Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK THREE - Ensembles
Monday March 30
Tonight
Quintet and chorus from West Side Story
Leonard Bernstein left us so many glorious musical works.
This musical is full of exciting, pulse-quickening moments, and this is one of the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyUV3hIL-G0
Tuesday March 31
Bella Figlia Dell Amore - Quartet from Rigoletto (Verdi)
The perfect quartet sung by a perfect cast.
Philip remembers: I was supporting my company's Milan office and in Mantova selling to an oil company.
As we walked across the main square I saw a tourist attraction, Casa del Rigoletto.
It took a few minutes for the penny to drop.
Mantova is another name for Mantua and Rigoletto, one of my favourite operas is set there.
I started to sing Bella Figlia Dell Amore as we walked across the square.
My Italian colleague, Valerio, now a good friend, was unimpressed.
Despite being Italian, he knows no opera.
His music of choice is folk music from the mountain region in North Italy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6S_kx0gDzc
Wednesday April 1
Quintet from Carmen (Bizet)
Much of this quintet is sung at breakneck speed - hard for the performers to keep synchronised without lots of rehearsal. The two smugglers and Carmen's friends try to persuade Carmen to go off with them. She has a little unfinished business she wants to deal with first. Bryan has been in 2 contrasting productions of Carmen: the first - a very scaled-back version, playing one of the smugglers, which toured libraries in Essex; the second - a huge arena production which toured the world, in which he appeared in the starring role of the 3rd soldier from the right! Philip and Judy saw Bryan in this at Earls Court.
Contrast these two versions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiSpdkhCBPo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpWfxb3V36I
Thursday April 2 - THURSDAYS ARE SPECIAL
Day After Day, a song from Bryan's true life music theatre piece, Dreyfus - Prisoner of Devil's Island.
Dreyfus is in a cell on board the ship taking him to Devil's Island.
Captain Alfred Dreyfus of the French army was arrested in 1894, charged with having passed military secrets to the Germans, and, though he was innocent, found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. The army chiefs had committed themselves to the idea of his guilt, and not wanting to lose face - they created forgeries to corroborate his guilt. An international scandal ensued. The real traitor, Major Esterhazy found himself under investigation. He insisted on being court-martialled (to clear his name) and was found not-guilty by a corrupt court. Author Emile Zola wrote an open letter "J'Accuse" to the French President accusing the Army of having, not only condemned someone who was innocent (Dreyfus), but also of having knowingly acquitted a guilty man (Esterhazy). Zola was sued for libel and found guilty. Everything unravelled when the forgeries came to light. Dreyfus was brought back in 1899. He was exonerated in 1906. In 2003, the French army finally admitted they were wrong - 106 years after Dreyfus was arrested!
On this recording the singer is Philip and the pianist, Bryan.
https://youtu.be/LL-iznCQdqE
Friday April 3
A quartet from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies
You're Gonna Love Tomorrow / Love Will See Us Through
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIfIIEFuros
Weekend April 4/5
Epilogue and quartet from
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Roberts, Pietro)
The musical premiered Off-Broadway in August 1996 and closed in July 2008 after 5,003 performances.
It is/was the second-longest Off-Broadway musical. It has since played across the world.
It is one of Philip’s favourite shows which he thinks is best described as ‘sassy’.
It is full of wonderful and witty songs about the problems of dating, courtship and marriage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfKNbdurlAQ
Monday March 30
Tonight
Quintet and chorus from West Side Story
Leonard Bernstein left us so many glorious musical works.
This musical is full of exciting, pulse-quickening moments, and this is one of the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyUV3hIL-G0
Tuesday March 31
Bella Figlia Dell Amore - Quartet from Rigoletto (Verdi)
The perfect quartet sung by a perfect cast.
Philip remembers: I was supporting my company's Milan office and in Mantova selling to an oil company.
As we walked across the main square I saw a tourist attraction, Casa del Rigoletto.
It took a few minutes for the penny to drop.
Mantova is another name for Mantua and Rigoletto, one of my favourite operas is set there.
I started to sing Bella Figlia Dell Amore as we walked across the square.
My Italian colleague, Valerio, now a good friend, was unimpressed.
Despite being Italian, he knows no opera.
His music of choice is folk music from the mountain region in North Italy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6S_kx0gDzc
Wednesday April 1
Quintet from Carmen (Bizet)
Much of this quintet is sung at breakneck speed - hard for the performers to keep synchronised without lots of rehearsal. The two smugglers and Carmen's friends try to persuade Carmen to go off with them. She has a little unfinished business she wants to deal with first. Bryan has been in 2 contrasting productions of Carmen: the first - a very scaled-back version, playing one of the smugglers, which toured libraries in Essex; the second - a huge arena production which toured the world, in which he appeared in the starring role of the 3rd soldier from the right! Philip and Judy saw Bryan in this at Earls Court.
Contrast these two versions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiSpdkhCBPo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpWfxb3V36I
Thursday April 2 - THURSDAYS ARE SPECIAL
Day After Day, a song from Bryan's true life music theatre piece, Dreyfus - Prisoner of Devil's Island.
Dreyfus is in a cell on board the ship taking him to Devil's Island.
Captain Alfred Dreyfus of the French army was arrested in 1894, charged with having passed military secrets to the Germans, and, though he was innocent, found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. The army chiefs had committed themselves to the idea of his guilt, and not wanting to lose face - they created forgeries to corroborate his guilt. An international scandal ensued. The real traitor, Major Esterhazy found himself under investigation. He insisted on being court-martialled (to clear his name) and was found not-guilty by a corrupt court. Author Emile Zola wrote an open letter "J'Accuse" to the French President accusing the Army of having, not only condemned someone who was innocent (Dreyfus), but also of having knowingly acquitted a guilty man (Esterhazy). Zola was sued for libel and found guilty. Everything unravelled when the forgeries came to light. Dreyfus was brought back in 1899. He was exonerated in 1906. In 2003, the French army finally admitted they were wrong - 106 years after Dreyfus was arrested!
On this recording the singer is Philip and the pianist, Bryan.
https://youtu.be/LL-iznCQdqE
Friday April 3
A quartet from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies
You're Gonna Love Tomorrow / Love Will See Us Through
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIfIIEFuros
Weekend April 4/5
Epilogue and quartet from
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Roberts, Pietro)
The musical premiered Off-Broadway in August 1996 and closed in July 2008 after 5,003 performances.
It is/was the second-longest Off-Broadway musical. It has since played across the world.
It is one of Philip’s favourite shows which he thinks is best described as ‘sassy’.
It is full of wonderful and witty songs about the problems of dating, courtship and marriage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfKNbdurlAQ