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Nothing to add to the main topic of this interesting thread except my appreciation for reminding me of how long it's been since I listened to Young Bess.
Which spurred me to remember and dig out the old Bay Cities Hollywood Spectacular for its Fantasy on Themes from Young Bess. I haven't listened to this in decades, and never uploaded it into Apple M, but now I have thanks to this thread. I've always enjoyed this interesting concert reimagining, and wish I could hear it live, which would sound great in the Episcopal cathedral in my home town.
Interesting side note - I'd forgotten this compilation also includes a recording of the Danish Dance! Kismet.
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Posted: |
Dec 7, 2023 - 4:10 PM
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By: |
.
(Member)
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Which spurred me to remember and dig out the old Bay Cities Hollywood Spectacular for its Fantasy on Themes from Young Bess. I haven't listened to this in decades, and never uploaded it into Apple M, but now I have thanks to this thread. I've always enjoyed this interesting concert reimagining, and wish I could hear it live, which would sound great in the Episcopal cathedral in my home town.
Interesting side note - I'd forgotten this compilation also includes a recording of the Danish Dance! Kismet.
And that in turn reminded me to listen to that old Bay Cities disc too, for the first time in a lot of years. And I see that it does (perhaps) shed some light on the Dansk Dans because they surely wouldn't have chosen to include that piece in the Bay Cities program if it wasn't a Rozsa original.
Having said that, and despite having Christopher Palmer as producer and the Royal Philharmonic playing (and not forgetting Bruce Kimmel listed in the credits) and a nice concert arrangement, I'd say that performance unfortunately comes across as very sluggish and hesitant. Apart from recommending the fine FSM soundtrack itself, I'd also put a good word in for Elmer Bernstein's enjoyable (slightly smaller-scale) re-recording of the score (one of the discs in his Film Score Collection set). If you don't already have it, the Bernstein recording is on Spotify if you'd like to compare.
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It also appears on the John Renbourn album Lady and the Unicorn as "Alman/Melancholy Galliard."
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Which spurred me to remember and dig out the old Bay Cities Hollywood Spectacular for its Fantasy on Themes from Young Bess. I haven't listened to this in decades, and never uploaded it into Apple M, but now I have thanks to this thread. I've always enjoyed this interesting concert reimagining, and wish I could hear it live, which would sound great in the Episcopal cathedral in my home town.
Interesting side note - I'd forgotten this compilation also includes a recording of the Danish Dance! Kismet.
And that in turn reminded me to listen to that old Bay Cities disc too, for the first time in a lot of years. And I see that it does (perhaps) shed some light on the Dansk Dans because they surely wouldn't have chosen to include that piece in the Bay Cities program if it wasn't a Rozsa original.
Having said that, and despite having Christopher Palmer as producer and the Royal Philharmonic playing (and not forgetting Bruce Kimmel listed in the credits) and a nice concert arrangement, I'd say that performance unfortunately comes across as very sluggish and hesitant. Apart from recommending the fine FSM soundtrack itself, I'd also put a good word in for Elmer Bernstein's enjoyable (slightly smaller-scale) re-recording of the score (one of the discs in his Film Score Collection set). If you don't already have it, the Bernstein recording is on Spotify if you'd like to compare.
The “Fantasy on Themes From Young Bess” is certainly one of Rozsa’s finest adaptations from film score to concert work. The antecedent for that and the other selections on the Bay Cities “Hollywood Spectacular” CD were from the LP “The Spectacular Film World of Miklos Rozsa”. The recording was very much a labour of love by Udo Heimansburg who financed it. There’s an interview with Udo in which he discusses the recordings here: https://cnmsarchive.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/udo-heimansberg/
and where the front and back cover of the LP is shown.
The LP included a 4 page insert with notes by Rozsa and Christopher Palmer. In his notes Rozsa points out that the album is Volume 1 and that he is keenly looking forward to Volume 2. Sadly, there was no Volume 2 despite plans by Udo to record more Rozsa. As regards ‘Danish Dance’, Palmer refers to it as “a delightful example of Rozsa’s ability to provide music in light and unsophisticated vein for almost any dance-occasion past or present”.
Apart from the Bay Cities CD the recording was also released on a later Citadel CD.
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The “Fantasy on Themes From Young Bess” is certainly one of Rozsa’s finest adaptations from film score to concert work. The antecedent for that and the other selections on the Bay Cities “Hollywood Spectacular” CD were from the LP “The Spectacular Film World of Miklos Rozsa”. The recording was very much a labour of love by Udo Heimansburg who financed it. There’s an interview with Udo in which he discusses the recordings here: https://cnmsarchive.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/udo-heimansberg/
and where the front and back cover of the LP is shown.
Apart from the Bay Cities CD the recording was also released on a later Citadel CD.
I bought the 24 bit download of the Citadel release and something sounded off to me... then I realized that despite the RPO being credited, there is no string section! Just brass, woodwinds and percussion (and organ on the Fantasy on Themes from Young Bess track). Was this a deliberate decision as most of the selections are marches and dances?
That is explained in Christopher Palmer’s notes for the album:
“The fact that no strings are employed in the orchestra of the 'Young Bess Fantasy' suggested the idea of drawing upon Miklos Rozsa’s other music for wind ensemble to complete the album. I assembled an orchestra consisting of 4 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 6 horns (two also playing Wagner Tubas), 4 trumpets, 4 flugelhorns, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani and 6 percussion, 2 harps, piano and 6 double-basses. Most of the music we chose was originally conceived for wind ensemble and merely needed to be orchestrated from Dr. Rozsa’s original composition sketches; a few pieces (e.g. 'Via Dolorosa', 'Danish Dance', 'La Java de la Seine') I transcribed specially, in the interests of balanced programme-planning.” As regards 'Parade of the Charioteers', Palmer notes that “this is the first time the original film version for wind band (with the original introductory fanfares) has been recorded”.
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Posted: |
Dec 9, 2023 - 4:59 PM
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By: |
TerraEpon
(Member)
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That is explained in Christopher Palmer’s notes for the album:
“The fact that no strings are employed in the orchestra of the 'Young Bess Fantasy' suggested the idea of drawing upon Miklos Rozsa’s other music for wind ensemble to complete the album. I assembled an orchestra consisting of 4 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 6 horns (two also playing Wagner Tubas), 4 trumpets, 4 flugelhorns, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani and 6 percussion, 2 harps, piano and 6 double-basses. Most of the music we chose was originally conceived for wind ensemble and merely needed to be orchestrated from Dr. Rozsa’s original composition sketches; a few pieces (e.g. 'Via Dolorosa', 'Danish Dance', 'La Java de la Seine') I transcribed specially, in the interests of balanced programme-planning.” As regards 'Parade of the Charioteers', Palmer notes that “this is the first time the original film version for wind band (with the original introductory fanfares) has been recorded”.
What? How have I not heard about this album. I must track it down....
...oh good, it's on digital sites.
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...I'd also put a good word in for Elmer Bernstein's enjoyable (slightly smaller-scale) re-recording of the score (one of the discs in his Film Score Collection set). If you don't already have it, the Bernstein recording is on Spotify if you'd like to compare.
Yes, Basil, I had also forgotten this album, which I do have from the Bernstein box but haven't played in a long time. It's on the list. (Elmer B was my introduction to Rozsa in the 70's with the Warner release of Thief of Baghdad. I love that he recorded this one too.)
I actually enjoy the slower pace of the winds/percussion Danish Dance, as a nice alternative to the film soundtrack version. Yes, it's very different, but works for me that way too.
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