Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 25 - America
This week our theme is America. As always, you can be sure of a wide range of musical styles.
Monday August 31
The Big Country
We start our week with the opening title sequence from the 1958 William Wyler film, 'The Big Country'.
The film starred Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston and Burl Ives.
The musical score was nominated for an Academy Award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKdmOpXJHR4
Tuesday September 1
America (West Side Story)
West Side Story needs no introduction; we have included two pieces from this musical already in Tonic Jukebox.
At the risk of too much from one musical, this week's theme makes this a 'must'.
The original 1957 Broadway production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.
Robbins was an American choreographer, director, dancer, and theatre producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his numerous stage productions were On the Town, The King and I, West Side Story, Gypsy, and Fiddler on the Roof. Robbins was a five-time Tony Award-winner. He received two Academy Awards, including the 1961 Academy Award for Best Director with Robert Wise for West Side Story. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhSKk-cvblc
The Big Country
We start our week with the opening title sequence from the 1958 William Wyler film, 'The Big Country'.
The film starred Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston and Burl Ives.
The musical score was nominated for an Academy Award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKdmOpXJHR4
Tuesday September 1
America (West Side Story)
West Side Story needs no introduction; we have included two pieces from this musical already in Tonic Jukebox.
At the risk of too much from one musical, this week's theme makes this a 'must'.
The original 1957 Broadway production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.
Robbins was an American choreographer, director, dancer, and theatre producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his numerous stage productions were On the Town, The King and I, West Side Story, Gypsy, and Fiddler on the Roof. Robbins was a five-time Tony Award-winner. He received two Academy Awards, including the 1961 Academy Award for Best Director with Robert Wise for West Side Story. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhSKk-cvblc
Wednesday September 2
Route 66 Nat King Cole had one of the most distinctive voices of the 20th century. I can listen to him for hours. "Nathaniel Adams Coles (1919 – 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer and jazz pianist. He recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts. His trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed. Cole also acted in films and on television and performed on Broadway. He was the first African-American man to host an American television series." (Wikipedia). "U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System, established in 1926. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). It was recognised in popular culture by both the hit song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" and the Route 66 television series, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964." (Wikipedia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCYApJtsyd0 (old video featuring Cole and his trio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjejXfZYp9Y (better sound, but no video) |
Route 66
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Thursday September 3
Ch’ella mi creda
"Ch'ella mi creda is a tenor aria from act 3 of the opera La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) by Giacomo Puccini. It is sung by Dick Johnson (a.k.a. the bandit "Ramerrez") before he is to be executed by a lynch mob of gold prospectors led by Sheriff Jack Rance. In the aria, Johnson asks them not to tell Minnie, whom he loves, that he has been killed. Instead, he asks them to 'let her believe' (the title phrase, "ch'ella mi creda") that he is far away, on the road to redemption from his bandit past." (Wikipedia)
The aria was sung for the first time by Enrico Caruso, at the world premiere of La fanciulla del West at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on 10 December 1910.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW85AKJxMzk
La fanciulla del West is one of very few operas that are about America or gold prospectors. There are few show stopping arias. The action, and there is plenty of that, is moved along with Puccini's soaring melodies. Here is a brief excerpt from Act 1.
A group of Gold Rush miners enter the Polka saloon after a day working at the mine. After a song by travelling minstrel Jake Wallace ("Che faranno i vecchi miei"), one of the miners, Jim Larkens, admits to being homesick and the miners collect enough money for his fare home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HmIiUXuSiU
Friday September 4
The Deadwood Stage
from Calamity Jane
"Calamity Jane is a 1953 musical film loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane, and explores an alleged romance between Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in the American Old West. The film starred Doris Day as the title character and Howard Keel as Hickok. It was devised by Warner Bros. in response to the success of Annie Get Your Gun" (Wikipedia)
The score, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, includes Secret Love and The Black Hills of Dakota.
In this clip we are introduced to the boisterous Calamity Jane (Doris Day) as she arrives in Deadwood City with a wagon full of goods.
As regular Tonic members will know, I have always had a rather soft spot for Doris Day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_xmujSyxkU
(the words are reproduced under the video so you can sing along)
Weekend September 5/6
New World Symphony 1st movement
One of the first records I bought as a teenager, and still a favourite.
This popular work was composed by Antonín Dvořák while working in America. He was heavily influenced by the country and its music. The slow second movement includes the music we know as the famous Hovis advert (Jukebox week 16). But today I present to you the first movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZfS_XNq-ZM
(9 minutes)
Ch’ella mi creda
"Ch'ella mi creda is a tenor aria from act 3 of the opera La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) by Giacomo Puccini. It is sung by Dick Johnson (a.k.a. the bandit "Ramerrez") before he is to be executed by a lynch mob of gold prospectors led by Sheriff Jack Rance. In the aria, Johnson asks them not to tell Minnie, whom he loves, that he has been killed. Instead, he asks them to 'let her believe' (the title phrase, "ch'ella mi creda") that he is far away, on the road to redemption from his bandit past." (Wikipedia)
The aria was sung for the first time by Enrico Caruso, at the world premiere of La fanciulla del West at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on 10 December 1910.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW85AKJxMzk
La fanciulla del West is one of very few operas that are about America or gold prospectors. There are few show stopping arias. The action, and there is plenty of that, is moved along with Puccini's soaring melodies. Here is a brief excerpt from Act 1.
A group of Gold Rush miners enter the Polka saloon after a day working at the mine. After a song by travelling minstrel Jake Wallace ("Che faranno i vecchi miei"), one of the miners, Jim Larkens, admits to being homesick and the miners collect enough money for his fare home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HmIiUXuSiU
Friday September 4
The Deadwood Stage
from Calamity Jane
"Calamity Jane is a 1953 musical film loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane, and explores an alleged romance between Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in the American Old West. The film starred Doris Day as the title character and Howard Keel as Hickok. It was devised by Warner Bros. in response to the success of Annie Get Your Gun" (Wikipedia)
The score, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, includes Secret Love and The Black Hills of Dakota.
In this clip we are introduced to the boisterous Calamity Jane (Doris Day) as she arrives in Deadwood City with a wagon full of goods.
As regular Tonic members will know, I have always had a rather soft spot for Doris Day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_xmujSyxkU
(the words are reproduced under the video so you can sing along)
Weekend September 5/6
New World Symphony 1st movement
One of the first records I bought as a teenager, and still a favourite.
This popular work was composed by Antonín Dvořák while working in America. He was heavily influenced by the country and its music. The slow second movement includes the music we know as the famous Hovis advert (Jukebox week 16). But today I present to you the first movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZfS_XNq-ZM
(9 minutes)