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Stanley Stewart
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« on: 15:27:03, 24-06-2008 » |
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Delighted to hear Hugo Alfven's Swedish Rhapsody on 'Breakfast' this morning. Instant memories of Wendy Toye's 23 minute featurette, 'The Stranger Left No Card' (1952), in which Alan Badel visited a town posing as an eccentric, although his real purpose was murder. Alfven's score was wittily placed and the catchy dance tune was oft requested on Family Favourites.
Rather a shame that BBC 4 missed an opportunity to show this gem on last Saturday evening's British B-Movies, instead of using 90 mins to sneer at movies which were often worthless in their day. This was an era of continuous screenings when audiences often skipped the supporting programme and arrived in time for the main feature.
However, well reviewed shorts often accompanied a quality main feature: 'We Are The Lambeth Boys', 'Momma Don't Allow', John Schlesinger's 'Terminus', British Transport's 'Journey Into Summer', Glyndebourne's 'On Such A Night As This', and the French 'Red Balloon', were often applauded when Edgar Lustgarden's crime cheapies usually got the bird at the opening titles.
And, now, the dance tune from the Swedish Rhapsody won't quit my mind.
British B-Movies was followed by a screening of 'Psychomania' (1972) and...(blushing emoticon)...well, anecdotes about George Sanders will have to wait for some winter's night by the fire!
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iwarburton
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« Reply #1 on: 15:31:41, 24-06-2008 » |
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An arrangement of the main theme by Percy Faith was very popular in the mid-fifties. A really good tune.
I have the whole work on an old vinyl LP with Paavo Berglund at the helm of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, recorded circa 1973.
It's a sampler LP, compiled from several sources, and also contains one of my favourite lollipops, the Copenhagen Steam Railway Galop by Hans Christian Lumbye.
Ian.
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #2 on: 15:37:20, 24-06-2008 » |
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Thank you, Ian. I've been addling my brain trying to remember who made the popular arrangement which sold so well. Percy Faith, of course.
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pim_derks
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« Reply #3 on: 15:52:16, 24-06-2008 » |
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Alfven made a recording of his first Swedish Rhapsody and this recording was the first stereo recording made in Sweden.
I have a recording of the Second Swedish Rhapsody but this piece can't compete with the First Rhapsody. Alfven also composed a Third Rhapsody.
I still listen to Percy Faith's records with great pleasure. His recording of Max Steiner's theme from "A Summer Place" is a gem.
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #4 on: 18:51:43, 24-06-2008 » |
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Now, wasn't that used as the sig. tune for a dramatisation of Thackeray's The Rose and The Ring on BBC TV, somewhere around the late 50s/early 60s?
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pim_derks
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« Reply #5 on: 19:44:38, 24-06-2008 » |
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'Psychomania' (1972) and...(blushing emoticon)... I thought it was released in 1973, Stanley: the year of the petrol crisis.  |
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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pim_derks
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« Reply #7 on: 22:11:11, 24-06-2008 » |
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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George Garnett
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« Reply #8 on: 22:17:42, 24-06-2008 » |
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[Deleted] Ooops. I'd better reinstate this little bit otherwise Stanley's response won't make sense.  Does anyone else always get confused between George Sanders and George Raft? |
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« Last Edit: 22:45:02, 24-06-2008 by George Garnett »
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #9 on: 22:38:59, 24-06-2008 » |
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No way, George, no way. However, I do see a resemblance between George Raft and, say, Rudolph Valentino - and both of them could dance a nifty tango. Or Raft spinning a coin in "Scarface" (1932), later repeated in "Some Like It Hot" (1959). On the other hand, the sophisticated George Sanders played the venemous critic Addison de Witt in "All About Eve" (1950) and had a fine baritone range in "Call Me Madam" (1953) - any resemblance to the great Ethel Merman, in the same film, was purely coincidental.  |
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #10 on: 22:49:39, 24-06-2008 » |
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On the other hand, the sophisticated George Sanders played the venemous critic Addison de Witt in "All About Eve" (1950) and had a fine baritone range in "Call Me Madam" (1953) - any resemblance to the great Ethel Merman, in the same film, was purely coincidental. He also memorably provided the voice for Shere Khan in The Jungle Book, where the animators perfectly captured Sanders' suave character:  All of which takes us a long way from the Alfvén composition, which I listened to last Sunday. There's a pleasant disc of all three Swedish Rhapsodies on Chandos:  Not available in the UK just yet (mine came via Ireland), but Brilliant are releasing a 5-disc set of Alfvén symphonies and orchestral works, licensed from BIS. Mine came for just under a tenner...  |
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« Last Edit: 23:20:21, 24-06-2008 by Il Grande Inquisitor »
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #11 on: 23:50:00, 24-06-2008 » |
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Thank you for the tip, IGI. The Brilliant Classics recordings of Alfven are most appealing and I will follow this through.
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #12 on: 00:02:45, 25-06-2008 » |
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I'm listening to the 2nd Symphony now, Stanley, as I work, and it's a delightful piece. I'm looking forward to working through this set.
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #13 on: 18:56:31, 25-06-2008 » |
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Thanks again, IGI, for the tip. I've now placed an order for the 5 CD set of the Alfven Symphonies and Orchestral works - a give-away @ £9 99. Neemi Jarvi/Royal Stockholm PO/ or RSNO (Richard Strauss, in particular) seldom disappoint.
The hmv website can be a bit of a maze for me but I was also delighted to see that a DVD of Tatiana Nikolaeva playing the Shostakovich Preludes & Fugues will soon be available at the same pre-order price. I remember her warm presence and dazzling performance of them at the Wigmore Hall in the late 80s/early 90s. A sure guarantee for a new thread in due course.
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pim_derks
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« Reply #14 on: 19:10:59, 02-07-2008 » |
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George Sanders also memorably provided the voice for Shere Khan in The Jungle Book, where the animators perfectly captured Sanders' suave character: Yes, IGI. It's one of best soundtracks from the Disney studios. Take a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV8HrpOu1FA |
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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