Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 44 - Night-time
This week's theme is night-time and has been curated by my brother, Alan. He tells me he has thoroughly enjoyed doing this and I have added him to our Facebook group so you can give him feedback, if you wish.
Monday January 11
William Tell overture (Rossini)
My first track this week is linked to studio 8h where the popular show Saturday night live was screened by NBC studios in 1975. Nearly 40 years earlier in 1937 the first of the newly formed NBC orchestra’s evening radio concerts was performed from this same studio under the baton of maestro Arturo Toscanini. The orchestra is legendary primarily because the mix of Toscanini with the all star cast of musicians, who went on to have illustrious careers, was simply magical. So you will have heard this overture countless times before, but, I think, never quite like this. For that reason I hope you allow me this slightly tenuous link to start my night-time seres.
Performance
Tuesday January 12
Moscow Nights (popular Russian song from the Soviet era)
For my second track I have picked the great American pianist Van Cliburn playing his own arrangement of Moscow Nights as an encore in the final of the 1st Tchaikovsky international piano competition held in Moscow. The judges were in a quandary as the competition was established to demonstrate soviet superiority in the Cold War yet they were unanimous in wanting the 23 year old Cliburn as the winner. Famously the judges went to Kruschov and asked him what they should do. He asked, "Is he the best?" And, on hearing the answer, said, "Then he must be the winner". Kruschov was a genuine music lover and loved Van Cliburn's performances of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. It’s worth listening to those performances on Youtube. They are sensational.
Performance
(Added by Philip: Kenny Ball's version from 1961)
Wednesday January 13
Rozhinkes mit Mandeln (Raisins with Almonds)
For the third track this week a lovely Yiddish lullaby that I only discovered 2 weeks ago on BBC Radio 3 sung here by Netania Davrath. I was totally ignorant of this, although it’s one of the classic Yiddish songs composed by Abraham Goldfarden, who was a poet, composer, playwright, and theatrical impresario. He was called the Yiddish Shakespeare and established the Yiddish theatre in Russia and America. 100,000 people attended his funeral in New York.
When I mentioned the song to my brother, Philip, he told me that our mother often included this in her concert repertoire. She regularly gave concerts in care homes and friendship clubs.
Performance
English lyrics here
Thursday January 14
The Way You Look Tonight (Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields)
For my fourth selection I have gone to Fred Astaire’s version of The Way You Look Tonight. Jerome Kern’s timeless classic from the film Swing Time. For a change we don’t see him dancing. For a scintillating piece of dance and sport have a look at his golfing routine on Youtube. He was a fine golfer with a handicap of just 10. There was no end to his talents!
Performance
Friday January 15
String Quartet No. 2: Nocturne (Borodin)
For the fifth day I selected the beautiful Nocturne from Borodin’s string quartet. Surely one of his greatest melodies. Played here by the Dover Quartet who have been hailed as the next great quartet. They have already won many prizes including a prestigious one from the Wigmore Hall.
Performance
*Nocturne: a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night.
For notes on Borodin go to Week 34.
Weekend January 16/17
If I can dream (Walter Earl Brown)
For the last track this week we conclude with Elvis finishing his comeback TV special of 1968 with Earl Brown's If I can dream. This was composed shortly after Martin Luther King was killed and the emotion in Presley's voice is true testament to the respect and reverence he held for him. Indeed one of the backing vocalists, with tears rolling down her cheeks, said, "I have never heard him sing with so much emotion before - it looks like he means every word.". This was one of the only times in his career that Presley overruled his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who wanted a schmaltzy Christmas number to end the show. Special thanks to my wife Sheila who convinced me to look at this TV special, as the idiot that I am, I had never appreciated the King before!
Performance
William Tell overture (Rossini)
My first track this week is linked to studio 8h where the popular show Saturday night live was screened by NBC studios in 1975. Nearly 40 years earlier in 1937 the first of the newly formed NBC orchestra’s evening radio concerts was performed from this same studio under the baton of maestro Arturo Toscanini. The orchestra is legendary primarily because the mix of Toscanini with the all star cast of musicians, who went on to have illustrious careers, was simply magical. So you will have heard this overture countless times before, but, I think, never quite like this. For that reason I hope you allow me this slightly tenuous link to start my night-time seres.
Performance
Tuesday January 12
Moscow Nights (popular Russian song from the Soviet era)
For my second track I have picked the great American pianist Van Cliburn playing his own arrangement of Moscow Nights as an encore in the final of the 1st Tchaikovsky international piano competition held in Moscow. The judges were in a quandary as the competition was established to demonstrate soviet superiority in the Cold War yet they were unanimous in wanting the 23 year old Cliburn as the winner. Famously the judges went to Kruschov and asked him what they should do. He asked, "Is he the best?" And, on hearing the answer, said, "Then he must be the winner". Kruschov was a genuine music lover and loved Van Cliburn's performances of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. It’s worth listening to those performances on Youtube. They are sensational.
Performance
(Added by Philip: Kenny Ball's version from 1961)
Wednesday January 13
Rozhinkes mit Mandeln (Raisins with Almonds)
For the third track this week a lovely Yiddish lullaby that I only discovered 2 weeks ago on BBC Radio 3 sung here by Netania Davrath. I was totally ignorant of this, although it’s one of the classic Yiddish songs composed by Abraham Goldfarden, who was a poet, composer, playwright, and theatrical impresario. He was called the Yiddish Shakespeare and established the Yiddish theatre in Russia and America. 100,000 people attended his funeral in New York.
When I mentioned the song to my brother, Philip, he told me that our mother often included this in her concert repertoire. She regularly gave concerts in care homes and friendship clubs.
Performance
English lyrics here
Thursday January 14
The Way You Look Tonight (Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields)
For my fourth selection I have gone to Fred Astaire’s version of The Way You Look Tonight. Jerome Kern’s timeless classic from the film Swing Time. For a change we don’t see him dancing. For a scintillating piece of dance and sport have a look at his golfing routine on Youtube. He was a fine golfer with a handicap of just 10. There was no end to his talents!
Performance
Friday January 15
String Quartet No. 2: Nocturne (Borodin)
For the fifth day I selected the beautiful Nocturne from Borodin’s string quartet. Surely one of his greatest melodies. Played here by the Dover Quartet who have been hailed as the next great quartet. They have already won many prizes including a prestigious one from the Wigmore Hall.
Performance
*Nocturne: a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night.
For notes on Borodin go to Week 34.
Weekend January 16/17
If I can dream (Walter Earl Brown)
For the last track this week we conclude with Elvis finishing his comeback TV special of 1968 with Earl Brown's If I can dream. This was composed shortly after Martin Luther King was killed and the emotion in Presley's voice is true testament to the respect and reverence he held for him. Indeed one of the backing vocalists, with tears rolling down her cheeks, said, "I have never heard him sing with so much emotion before - it looks like he means every word.". This was one of the only times in his career that Presley overruled his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who wanted a schmaltzy Christmas number to end the show. Special thanks to my wife Sheila who convinced me to look at this TV special, as the idiot that I am, I had never appreciated the King before!
Performance