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Post by tmesis on Sept 23, 2017 15:45:30 GMT
Yes I'd forgotten about 'Flicka.' She was always one of my favourite singers and I saw her at ROH the very few times she came. She is very good in Showboat and In the DG version of On the Town. This whole opera singers doing musicals can often be extremely embarrassing, I don't think Te Kanawa ever quite got it, but I do like Bryn singing R&H (and also L&L.)
One of my all time favourites for all the wrong reasons as it is so terrible, is Sutherland singing Coward. The final song on the CD, a duet with The Master, is a camp classic.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 23, 2017 15:20:40 GMT
I always wondered why Norman Grantz didn't have a word with Ella about her breath in the middle of a word in Manhattan:
'Sweet push carts gently gli(breath)ding by.'
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Post by tmesis on Sept 23, 2017 14:59:23 GMT
Just seen today's matinee. This had Simone Mihai as Mimi, but. I think the rest of the cast was the same as opening night.On the whole I enjoyed Richard Jones's direction. He got really convincing acting performances from his (fairly) young and attractive cast. The set pleased me less, although compared to some of the horrors Kasper Holden has recently inflicted upon us, it was restrained. Act 1 some critics have said looks like something out of Ikea; it actually reminded me more of an Anglian Windows conservatory. The 2nd act was more interesting but it felt more appropriate for the musical She Loves Me than Puccini. Act 3 at last used virtually the full stage but was otherwise very boringly designed and Act 4 is always the same as act 1 but was ridiculously over-lit for the death scene. I've seen a large number of Jones productions and he always seems to favour a slightly cartoonish design (no flock wallpaper, though!)
Singing was good but not outstanding. Simone Mihai was affecting as Mimi, and she really looked the part, but the voice was too vibrato-heavy. Joyce El-Khoury was better as Musetta; she wore a stunning red dress in act 2 and also got her knickers off! I thought Michael Fabiano a pleasing Rodolfo. He has a light, fairly 'white' tone to his voice which just lacks a little richness. He is a handsome, ardent presence. But easily best of all in every way was Mariusz Kwiecien; his glorious baritone and sexy charisma dominated every scene he was in.
The star of the show was (how predictable) Pappano. He coaxed fabulous playing from the orchestra.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 23, 2017 10:29:21 GMT
Richard Rodgers
If Kern is my favourite I think Rodgers is the one I admire most. I think for sheer number of great songs he must be top of the list, even exceeding Berlin. I think it would be best to discuss him in two parts (Hart/Hammerstein) but first a few general things. Again with such staggering ability among the 5 greats this is debatable, but I would say he is the best melodist of the lot. His ability to knock out a cracking tune almost effortlessly, fills me with awe. Particularly in his Hammerstein years he wrote really big, open-hearted tunes that a Lloyd Weber always strives for,but nearly always fails to achieve.
So on to...
Rodgers and Hart
We've already commented on that masterful musical Pal Joey. All the songs are a delight to play but I particularly enjoy Bewitched. That opening four note phrase that is restated as the notes get closer together, has a yearning feel like no other song I can think of. I also adore My Funny Valentine, one of Rodger's very few minor key tunes. The best performance of this has to be Chet Baker; it absolutely breaks your heart. Other musicals by the duo that still work are Babes in Arms and The Boys from Syracuse (both given excellent performances a few years back at the Union.)
Other songs I love...
Manhattan
Mountain Greenery (has a scale ever been more effective)
With a song in my Heart (love Ella's version)
Where or When
This Can't be love
Blue Moon (has to be Mel for this, and he's the only one to get the punctuation right to put the meaning of the words across, something he's always very fastidious [but not precious] about.)
Spring is Here
Lover
I could go on...
I think Ella's two volumes in the songbook series are her most successful and enjoyable of the lot (the Porter set comes next.) I also LOVE Dawn Upshaw sings Rodgers and Hart. She's about the only opera-trained singer I can take in this sort of stuff, not only take, she's an absolute natural at it.
I will pause for now, although I'll probably think of many other things later, but if not of course there's the small matter of Hammerstein to discuss.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 22, 2017 16:54:59 GMT
My first day was in 1972 at Royal Holloway (London University.) RHC, although a college of London University, is actually in what used to to be called Stockbroker Surrey in the village of Englefield Green with parts of it fringing Virginia Water. I had never been to a posher place in my life. I come from the Derbyshire/Notts border which is usually called D.H.Lawrence Country. Virtually everyone's dad in my village was a coal-miner and when we went on holiday it was Blackpool, Skegness or Scarborough. The local MP at the time was The Beast of Bolsover, Dennis Skinner and he still is to this day. The village I grew up in won second prize on Radio 5 as having Britain's 2nd shabbiest High Street (can't remember who got 1st!)
As you can imagine it was quite a culture-shock. Nearly everyone was from the Home Counties and they all seemed to have gone to public school. I did a degree in Music and some of the other students would say things like 'Oh for the Summer concert the orchestra played Ravel and Debussy.' At our school concert we played a selection from The Sound of Music. I'd never been abroad at the time, but they were all going on about visiting Egypt and Kenya etc. I was terrifically impressed by a guy, who actually became good friend, who cooked us all a meal of meatballs in tomato sauce. He actually went to the local butcher and asked him to mince rump steak for the said balls and then bought a half bottle of beaujolais to cook them in! (Drinking wine was virtually unheard of then, let alone cooking with it.) He would then say 'When I get home my mother's going to cook me jugged hare.' I was happy with liver and onions.
I actually soon became accustomed to it all and really loved it in the end. I've hardly moved out the area since and currently only live about 5 miles away.
Edit: reading this back sounds a bit Monty Python!
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Post by tmesis on Sept 22, 2017 11:49:58 GMT
Fascinating stuff, as ever, Tony. I don't think the Nonsuch Gershwin series did make much money. I recall that Feinstein in his really excellent book on Gershwin said he was involved in the project because of his close working relationship with Ira and he said they planned to do all the musicals but ran out of funding. I'm fairly sure I have all they did (5 shows.) They were so well produced with all the libretto and copious, really interesting, articles.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 22, 2017 5:40:05 GMT
Diverting a little from the main thrust of this thread, did anybody see 'A Damsel in Distress' at Chichester in 2015? I thought it was wonderful although this was not by any means the general opinion. I can of course cite chapter and verse as to why I enjoyed it so much, but did anybody else like it? I really LOVED this. I think it was deserving of a wider audience. They captured the mood and tone of it just right.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 21, 2017 17:18:44 GMT
Just thought of another Gershwin song where the first phrase ends on a blue note 'Stairway to Paradise,' on the 'new song every day' bit. I really love this song, it has a terrific modulating verse.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 21, 2017 17:14:26 GMT
Sarah Vaughan sings Gershwin. I have it on a compilation, is it from the CD you reference? Oooooooooooooooooooh oh oh! The CD is 'Gershwin Live!' On CBS. There are a number of (very cheap) second hand copies on amazon.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 20, 2017 21:16:43 GMT
Mr Snow, I've read the Alec Wilder book (every word!) and actually found it quite disappointing. He seems to dislike some pretty classic songs and to have a particular downer on Gershwin, mainly for using too many repeated notes.
Speaking of Gershwin....
I mentioned at the top of the thread some of my favourites but just a few (disconnected) thoughts...
- It really is a tragedy he died at 38, what could he have achieved?
- He was really fortunate to have, as a brother, such a talented lyricist.
- His musical style is so easy to recognise and yet hard to sum up, clever use of syncopation and stressing unexpected notes. One thing I've noticed, but not seen commented upon, is specifically ending phrases with the most distinctive notes of the blues scale. A case in point is The man I love. Even though in E flat, nearly all of it's early, short phrases ends on a blues note. The lovely Somebody loves Me at the start, on the word 'who', in the phrase 'I wonder who?' has a delicious flattened third that really defines the song. Of course loads of other greats love a blue note here and there, but it usually decorates the middle of a phrase.
- Love Feinstein's early Gershwin recordings - there's a brilliant duet with Rosemary Clooney on 'Isn't it a pity.'
- I've got all of the Nonesuch recordings of his musicals with the original orchestrations, Pardon my English, Lady be good etc. Highly recommended.
- Much as I enjoy Ella's singing in her Gershwin song series, I now find Riddle's orchestrations a bit overblown, and he buggers around too much with the great man's harmonies. (Generally I'm a massive Riddle fan.) Also many of the songs are too slow.
- Carol Kidd has a really good Gershwin CD in Nice Work.
- Although way over the top, I love Sarah Vaughan's CD with LA Phil and Tilson Thomas.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 20, 2017 6:15:03 GMT
Full Orchestra and Joe Stilgoe as support. Joe Stilgoe is terrific. Would love to see him with Claire Martin. He was the best thing about the Old Vic High Society.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 19, 2017 21:49:04 GMT
It was November 2013 at the Palace Theatre. It was when The Commitments musical was running there (on a night off, as it were) part of the London Festival of Cabaret, which got little publicity.
I particularly like his earlier recordings, his later, over produced ones not so much. Would have loved to see him at Algonquin in his early years; he's at his best when it's just him and a piano. I like that he has great respect for the material he sings.
His two books are fascinating too; one mainly autobiographical, with lots about his time with Ira and the other more generally about the Gershwins.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 19, 2017 15:56:34 GMT
I'm in awe that you've seen Merman live! I too though Top Hat excellent, although Tom Chambers was a bit wooden acting-wise (great dancing and his singing was OK) but it really does work as stage musical, better than the recent stage version of High Society at the Old Vic.
I too love a lot of the early stuff too; l think I've given the wrong impression that a song has to have some clever technical feature for me to like/admire it, but I am a sucker for 'the art that conceals art.'
Of the earlier stuff I really like 'I love a piano.' This I heard live sung and played by Michael Feinstein in London a few years back. Guesting on the same evening was Julian Ovenden with whom he sang a duet; that was my died and gone to heaven moment!
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Post by tmesis on Sept 19, 2017 12:05:14 GMT
Irving Berlin
Where to start!
Living to be 101 and writing around 1500 songs it's difficult to know where to begin.
General thoughts:
It's the absolute naturalness of his songs, with often simple direct words married to a killer tune. His music's so natural sounding that it's easy to overlook the craftsmanship and subtly in his massive output - he never draws attention to his genius. Intriguing that he couldn't read music and played everything in F#, with a transposing piano (I can't really see how that would work.) Some assistant would then write down the dots and, it is claimed, help with the harmony. I always wonder how much help he got; a superb song like I've got my love to keep me Warm has a brilliant three-fold harmonic sequence at the start, of which Kern would have been proud. It's also fascinating that given his (on paper) lack of theoretical knowledge he should have written the best ever 'counterpoint' songs: Play a Simple Melody and You're just in Love. It's not hard to write two tunes that fit together, but to write two fabulous tunes that work together, like Berlin, is genius.
He was underestimated once the 'integrated' musical came along and then confounded the critics with Annie Get Your Gun (excellent Crucible production at Christmas) and Call me Madam (excellent Union production a few years ago.)
Just a few favourites:
Cheek to Cheek (clever structure, almost as massive as Begin the Beguine.) They say that falling in love (fabulous sweep to the melody and unusual intervals) Change Partners (love playing this one with the tune mainly in the bass and a bit of 'locked hands' as in G. Shearing.) Let's face the music and Dance (great teasing major/minor tune, worthy of Schubert!)
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Post by tmesis on Sept 19, 2017 7:31:39 GMT
Great thread and when I get a chance I'll try and contribute. Please do – it's a swell party but a few more guests would be welcome! A swelligant, elligant party!
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Post by tmesis on Sept 18, 2017 15:26:22 GMT
Tmesis, I think we're definitely singing from the same hymn sheet! When I played in a ghastly three-piece dance band in my youth (piano, trumpet and drums), one of the trumpeter's party pieces was Woody Herman's 'Golden Wedding' and of course we also did a version of Glen Miller's 'In the Mood' but I digress once more. No, I didn't see the programme on Artie Shaw, which sounds great. I seem to have signed off on Porter rather prematurely and I should cite a few of his main songs that I particularly like, starting with two E flat classics: 'I've got you under my skin' and 'It's alright with me' (despite it's rather unresolved ending). 'Just one of those things' is great and 'It's de'lovely' always went down well in my tinkling days. And I love his New York songs like 'Take me back to Manhattan', 'Down in the depths of the 90th floor', 'I happen to like New York' and 'Make it another old fashioned' (which may not be specifically about New York but I always think it must be). But at the end of the day it's his strong theatrical songs that I like best, especially the clever ones like: 'Let's misbehave', 'My heart belongs to daddy' and 'Swell Party' which of course is one of Porter's wonderful catalogue songs like 'You're the top', 'Brush up your Shakespeare', 'Katie went to Haiti', 'Who wants to be a millionaire' and many others. But I am drawn back to the kind of songs you like and have to finish with Ella singing 'Every time we say goodbye' .... ! I say finish, but I just Googled 'Songs by Cole Porter' and there is absolutely no end to his talent!! A few more (hurried) thoughts about Porter (teaching again at 4.30) Everytime we say goodbye shouldn't be the classic it is, if you analyse it. The tune starts with eight repeated notes then hardly moves at all, the harmony is pleasant, but not clever, in fact it's fairly basic; there's no middle 8 to 'lift' the song and it's rhythmically pretty dull, almost like operatic recitative (but it is in E flat!) - and yet it's heart-wrenching. You really can't analyse what makes a good tune; another example of which is Ray Noble's The Very Thought of you. I think this is a sensational tune but it really shouldn't be; it just oscillates between two notes a third apart and then just keeps doing the same thing again a bit higher, with lots of long notes in between. There's no middle 8, no clever chords and no modulations. Incidentally I love Al Bowley's original version with Noble and lovely 'period' piano but, yet again, Ella does the definitive version, arranged by Riddle; were the tune is reprised she does an absolutely sublime decoration to the tune and there is also a muted trumpet solo to die for. I would have to say this is my favourite Ella track (and my shelves are groaning with Ella!) of all time (beautiful recording quality too.)
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Post by tmesis on Sept 18, 2017 14:38:56 GMT
I read somewhere (possibly on the old whatsonstage board during a similar discussion?) that the reason for these announcements was the actors worried that the viewing public might not understand that the actors could be appearing simultaneously on a TV show and live on stage. At the end of early episodes of "Are You Being Served" they used to announce "Frank Thornton is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company". Don't know when the RSC stopped requiring them to do that. Probably right then. Yes I remember that. Did they ever do it for NT as well?
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Post by tmesis on Sept 18, 2017 7:41:54 GMT
Tony, what an amazingly interesting post - I'm so enjoying your thoughts! Monday's a long working day for me so a few (hurried) points...
Charles Trenet definitely better than Darin, it's one of the most evocative records ever.
Also agree Porter works better in a theatrical context. Loved NT production of Anything Goes from 15 years ago (?) Also loved the John Wilson Prom performance of Kiss me Kate which I saw live.
Artie Shaw's Begin the Beguine is an absolute classic. My main instrument is the clarinet, so I'm very opinionated about different players, but Shaw is a god and I much prefer him to Goodman. He was a really interesting man too, and quite an intellectual. Did you see the excellent programme about him on BBC 4 a few years back? (I think it was written by Russel Davies) he was very funny and sharp.
Anyway, must dash; rather appropriately at 9.00 am I'm teaching a bored housewife the clarinet!
ps. Will give thoughts on Berlin soon
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Post by tmesis on Sept 17, 2017 19:42:54 GMT
Yes Benny was very opinionated and had a rather limited few singers he really liked but he was a consummate broadcaster, who put his programmes together with great care and skill.
I play these standards from the sheet music but also from real (fake) books too. I tend to like the latter because it frees you up from the dots and liberates the mind for improvising, which I'm reasonable at, but I'd never call myself a true jazz pianist. I also play quite well by ear.
Moving on...
Cole Porter
Well this could all get repetitive because he's clearly a genius but this time at both words and music. Like Kern he often uses a very wide vocal range and some of his ballads are very difficult to sing. I think it's interesting that the only non-Jew in the great 5 sounds the most Jewish in some of his songs; probably because he uses minor keys more than the others. He also departed more from the standard AABA form than the others and wrote songs at greater length than the rest (Begin the Beguine is gargantuan.)
Difficult to name favourites among such excellence but:
Anything Goes Miss Otis Regrets (Ella) Too Darn Hot (Mel) Always true to you in my fashion (Julie London) Easy to Love Night and Day
In Night and Day I love how the main tune begins on a harmony of the flattened 6th creating a great tension that then resolves - the verse is superb too.
My favourite version of Let's Do it is the re-written Noel Coward version:
'The Belgians and Greeks do it, Nice young men who sell antiques do it, Let's do it...'
Only Noel Could out do Cole!
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Post by tmesis on Sept 17, 2017 18:20:52 GMT
I seem to recall this West End advertising malarkey after radio shows too. So after Round the Horne you would get:
Kenneth Williams is now appearing in 'One over the eight' at the Duke of York's Theatre.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 17, 2017 18:15:01 GMT
Amber Rudd has just confused 'allegory' with 'analogy' on Andrew Marr
Love from tmesis B. Mus. (Hons), cycling proficiency badge.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 17, 2017 16:15:58 GMT
I too play Nightingale in E flat and the plunge into G major gives me a real frisson (if you see what I mean!) E flat is definitely my favourite key to play in anyway and luckily many great songs are in that key - Over the Rainbow, Smoke gets..., Tenderley, Skylark, With a Song in my Heart, Can't help lovin' dat man, Every time we Say Goodbye, etc,etc.
Also fascinated to know you were involved in those Previn educational cassettes. In a former life, over 25 years ago, I was a class music teacher and used those very cassettes. I thought they were really good and the kids loved them too. Am I right in thinking the actual script that Previn delivered was by Benny Green? I used to love his Sunday afternoon Radio 2 programme and subsequently the similar one done by Russel Davies.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 17, 2017 15:39:50 GMT
There's an interesting - sounding programme about the rehearsals for this production on Radio Four tomorrow at 9.45am (and then daily thereafter) called:
Following Pappano
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Post by tmesis on Sept 17, 2017 7:36:36 GMT
A proper play. I agree tmesis, the scenes between PP and PA were v good, especially the quiet scene which was very much earned by them in the previous scenes. I didn't think it was too long but the ending was 'American' in that it didn't know where to end. Didn't need the last bit from the Terje character. To be honest I wanted to cry most of the way through. Where are our Qurie and our Savir in any of our current conflicts now when we need them? Yes I found the ending quite annoying with too much clunky 'tying up of loose ends.' Incidentally I was sitting in the middle of the front row stalls, which is normally excellent, and indeed it was in terms of sight lines/involvement, but they seem to have built the front of the stage forward, resulting in zero leg-room (and I'm quite short) - distinctly uncomfortable.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 17, 2017 7:24:23 GMT
Kern is definitely my all time favourite among the 5 greats. My favourite song by him is All the things You Are, which is a strong contender for my favourite song of all time. This song is about the cleverest there is for shifting tonality. Kern effortlessly goes through all sorts of remote keys, but what makes him a genius is the whole thing sounds so natural because the sweep of the melody drives it along and doesn't draw attention to its cleverness. The Way you Look Tonight, Long ago and far away, The Song is You (what an amazing soaring melody) and Smoke gets in your Eyes all have amazing enharmonic modulations in them. The latter just plunges straight from E flat to B major for the middle 8 and then gets back effortlessly to the tonic as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He just makes it sound so easy and it really isn't. In fact Tony, much as admire Body and Soul (and I really do) Green does leave getting back to the home key at the end of the middle 8 a bit late and it's a slightly awkwardly abrupt transition that Kern wouldn't entertain. Ah, but that chromatic drop of several notes and their relevant keys to get out of the middle eight of 'Body and Soul' back to the reprise of the main tune is like suddenly finding the key to get out of a locked room! It might be awkward but I love it! Yes, I've been a bit harsh on one of the great songs of all time, I love playing it, although the 'blue' inflections make it a tad awkward. The plunge into the new key for the middle 8 is one of the best ever. Another song with a great middle 8 plunge into new key territory is A nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, that's an absolute delight to play. My favourite sung version of it is a live recording with Mel Torme and George Shearing (he also does the evocative verse.)* ** The best sung version of Body and Soul is Ella but even she has a little difficulty with the lowest note - It really does cover an unusually wide range! Another song that's an absolute bugger to pitch, particularly because of his middle 8 modulations is Hoagy's Skylark. Quite a few singers come a cropper in this (not Ella, as ever her intonation is immaculate.) Skylark is another superb song, although again, judged on the highest level of Kern, a bit too clever in the Middle 8 key changes, but it really is a fab tune, with delicious descending semitonal chord relationships and it's another song with an extended tessitura (Oh Matron! That's painful!) * The best instrumental version is Scott Hamilton (t. Sax) at the Breacon Jazz Festival **The sheer skill with which the 'greats' set up the main tune with an inspired verse, is deserving of a thread of it's own (Gershwin's verses are particularly good.)
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Post by tmesis on Sept 16, 2017 22:49:26 GMT
tonyloco I prefer the 4 bar middle of These Foolish Things. I'm also intrigued that Boosey and Hawkes hold the copyright for this song. Standards aren't usually their niche - more, Britten, Stravinsky, Shostakovich et al
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Post by tmesis on Sept 16, 2017 22:40:16 GMT
I thought the first act dragged but act 2 was much better. It's way too long, though, coming in tonight at over 3 hours. Some excellent performances, particularly Peter Polycarpou and Philip Arditti who play a lot of their scenes together and these, for me, were the best bits. Arditti, in particular, gives a very charismatic and quite sexy performance.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 16, 2017 22:26:35 GMT
Congratulations, cmonfeet, for bringing 'The Way You Look Tonight' into the discussion. It has been in my mind for the past few days but you beat me to mentioning it. But it's not just the melody line that is extraordinary, it's the incredible progression of the harmonies as well throughout the whole song. But that's nothing new for Kern whose harmonies could be amazing. The middle eight of 'Smoke Gets in your Eyes' is another example of unusual harmonies, used to powerful effect. Of course Kern was not the only one to use unusual harmonies in popular songs: Johnny Green in 'Body and Soul' ranges rather widely in the middle eight, and 'Cry me a river' has a tricky middle eight as well. But, as you say, it's the overall simplicity of Kern's inspired melodies, coupled with his daring harmonies, that really impresses. Kern is definitely my all time favourite among the 5 greats. My favourite song by him is All the things You Are, which is a strong contender for my favourite song of all time. This song is about the cleverest there is for shifting tonality. Kern effortlessly goes through all sorts of remote keys, but what makes him a genius is the whole thing sounds so natural because the sweep of the melody drives it along and doesn't draw attention to its cleverness. The Way you Look Tonight, Long ago and far away, The Song is You (what an amazing soaring melody) and Smoke gets in your Eyes all have amazing enharmonic modulations in them. The latter just plunges straight from E flat to B major for the middle 8 and then gets back effortlessly to the tonic as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He just makes it sound so easy and it really isn't. In fact Tony, much as admire Body and Soul (and I really do) Green does leave getting back to the home key at the end of the middle 8 a bit late and it's a slightly awkwardly abrupt transition that Kern wouldn't entertain.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 16, 2017 17:36:41 GMT
I remember watching TV as a child and into my teenage years, seeing people like Bruce Forsyth, Anita Harris, Brian Rix, David Nixon and the like, and at the end of the programme, while the credits were still rolling, and usually while the applause was still going on, the volume would be taken down while an announcer told us that Bruce Forsyth (or whoever) was now appearing at the Strand/Whitehall/Adelphi Theatre, London in Whatever the show was. The Victoria Palace also seemed to feature quite a lot, as did the Prince of Wales, I think. I used to be really impressed, thinking that being in something in a theatre up in the West End was really posh. Then those announcements got phased out for some reason. I used to love those announcements, very nostalgic and 'of their time' and to me, living in Derbyshire at the time, they sounded impossibly glamorous.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 16, 2017 17:31:00 GMT
Moon River... one of my Desert Island Discs. Is that one allowed? (I think it's just after your cut off point!) For my partner's Big Birthday, one of the things we did was have Afternoon Tea at the Ritz. A pianist tickles the keys while you sip, and there's a little card by each place setting asking if you would like any requests played. Unbeknown to eachother, Birthday Boy and I had both written Moon River, as no doubt had lots of others there that afternoon. And when it was played we both cried! (I also requested Joyce Grenfell's I'm Going To See You Today, another little masterpiece, written with Richard Addinsell, but it wasn't played. ) Moon River is definitely allowed because I adore it (so there.) An exquisite tune with classy poignant harmonies. Definitely one of the greatest songs ever written.
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