINA, discusses his life and work. He recalls the political controversy around THE CRADLE WILL ROCK, the challenges of bringing it to the stage with director Orson Welles and producer, John Houseman, and his translation/adaptation of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The THREEPENNY OPERA. Additional commentary by Dr. Eric Gordon, author of “Marc the Music, The Life and Work of Marc Blitzstein.” Featured songs: “Finale from The Cradle Will Rock,” “Nickel Under The Foot,” “Moll's Song,” “Ballad of Hurry Up,” “Ballad of the Bombardier,” “Mack the Knife,” “One Kind Word,” “Make A Quiet Day (Rain Quartet),” “The Best Thing of All,” and the rarely sung “Zipperfly” introduced and performed by Leonard Bernstein. Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway's Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A tribute to one of the American Musical Theatre's most ambitious songwriters. We're joined by Steven Blier, artistic director of the New York Festival of Song, plus amazing renditions of Blitzstein's work by Patti LuPone, Rosemary Clooney, Audra McDonald, Paul Robeson and more.
Synopsis Bernstein, Blitzstein and Brecht . . . It sounds a little like a law firm, doesn't it? But today we celebrate the anniversary of an important MUSICAL partnership involving those three gentlemen. Marc Blitzstein and Leonard Bernstein were two American composers who shared a passion for musical theater. Bertolt Brecht was a German poet and playwright perhaps best known here for his collaboration with the composer Kurt Weill on “The Three Penny Opera.” The artistic careers of Bernstein, Blitzstein and Brecht came together on today's date in 1952, when, as part of the First Festival of the Creative Arts held at Brandeis University, Leonard Bernstein conducted the premiere of a new English-language version of “Three Penny Opera.” Blitzstein had seen the original 1928 production of “Three Penny Opera” when he was a student in Berlin, and some 20 years later had translated one of the show's songs just for fun. He got the chance to perform his translation for Kurt Weill, and Weill was so impressed he encouraged Blitzstein to translate the entire work. The Blitzstein version of the “Three Penny Opera” proved so successful that when it opened in an off-Broadway New York production, it ran for 2,707 performances. Music Played in Today's Program Kurt Weill (1900 – 1950): Little Threepenny Music (London Symphony members; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond.) CBS 44529
Synopsis Bernstein, Blitzstein and Brecht . . . It sounds a little like a law firm, doesn't it? But today we celebrate the anniversary of an important MUSICAL partnership involving those three gentlemen. Marc Blitzstein and Leonard Bernstein were two American composers who shared a passion for musical theater. Bertolt Brecht was a German poet and playwright perhaps best known here for his collaboration with the composer Kurt Weill on “The Three Penny Opera.” The artistic careers of Bernstein, Blitzstein and Brecht came together on today's date in 1952, when, as part of the First Festival of the Creative Arts held at Brandeis University, Leonard Bernstein conducted the premiere of a new English-language version of “Three Penny Opera.” Blitzstein had seen the original 1928 production of “Three Penny Opera” when he was a student in Berlin, and some 20 years later had translated one of the show's songs just for fun. He got the chance to perform his translation for Kurt Weill, and Weill was so impressed he encouraged Blitzstein to translate the entire work. The Blitzstein version of the “Three Penny Opera” proved so successful that when it opened in an off-Broadway New York production, it ran for 2,707 performances. Music Played in Today's Program Kurt Weill (1900 – 1950): Little Threepenny Music (London Symphony members; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond.) CBS 44529
Conduce: José-María Álvarez Contenido: 1.- Franz Waxman The Spirit of St. Louis. (Ireland) 2.- Leo Ornstein: Suicide in airplane (1916) 3.- Gardner Read: Night Flight, op.44 (1936-1942) 4.- Ferde Grofé: Suite de la aviación (1944). 1- Despegue 5.- William Walton: Preludio “Spitfire” y fuga 6.- William Bolcom: Inventing Flight (III.- Wilbur y Orville) 7.- Marc Blitzstein, Airborne Symphony (El cielo abierto)
This week, Teghan takes us to Martinique to cover the life & death of Marc Blitzstein. Then, Meghan takes us to Greenland and covers the 1990 Narsaq Massacre. See our show notes link below for sources & more info. Instagram: @destinationmurderpod Twitter: @dest_murder Show Notes: www.destinationmurderpod.com/shownotes Email us: dest.murder@gmail.com Visit our website: www.destinationmurderpod.com Music: https://www.purpleplanet.com
We open the show with “The Purest Kind of Guy,” performed by Paul Robeson, a song from Marc Blitzstein’s 1941 opera No For An Answer which concerns the life and fate of members of a social club of Greek-American waiters, hotel-workers, restaurant-workers, chefs, laundresses, chambermaids, taxi-drivers, who are out-of-work. In 1958, Blitzstein was subpoenaed to …
Countermelody’s Black History Month celebration for 2021 begins with the great African American contralto Carol Brice (1916-1985) who had a distinguished and varied career singing everything from Bach to Harold Arlen. I first heard Carol Brice many years ago in her recording of “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” which exemplifies all her musical virtues: simplicity and directness of utterance, lack of sentimentality, and deep identification with both text and music. Add to this a voice of such depth and refinement and a technique so secure that she is almost without equal. From her early career outings as the first African American to win the coveted Naumburg Award, through her appearances on the Broadway stage and in Porgy and Bess, Carol Brice brought an emotional honesty to her performances such as is rarely encountered in any field of genre. On this episode I feature her in a wide range of live and commercial recordings from Marc Blitzstein’s Regina to concert pieces by Brahms and Mahler, focusing in particular on a matchless 1947 song recital with her brother Jonathan Brice as her collaborator. I also feature her husband, the baritone Thomas Carey in a pair of recordings. I hope you will be as moved by Carol Brice’s singing as I am every time I hear this radiant artist. This week’s bonus episode for my Patreon supporters features another great African American contralto, Lucretia West, who spent a significant portion of her life and career in Germany, where she was celebrated for her performances of Mahler and Lieder in particular. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. And please head to my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available.
Inspiring award-winning performances from your talent: Crossover applications to business leadership from the theatrical development process with Charles Newell, Artistic Director of Court Theatre in Chicago A CEO’s Virtual Mentor Episode 24 Welcome to Episode 24, Season 5, of the Leadership Lyceum: A CEO's Virtual Mentor®. I'm joined in the program today by Charles Newell, the Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director of the renowned and critically acclaimed Court Theatre in Chicago. This interview was recorded in the summer of 2019 as the Court Theatre's production of the play, The Adventures of Augie March, had completed its record-breaking performance run. We had intended to publish this episode early this year in 2020, but COVID hit and it seemed a little bold to put this out at the early stage of the pandemic. The world had other pressing items that deserved attention. But now, in the middle of the holiday season, we've been without live theater and entertainment for nine months, we thought this interview might be not only informative, but also soothing at this stage of the pandemic. This interview is timeless and gets deep into a theatrical production's creative process as seen through the mind's eye of the director. In general, we, as an audience of entertainment, be it sports or the performing arts, are often spoiled with the perfection and professionalism of the finished product. But what is involved or required from a leadership perspective to develop and burnish the performance into the form to which we are also accustomed? What goes on in the business of theater has crossover applications to all business leaders. We'll cover a wide range of topics in today's program. We'll outline the organizational form of the Court Theatre, including its governance, funding and management structure. But the majority of our time will be spent stepping through the phases of the creation of a production from script selection to closing night. Program Guide A CEO’s Virtual Mentor Episode 24 Inspiring award-winning performances from your talent with Charles Newell, Artistic Director of Court Theatre in Chicago 0:00 Introduction to the program and Charles Newell, Artistic Director of the Court Theatre in Chicago 3:20 Court Theatre’s history, governance structure, funding sources and unique structure with the University of Chicago. 5:09 Achieving high caliber of performances on a smaller budget than peers theater companies in Chicago 7:25 Unique mission and social-societal outcomes of Court Theatre in the realm of national theater. 10:39 Break 1 11:19 Phase 1 of the Theatrical Development Process: Finding and developing a script. 17:11 Break 2 17:27 Phase 2 of the Theatrical Development Process: Developing the look and feel of the production. Revealing the collaborative creative process. 25:01 Break 3 25:35 Phase 3 of the Theatrical Development Process: The Casting Process. Dealing with barriers and constraints. 32:45 Break 4 34:51 Phase 4 of the Theatrical Development Process: Production development, rehearsal, and refinement. Inspiring and motivating actors to perform at their best. 39:20 Break 5 39:46 Phase 5 of the Theatrical Development Process: The arc of production and performance evolution from opening night to closing night. Keeping a production evolving and improving in the absence of continuous rehearsals. 49:33 Break 6 50:03 Retrospective self-reflection on the evolution of a theater director. 55:06 Conclusion and coming attractions. We would like to express our special thanks to the clients of Lyceum Leadership Consulting that enable us to bring you this podcast. Thanks for listening. We can’t improve without your feedback – write us through our website www.LeadershipLyceum.com and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. See you next time. Informative and Helpful Links https://www.courttheatre.org/ http://manualcinema.com/ Biographies of Guests Mr. Charles Newell Charles Newell is the Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director of Court Theatre. He was awarded the SDCF Zelda Fichandler Award, “which recognizes an outstanding director or choreographer who is transforming the regional arts landscape through singular creativity and artistry in theatre.” Charlie has been Artistic Director at Court Theatre since 1994, where he has directed over 50 productions. He made his Chicago directorial debut in 1993 with The Triumph of Love, which won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Charlie’s productions of Man of La Mancha and Caroline, or Change have also won Best Production Jeffs. Other directorial highlights at Court include All My Sons, The Hard Problem, Man in the Ring; One Man, Two Guvnors; Satchmo at the Waldorf; Agamemnon; The Secret Garden; Iphigenia in Aulis; M. Butterfly; The Misanthrope; Tartuffe; Proof; Angels in America; An Iliad; Porgy and Bess; Three Tall Women; Titus Andronicus; Arcadia; Uncle Vanya; Raisin; The Glass Menagerie; Travesties; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; The Invention of Love; and Hamlet. Charlie has also directed at Goodman Theatre (Rock ‘n’ Roll), Guthrie Theater (The History Cycle, Cymbeline), Arena Stage, John Houseman’s The Acting Company (Staff Repertory Director), the California and Alabama Shakespeare Festivals, Juilliard, and New York University. He has served on the Board of TCG, as well as on several panels for the NEA. Opera directing credits include Marc Blitzstein’s Regina (Lyric Opera), Rigoletto (Opera Theatre of St. Louis), Don Giovanni and The Jewel Box (Chicago Opera Theater), and Carousel (Glimmerglass). Charlie was the recipient of the 1992 TCG Alan Schneider Director Award, and has been nominated for 16 Joseph Jefferson Director Awards, winning four times. In 2012, Charlie was honored by the League of Chicago Theatres with its Artistic Achievement Award. Your host Thomas B. Linquist is the Founder and Managing Director of Lyceum Leadership Consulting and Lyceum Leadership Productions. Over his 15 years in management and leadership consulting he has served a wide array of corporate clients. This includes leadership assessment and search for chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief operating officers and boards of directors. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and over his 30-year career has served in a variety of roles: as an engineer with Shell Oil Company, a banker with ABN AMRO Bank, and as treasurer was the youngest corporate officer in the 150+ year history at Peoples Energy Company in Chicago. He is an expert on hiring and promotion decisions and leadership development. Over the course of his search career, he has interviewed thousands of leaders. Thanks for listening. We can’t improve without your feedback – write us through our website www.LeadershipLyceum.com and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. Please rate us and spread the word among your fellow executives and board colleagues. Program Disclaimer The only purpose of the podcast is to educate, inform and entertain. The information shared is based on the collection of experiences of each of the guests interviewed and should not be considered or substituted for professional advice. Guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and neither The Leadership Lyceum LLC nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular content, recommendation or methodology discussed in this podcast. Follow Leadership Lyceum on: Our website: www.LeadershipLyceum.com LinkedIn: The Leadership Lyceum LLC Twitter: @LeaderLyceum https://twitter.com/LeaderLyceum Email us: info@LeadershipLyceum.com Thanks for listening. We can’t improve without your feedback – write us through our website www.LeadershipLyceum.com and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. Please rate us and spread the word among your fellow executives and board colleagues. This podcast Leadership Lyceum: A CEO’s Virtual Mentor has been a production of The Leadership Lyceum LLC. Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.
There is no summary for this play: so we are getting some background history of the Mercury Theater. Mercury Theatre. The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury Theatre began with a groundbreaking, critically acclaimed adaption of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar that evoked comparison to contemporary Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The Mercury Theatre on the Air was an hour-long program. Houseman wrote the early scripts for the series, turning the job over to Howard E. Koch at the beginning of October. Music for the program was composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann. The beginnings of The Mercury Theatre on the Air actually go back to the formation of The Mercury Theatre itself. Having successfully produced Marc Blitzstein’s controversial labor union opera, The Cradle Will Rock, for the Federal Theatre Project in June of 1937, John Houseman and the 21-year-old “boy wonder” of the theatre, Orson Welles, decided to form their own theatrical producing company. In August of that same year The Mercury Theatre was born, starting off with total monetary assets of $100 (about $1150 in modern funds). Their first production, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, adapted by Mr. Welles (and set in fascist Italy), opened in New York on November 11 and created as much controversy as the young producers had hoped; The Mercury Theatre (along with the widespread public recognition of Orson Welles) was off and running. By this time Orson Welles was already a radio veteran, having made frequent appearances on The March of Time as early as 1935 and, in fact, at the time of The Mercury Theatre’s formation, was engaged in a seven-part dramatization of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, which was airing on Friday evenings between July and September of 1937 over the Mutual Broadcasting System. Although not officially a Mercury (the series had been airing for a few weeks before The Mercury even came into existence), several actors who were to become fixtures of The Mercury Theatre of the Air such as Martin Gabel, Alice Frost, Ray Collins, Virginia Welles (Mrs. Orson Welles), Agnes Moorehead, and Everett Sloane, appeared in the program, which Mr. Welles produced, directed, scripted, and starred in.
Today’s topic is operetta and opera on Broadway. From the early days of the Great White Way, a large amount of the musical theatre repertoire was actually operetta. I begin with a discussion of the composers of such operettas (Victor Herbert, Rudolf Friml, and Sigmund Romberg, with a significant nod to Jerome Kern as well) and the singers who appeared in those works. Then I present an array of works adapted from the classical repertoire (primarily Wright and Forrest’s Song of Norway and Kismet), followed by examples of that curious hybrid, Broadway opera, including Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium and The Consul; Marc Blitzstein’s Regina; Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella; Kurt Weill and Langston Hughes’s Street Scene; and Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. A wide range of singers is included, some celebrated (Lotte Lenya, Patricia Neway, Barbara Cook, Marta Eggerth, Lawrence Tibbett), some less so (Helena Scott, Lee Venora, Fritzi Scheff, Robert Rounseville), the careers of some of whom stretch back to the beginning of the century, but all singers which straddled the fence between musicals, operetta, and opera. But rest assured: this is no dry history lesson: it’s a fast-paced romp through a fun and fascinating topic! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content. And please head to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available!
For the first of my Black History Month episodes back in February, I did a program featuring the extraordinary artist Muriel Smith, who in 1943, while still a student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, created the title role in Oscar Hammerstein II’s Carmen Jones, which used George Bizet’s opera as the springboard for a hybrid musical featuring an all-Black cast. After several other Broadway appearances (including in a revival of Marc Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock, Muriel Smith moved to London, where she was featured in the “exotic” roles in the London premieres Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific and The King and I. For several years she was the toast of London, appearing on records, on radio, on television, and in concert, as well as singing Bizet’s gypsy in performances of Carmen at Covent Garden in 1957. Most of the currently extant examples of Smith’s singing are of popular music, which she performed with her unique blend of bel canto precision and pinpoint interpretive accuracy. I have recently gotten my hands on numerous rare 78s of Smith’s mid-1950’s pop records, as well as her 1953 EP, I’m in the Mood for Love, all of which are featured on this episode. I also share examples of her famous turns in musicals, capped with a rare recording of her singing Hugo Wolf’s “Nimmersatte Liebe.” Two excerpts from her 1955 Songs of Christmas 45 render this episode a veritable Christmas in July celebration! Musical guest stars include, among others, Marc Blitzstein, Georges Auric, Harvey Fuqua, Auyar Hosseini, Franz Waxman, Luther Saxon, Martin and Blane, Julian Bream, and the extraordinary Angela Morley. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great classical and opera singers of the past and present with the help of guests from the classical music field: singers, conductors, composers, coaches, agents, and voice teachers. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content. And please head to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford.
This week I continue our exploration of the movement for social justice as expressed in song. This constitutes not just the fight in the United States for racial and class equity but also the worldwide struggle against imperialism, focusing in particular on African and South American singing freedom fighters, including Miriam Makeba, Salif Keita, Youssou N’Dour, Letta Mbulu, Mercedes Sosa, Milton Nascimento, and Víctor Jara. Other artists heard include Marvin Gaye, Leontyne Price, Nanci Griffith, Frederica von Stade, Nina Simone, David Crosby, Pete Seeger, Marin Mazzie, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jefferson Airplane, Sam Cooke, Joséphine Baker, Joan Baez, Tracy Chapman, Thunderclap Newman (whose song lends the episode its title), Harry Belafonte, Dawn Upshaw, Phil Ochs, Rosemary Clooney, Curtis Mayfield, and Mahalia Jackson, as well as number of present-day troubadors. Composers represented include Kurt Weill, Duke Ellington, John Adams, Silvio Rodríguez, Leonard Bernstein, Marc Blitzstein, Stephen Foster, Violeta Parra, Flaherty and Ahrens, Ary Barroso, and Caiphus Semenya. I address the spectrum of emotions that persons of conscience are experiencing right now, including despair, rage, anger, struggle, ending with faith, hope, and resolve. Don’t miss this episode! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great classical and opera singers of the past and present with the help of guests from the classical music field: singers, conductors, composers, coaches, agents, and voice teachers. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content. And please head to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford.
Jessye Norman is an American opera singer and recitalist.Susanna is from Huntsville, Alabama where she attended Randolph School. She received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School. After completing her master's degree in 2004, she became a member of Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Program for Singers.The Metropolitan OperaMadame Butterfly is an opera by Giacomo Puccini.Leave It to Beaver is a late 1950s black-and-white American television sitcom about an inquisitive and often naïve boy.Susanna originally wanted to attend the following higher education institutions: Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, Samford University, and Furman University.The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived.New York Philharmonic Orchestra(NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is an orchestra based in New York City.Carnegie Hall is a concert venue located in Manhattan in New York City.Operalia, The World Opera Competition is an annual international competition for young opera singers. Founded in 1993 by Plácido Domingo, the competition has helped launch the careers of several important artists.The Music Academy of the West is a summer music conservatory located in Montecito, California. Participation is merit-based and tuition free.Marilyn Horne is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.Matthew Epstein is the Director of Vocal Divisions at Columbia Artists Management, Inc.Cynthia Hoffmann is a member of the voice faculties of Manhattan School of Music, where she also teaches a class in Vocal Performance, and of the Juilliard School, where she served as Chair from 1995 to 2006.Matthew A. Horner is the Executive Vice President - Global Head of Vocal for IMG Artists, New York.Lyric Opera of Chicago Young Artists ProgramCountess Rosina Almaviva is a character in The Marriage of Figaro, an opera buffa composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.Birdie is a character in Regina, an opera by Marc Blitzstein.Musetta is a character in La bohème, an opera by Giacomo Puccini.Fiordiligi is a character in Così fan tutte an opera by Mozart.Agrippina is a character in an opera of the same name by George Frideric Handel.Don Giovanni is an opera by Mozart. Donna Anna, Don Giovanni’s daughter, and Donna Elvira, a lady of Burgos abandoned by Don Giovanni, are characters in the opera.Arabella and Der Rosenkavalier are comic operas by Richard StraussDaphne is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss.Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) is an American summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri.Kaija Saariaho is a Finnish composer based in Paris, France.Renée Fleming is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions.Julian Bream is an English virtuoso classical guitarist and lutenist. One of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public perception of the classical guitar as a respectable instrument.Natalie Dessay is a French singer and actress who had a highly acclaimed career as an operatic coloratura soprano before leaving the opera stage on 15 October 2013. She is married to the bass-baritone Laurent Naouri.Violetta is a character in the opera La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.Cleopatra is a character in the opera Antony and Cleopatra, an opera by American composer Samuel Barber.We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves is a 2013 novel by the American writer Karen Joy Fowler.Fresh Air is a podcast hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.White Lies is an NPR podcast. More information can be found here.The Eagle OTR and Salazar are restaurants in Cincinnati.Dolly Parton is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, known primarily for her work in country music.
Hey, you know what would have improved Marc Blitzstein's play about class conflict and social stratification? A robot cop. In this episode, Andrew and Dave turn their attention to Fred Dekker's ROBOCOP 3, the final entry in the original Robocop trilogy. Is the film a disaster as it is frequently made out to be, or is it better than its reputation? And just how happy is Shane Black to be in the same scene as Robocop? Tune in and find out! Next Episode: To Mayberry, with Hate. All music by Andrew Kannegeisser. Editing by Dave Babbitt
Season 1 Episode 1 Join us for the first episode of the new CSC Podcast, offering an inside look at the programming at Classic Stage Company. On the first episode, CSC Artistic Director John Doyle speaks about the current relevancy of Marc Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock as well as the show’s storied history.
Leonard Lehrman is the protégé of Elie Siegmeister, who called him his “Continuator.” His 232 compositions have been heard on six continents. His other teachers included Nadia Boulanger, Olga Heifetz, Earl Kim, Jean-Jacques Painchaud, Lukas Foss and Robert Palmer. He worked on completing works by Marc Blitzstein with Leonard Bernstein and is the founder of The Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus. On Friday’s “Leonard Lopate at Large” on WBAI, Leonard Lehrman talks about his experience composing and performing with some of the biggest names in classical music and some exciting upcoming performances of his music.
Elizabeth Stanley sings the gorgeous Blitzstein aria "I Wish It So" from JUNO, which she discovered by listening to the solo album by Dawn Upshaw of the same title. We talk about its operetta-type style, her classical roots, and the diverse career she has built for herself on the stage, from On the Town to Jagged Little Pill.
Leonard Bernstein was on his honeymoon in 1951 when he began composing his one-act opera, Trouble in Tahiti, a candid portrait of the troubled marriage of a young suburban couple. Written between his biggest Broadway successes— On the Town in 1944 and Candide and West Side Story in 1956 and 1957, respectively— Trouble in Tahiti draws upon popular songs styles to deliver an uncompromising critique of post-war American materialism. Beneath the couple's marital discord is a profound longing for love and intimacy. Their spiritual emptiness, in contrast to a veneer of happy consumerism, creates the heart of the drama and is emphasized by sudden stylistic shifts in the music. Bernstein dedicated the piece to his close friend Marc Blitzstein, who had led him toward music theater. Conducted by Leonard Bernstein
We open with music composed by Sol Kaplan for the film Salt of the Earth. Kaplan was blacklisted in the 1950s for being “uncooperative” to HUAC, the House Un-American Activities Committee. The rest of our music will feature the work of other blacklisted artists and performers; Hazel Scott, Yip Harburg, Marc Blitzstein, and Lena Horne. …
Author of The New York Times bestseller, "Patti LuPone: A Memoir," Miss Patti LuPone just concluded her critically acclaimed run as cosmetics pioneer Helena Rubinstein in the Scott Frankel-Michael Korie-Douglas Wright-Michael Grief musical "War Paint." Her recent NY stage appearances include Douglas Carter Beane’s new play "Shows For Days," directed by Jerry Zaks at Lincoln Center Theater, her debut with the New York City Ballet as Anna in their new production of "The Seven Deadly Sins," Joanne in the New York Philharmonic’s production of "Company," David Mamet’s "The Anarchist," and Lincoln Center Theater’s production of the musical "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," for which she was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Winner of the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Performance of the Season for her performance as Madame Rose in the most recent Broadway production of "Gypsy," her other stage credits include appearances with the Los Angeles Opera in their new production of John Corigliano’s "The Ghosts of Versailles" and Weill-Brecht’s "Mahagonny" (debut), the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s opera "To Hell and Back" with San Francisco’s Baroque Philharmonia Orchestra, Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle’s production of "Sweeney Todd" (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle nominations; Drama League Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre), the title role in Marc Blitzstein’s "Regina," a musical version of Lillian Hellman’s "The Little Foxes" at the Kennedy Center, Fosca in a concert version of "Passion," which was also broadcast on PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center, a multi-city tour of her theatrical concert Matters of the Heart, the City Center Encores! productions of "Can-Can" and "Pal Joey," the NY Philharmonic’s productions of "Candide" and "Sweeney Todd" (NY Phil debut) and performances on Broadway in Michael Frayn’s "Noises Off," David Mamet’s "The Old Neighborhood," Terrence McNally's "Master Class" and in her own concert "Patti LuPone On Broadway." In London, she won the Olivier Award for her performances as Fantine in the original production of "Les Miserables" and in the Acting Company production of "The Cradle Will Rock." She also created the role of Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard," for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award, and recreated her Broadway performance of Maria Callas in "Master Class." Film: Cliffs of Freedom (upcoming), The Comedian, Union Square, Parker, City by the Sea, David Mamet’s Heist, State and Main; Just Looking, Summer of Sam, The 24 Hour Woman, Family Prayers, Driving Miss Daisy, Witness. Television: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Penny Dreadful (Critics Choice nomination), Girls, American Horror Story: Coven, Law & Order: SVU, Glee, 30 Rock, PBS Great Performances The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Ugly Betty, Will & Grace (as herself), PBS Great Performances’ Candide, Oz , the TNT film Monday Night Mayhem, PBS’ Evening At The Pops with John Williams and Yo Yo Ma, Falcone, Bonanno: A Godfather’s Story (Showtime); Frasier (1998 Emmy nomination); Law & Order, An Evening with Patti LuPone (PBS), the NBC movie Her Last Chance, Showtime's ACE Award and Emmy nominated The Song Spinner (Daytime Emmy nomination, Best Actress), The Water Engine, L.B.J., AMC's Remember WENN and ABC's Life Goes On. Recordings include: Far Away Places, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Patti LuPone at Les Mouches, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd (both the 2006 Broadway revival cast recording and 2000 live performance recording on NY Philharmonic’s Special Editions Label); and The Lady with the Torch.
The Threepenny Opera, by Elizabeth Hauptmann, Bertolt Brecht, and Kurt Weill, was originally produced in Berlin in 1928. After a 1933 Broadway production bombed, it was re-translated by Marc Blitzstein for a smash Off-Broadway 1953 production that helped to create Off-Broadway theatre as we know it today.
It's Thursday and that means Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins us to spotlight one of the region's thespian offerings. Today, she talks with Midday senior producer and guest host Rob Sivak about ----The Cradle Will Rock,---- a 1937 ----play in music---- written by the late Marc Blitzstein that's getting a spirited revival by Iron Crow Theatre, at the Theatre Project, now until Sunday, October 8th.Blitzstein’s pro-union, anti-capitalist musical was the first ever shut down by the federal government. It's allegorical but in-your-face indictment of capitalism and socio-political corruption -- too-familiar themes in today's news. Even as it attacks the wealthy class and the political power it unjustly wields, it also pays homage to the oppressed and the poor, and those struggling to survive. Brechtian in its bold scope and style, The Cradle Will Rock is considered by many critics to be one of the most historically significant works in American theater.The Cradle Will Rock revival by Iron Crow Theatre continues at The Theatre Project until Sunday, October 8th.
My guest for this month is West Anthony, and he’s joined me to discuss the film he chose for me, the 1976 comedy-drama film The Front. You can follow the show on Twitter @cinemagadfly. Show notes: Not sure what happened to the audio in the introduction, apologies! The Hollywood blacklist is a term for the treatment of people in the entertainment industry who refused to name names to the House Un-American Activities Committee from 1947 to 1960 For a more in depth take on the blacklist, check out the latest season of the phenomenal You Must Remember This podcast WonderCon is a comic book convention that was held annually in SF until it was cruelly moved to the LA area in 2012. Yes I’m still bitter about it. West also recommends the Gabrielle de Cuir directed Thirty Years of Treason by Eric Bentley Among the people famously blacklisted were Lillian Hellman, Lionel Stander, Paul Robeson, and Zero Mostel This film was directed by blacklisted director Martin Ritt, who also directed the film from our third episode, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold I’m just not a fan of Woody Allen. He’s too painfully neurotic for me, even before I start thinking about whatever the hell happened with his daughter and step-daughter Another Woody film where he only acts is the Paul Mazursky film Scenes from a Mall I’ve been a huge fan of Fiddler on the Roof, and Zero Mostel in it, since I was a little kid Elia Kazan is one of the more interesting stories of directors and the blacklist The writer of this film, Walter Bernstein, was also blacklisted As were many of its stars, including Herschel Bernardi and Lloyd Gough So was the father of actress Julie Garfield, actor John Garfield, which may have contributed to his death from heart problems West’s reference to bodily fluids is, of course, from the excellent Dr. Strangelove Hallie Flanagan ran the Federal Theatre Project, as part of FDR’s WPA program She gave Orson Welles the money to make his Voodoo Macbeth She also gave Marc Blitzstein the money to make The Cradle Will Rock Which was remade in 1999 by Tim Robbins LBJ said in 1966 “I do not believe that this generation of Americans is willing to resign itself to going to bed each night by the light of a Communist moon” Red Channels named 151 entertainers it claimed were communists Trumbo is a 2015 film about Hollywood Ten member Dalton Trumbo Another film about the blacklist is 1991s Guilty by Suspicion, directed by Irwin Winkler and starring Robert De Niro One of the co-writers of Guilty by Suspicion was Abraham Polonsky, who also wrote and directed Force of Evil with John Garfield, but he was so offended by what Irwin Winkler did that he had his name removed from it Guilty by Suspicion also stars Annette Bening Good Night and Good Luck by George Clooney is about McCarthyism, not the blacklist, but it’s also a great film about government overreach Panic in the Streets is a 1950 film, directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Zero Mostel Both West and I think that On the Waterfront, written by Budd Schulberg, was a justification for Kazan’s willingness to name names Lee J. Cobb was also forced to testify in front of the committee Leonard Bernstein wrote the score for On the Waterfront, and the film featured incredible performances from Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, and Eva Marie Saint I still haven’t seen Hail, Caesar! yet, which is a damn shame Nothing better than comparing the work of the Coen brothers to that of fellow Criterion Collection auteur Michael Bay Paranoid American films from the 70s include Three Days of the Condor, Klute, The Parallax View, and All the President’s Men Everyone who reads this needs to go subscribe to Musical Notation with West Anthony. Right now. I’ll wait It’s part of the awesome Battleship Pretension Podcast Fleet You can also follow West’s amazing show on twitter @notationpod Rent or buy the film from Amazon Rent or buy the film on iTunes
Vi stannar kvar i Nordamerika. I Canada är det dödsstraff på sodomi till 1869, och homosexualitet avkriminaliseras först 1969. Två hatbrott: tonsättarna Marc Blitzstein och Claude Vivier mördades. Leonard Bernsteins heta förälskelse och nära samarbetspartner, tonsättaren Marc Blitzstein, mördas vid ett hatbrott 1964. 1983 dör den begåvade kanadensiske tonsättaren Claude Vivier en våldsam hatbrottsdöd, endast 35 år gammal. Vi möter Claude Viviers nära vän, Marjan Mozetich i Toronto, som kallas nutidens Tjajkovskij. I Mozetich musik är det emotionella elementet väsentligt och hans verk har titlar som The Passion of Angels och Weeping Clouds. Mozetich omhuldar det omdiskuterade begreppet gay sensibility. Klassiskt skolade sopranen, tonsättaren och real time-samplaren Kristin Norderval vägras skivinspelning av klassiska sånger p g a sin lesbisket och gör istället succé på alternativscener världen över. Möt denna elev till legenden Pauline Oliveros. Vi möter också professorn, författaren och hornisten Nadine Hubbs som skriver boken The Queer Composition of Americas Sound. Hubbs berättar intima detaljer om hur musik och sex smälter samman i den s k homosexuella maffia som har en central plats i New Yorks musikliv under mitten av 1900-talet och som fortfarande formar det mytomspunna amerikanska soundet inom klassisk musik. Vi lyssnar på musik av Eve Beglarian, Lou Harrison och Michael Tilson Thomas. Och så undrar vi vad tystnaden står för hos tonsättaren John Cage.Låtlista: Timesteps (Excerpt) Walter Carlos Walter Carlos A Clockwork Orange Warner Europe 246 127 Unfolding Sky Marjan Mozetich CBC Vancouver Orchestra. Mario Bernardi, Conductor MOZETICH: Affairs of the Heart - The Music of Marjan Mozetich (2001) CBC Records SMCD5200 Pas De Deux Marc Blitzstein Bennett Lerner, piano American Piano Music Vol. II ETCETERA RECORDS KTC 1036 The Cradle Will Rock Marc Blitzstein dawn upshaw m fl Marc Blitzstein Pear GEMS 0009 Act I, Scene 1 Prologue Virgil Thomson Ashley Putnam, Aviva Orvath, Batyah Godfrey, Billie Nash, DArtagnan Petty The Mother of Us All, disc 1 New World Records NW 288/289-2 Cunningham Stories (Every Morning...) (1 - 7) Laurie Anderson Laurie Anderson A Chance Operation: The John Cage Tribute [Disc 2] KOCH 3-7238-2 Y6x2 Sine Music (A Swarm Of Butterfiles Encountered Over The Ocean) Richard Maxfield Richard Maxfield OHM+: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music [Disc 1] ellipsis arts CD3670 Double Music Lou Harrison Lou Harrison. Collab: John Cage A Portrait argo 455 590-2 Serenade for Betty Freeman & Franco Assetto Lou Harrison Lou Harrison (Gamelan Sekar Kembar) Gay American Composers - vol.1 Composers Recordings CRICD 721 If Its On New Circle Five New Circle Five: Susie Ibarra, percussion; Pauline Oliveros, accordion. Kristin Norderval, soprano. CD-titel: Dreaming Wide Awake Deep Listening DL 20 - 2003 Ecstatic Plain, ur operan Mapping Venus Text: Hildergard von Bingen Tonsättare: Sorrel Hays Kristin Norderval, sopran. Tape. Radioinspelning, New York. Wolf Chaser Eve Beglarian Eve Beglarian, percussion and electronics. Robin Lorentz, violin and wolf chaser Lesbian American Composers CRI CD 780 SIDDHARTA Claude Vivier Orch Metropol. du Montreal. Dirigent: Walter Boudreau anthology of Canadian Music ACM 36 CD 1-4 (Radio Canada International) Pulau Dewata Claude Vivier McGill Percussion Ensemble. Dirigent: Pierre Béluse anthology of Canadian Music ACM 36 CD 1-4 (Radio Canada International) CHANTS CLAUDE VIVER Sju kvinnoröster. Dirigent: Lorrain Vaillancourt anthology of Canadian Music ACM 36 CD 1-4 (Radio Canada International) ZIPANGU Claude Vivier I Musici de Montreal anthology of Canadian Music ACM 36 CD 1-4 (Radio Canada International) I Unfolding Sky Postcards From the Sky Marjan Mozetich (2001) CBC Vancouver Orchestra. Mario Bernardi, Conductor MOZETICH: Affairs of the Heart - The Music of CBC Records SMCD5200 II. Weeping Clouds Postcards From the Sky Marjan Mozetich CBC Vancouver Orchestra. Mario Bernardi, Conductor MOZETICH: Affairs of the Heart - The Music of Marjan Mozetich (2001) CBC Records SMCD5200 III. A Messenger Postcards From the Sky Marjan Mozetich CBC Vancouver Orchestra. Mario Bernardi, Conductor MOZETICH: Affairs of the Heart - The Music of Marjan Mozetich (2001) CBC Records SMCD5200
Works for voice and piano by Marc Blitzstein and Ned Rorem performed by New York Festival of Song on November 3, 2013. Work for string orchestra by Schoenberg performed by A Far Cry on March 6, 2011.Blitzstein: Emily, from The Airborne SymphonyRorem: A specimen case, from War ScenesSchoenberg: Verklarte Nacht, Op. 4The 20th century was an eclectic one for classical music. Today’s podcast traces just a few of the many strands.The piece written first is actually the final one we’ll hear: Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklaerte Nacht. Many of us closely associate Schoenberg with serialism, the formalized system of atonal music composition that he developed with his protégés Berg and Webern. But Verklaerte Nacht embraces dissonance and extended harmonies, and it is luscious and rich music, overtly late-Romantic in language, inspired by a poem about the profound depths of love.The podcast begins with a piece that comes several decades later, by the American composer Marc Blitzstein. A Philadelphia native, Blitzstein studied locally at the Curtis Institute of Music and then set off for Europe, where he worked briefly with Schoenberg himself. The brief and touching song depicts a young soldier’s note home to his sweetheart, Emily.After the Blitzstein, we have a piece from the next generation of 20th century American composers: Ned Rorem, who just celebrated his 90th birthday in 2013. Rorem also takes up war as his subject in this, a movement from his cycle War Scenes, based on Whitman poems.
P2 Musikmagasinet Det osynligas piano del 4 - Take the A Train to the West Side 2 - konstmusik komponerad på homoerotik. Birgitta Tollan stannar kvar i Nordamerika. I Canada är det dödsstraff på sodomi till 1869, och homosexualitet avkriminaliseras först 1969. Leonard Bernsteins heta förälskelse och nära samarbetspartner, tonsättaren Marc Blitzstein, mördas vid ett hatbrott 1964. 1983 dör den begåvade kanadensiske tonsättaren Claude Vivier en våldsam hatbrottsdöd, endast 35 år gammal. Möt Claude Viviers nära vän, Marjan Mozetich i Toronto, som kallas nutidens Tjajkovskij. Mozetich omhuldar det omdiskuterade begreppet gay sensibility. Klassiskt skolade sopranen, tonsättaren och real time-samplaren Kristin Norderval vägras skivinspelning av klassiska sånger p g a sin lesbisket och gör istället succé på alternativscener världen över. Vi möter också professorn, författaren och hornisten Nadine Hubbs som skriver boken The Queer Composition of Americas Sound. Manus och produktion, Birg
In 1936, Britten and Auden established a friendship and creative partnership whilst working at the GPO film unit in Blackheath, London, producing iconic films such as "Night Mail." With war looming, Auden - a pacifist - left for America to be shortly followed by Britten and Peter Pears in 1939. 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights was to become their home and an extraordinary melting part of creativity. Gypsy Rose Lee, Carson McCullers, George Davis, Chester Kallman were fellow lodgers and regular visitors included Thomas Mann, Aaron Copland, Lotte Lenya, Kurt Weill, Virgil Thomson, Marc Blitzstein and Leonard Bernstein. When Salvador Dali met Auden at one of the infamous house parties he famously asked him "Do you speak English?"