Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 63 - Chivalry and Knights
While Philip takes a well-earned rest form Jukebox duties (he'll be back next week), Bryan takes up the reins with another programme of music to please and tease.
Music:
Ah, those dayes of yore! Forsooth, surely spelling mattereth not, and the English language may yet again be heavily laden with thees and thous. For in those times a knight had ideas of chivalrous conduct, and, so it appears from the following, could tap dance in a suit of armour.
Music:
Ah, those dayes of yore! Forsooth, surely spelling mattereth not, and the English language may yet again be heavily laden with thees and thous. For in those times a knight had ideas of chivalrous conduct, and, so it appears from the following, could tap dance in a suit of armour.
Monday May 24
King Arthur
Thou Swell
From the 1948 film Words and Music - a biopic about Rodgers and Hart, June Allyson sings Thou Swell from the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1927 stage musical A Connecticut Yankee
Wikipedia Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Connecticut_Yankee_(musical)
Performance - Running time 5'26:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHmmS6XquYA
If Ever I Would Leave You
If you have seen the film version of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot you might be interested to hear the original performer of Sir Lancelot in the Broadway production of 1960, Robert Goulet.
Performance - Running time 2'23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL52hEArSfM
Tuesday May 25
Don Quixote
Was Don Quixote mad to believe in chivalry, or was he the only sane one in the story? I leave you to make up your mind about the Knight of the Doleful Countenance.
Ludwig Minkus's famous ballet Don Quixote includes a piece of music famously used by John Curry to skate to. Here is part of the ballet itself. I've started the link about 12 minutes into the clip to take you straight to that music, but it is worth watching from the start. (The male character who dances is not, in fact, Don Quixote - in case you wondered.)
Entire performance - Running time 15'35 (but only about 3'30 from the start of the link).
https://youtu.be/J_yDnbLQ1eA?t=724
The Impossible Dream
From the 1972 film Man of La Mancha, Peter O'Toole as Don Quixote - singing dubbed by Simon Gilbert, who some Tonic members met in a summer project a-many years ago.
Performance - Running time 2'18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo7VlD66ISM
Wednesday May 26
El Cid
Still in Spain! This is the theme music from the 1961 film El Cid starring Charlton Heston. Magnificent music by Miklós Rózsa.
Wikipedia Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid_(film)
Original Soundtrack Theme: Performance - Running time 2'53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5ARvP8IuV8
A later performance of the film's Love Theme
Performance - Running time 4'36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czltBDI4LTg
Thursday May 27
Richard the Lionheart
The story of how Blondel the Minstrel sang a song to find and rescue King Richard is legendary.
Running Back for More
Elaine Page sings this song from the (fairly unsuccessful) 1983 musical Blondel. This song has been included especially for Philip.
Performance - Running time 3'14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcz1DH9zDus
O Richard, o mon roi
From Belgian composer André Gretry's 1784 opera Richard Coeur de Lion, this is the aria that Blondel sings.
Performance - Running time 3'02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fL6fQwMZ2U
Friday May 28
Still in the time of Richard the Lionheart, and his brother, Prince John
From Sullivan's 1891 grand opera Ivanhoe (based on the novel by Walter Scott) comes this chorus Plantagenesta!
Performance - Running time 3'07
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma9On71r_6A&list=OLAK5uy_lEdErhKZOCQHP02dcjWWRHwMIjTiUe6kw&index=12
And also this prayer from Rebecca. She has been imprisoned by the Templar who has designs upon her.
Performance - Running time 3'16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPvJGCZ6JiA&list=OLAK5uy_lEdErhKZOCQHP02dcjWWRHwMIjTiUe6kw&index=28
Wikipedia Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivanhoe_(opera)
Weekend May 29/30
Overture to Oberon
Here is the phenomenal overture to Weber's 1826 opera Oberon. Despite being by a German composer, it was first performed in English at Covent Garden. The lead tenor in the opera is Sir Huon de Bordeaux who has been ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne to carry out a mission in Baghdad. The part was first played by the great British tenor of the day - John Braham (born Abraham), whose remarkable career took him from synagogue cantor to one of the most famous opera singers of his day.
Performance - Running time 10'42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4slVTrQh8
Wikipedia Info on the opera: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberon_(Weber)
Wikipedia Info on John Braham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Braham_(tenor)
King Arthur
Thou Swell
From the 1948 film Words and Music - a biopic about Rodgers and Hart, June Allyson sings Thou Swell from the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1927 stage musical A Connecticut Yankee
Wikipedia Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Connecticut_Yankee_(musical)
Performance - Running time 5'26:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHmmS6XquYA
If Ever I Would Leave You
If you have seen the film version of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot you might be interested to hear the original performer of Sir Lancelot in the Broadway production of 1960, Robert Goulet.
Performance - Running time 2'23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL52hEArSfM
Tuesday May 25
Don Quixote
Was Don Quixote mad to believe in chivalry, or was he the only sane one in the story? I leave you to make up your mind about the Knight of the Doleful Countenance.
Ludwig Minkus's famous ballet Don Quixote includes a piece of music famously used by John Curry to skate to. Here is part of the ballet itself. I've started the link about 12 minutes into the clip to take you straight to that music, but it is worth watching from the start. (The male character who dances is not, in fact, Don Quixote - in case you wondered.)
Entire performance - Running time 15'35 (but only about 3'30 from the start of the link).
https://youtu.be/J_yDnbLQ1eA?t=724
The Impossible Dream
From the 1972 film Man of La Mancha, Peter O'Toole as Don Quixote - singing dubbed by Simon Gilbert, who some Tonic members met in a summer project a-many years ago.
Performance - Running time 2'18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo7VlD66ISM
Wednesday May 26
El Cid
Still in Spain! This is the theme music from the 1961 film El Cid starring Charlton Heston. Magnificent music by Miklós Rózsa.
Wikipedia Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid_(film)
Original Soundtrack Theme: Performance - Running time 2'53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5ARvP8IuV8
A later performance of the film's Love Theme
Performance - Running time 4'36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czltBDI4LTg
Thursday May 27
Richard the Lionheart
The story of how Blondel the Minstrel sang a song to find and rescue King Richard is legendary.
Running Back for More
Elaine Page sings this song from the (fairly unsuccessful) 1983 musical Blondel. This song has been included especially for Philip.
Performance - Running time 3'14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcz1DH9zDus
O Richard, o mon roi
From Belgian composer André Gretry's 1784 opera Richard Coeur de Lion, this is the aria that Blondel sings.
Performance - Running time 3'02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fL6fQwMZ2U
Friday May 28
Still in the time of Richard the Lionheart, and his brother, Prince John
From Sullivan's 1891 grand opera Ivanhoe (based on the novel by Walter Scott) comes this chorus Plantagenesta!
Performance - Running time 3'07
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma9On71r_6A&list=OLAK5uy_lEdErhKZOCQHP02dcjWWRHwMIjTiUe6kw&index=12
And also this prayer from Rebecca. She has been imprisoned by the Templar who has designs upon her.
Performance - Running time 3'16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPvJGCZ6JiA&list=OLAK5uy_lEdErhKZOCQHP02dcjWWRHwMIjTiUe6kw&index=28
Wikipedia Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivanhoe_(opera)
Weekend May 29/30
Overture to Oberon
Here is the phenomenal overture to Weber's 1826 opera Oberon. Despite being by a German composer, it was first performed in English at Covent Garden. The lead tenor in the opera is Sir Huon de Bordeaux who has been ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne to carry out a mission in Baghdad. The part was first played by the great British tenor of the day - John Braham (born Abraham), whose remarkable career took him from synagogue cantor to one of the most famous opera singers of his day.
Performance - Running time 10'42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4slVTrQh8
Wikipedia Info on the opera: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberon_(Weber)
Wikipedia Info on John Braham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Braham_(tenor)