Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

[Peter Clark]

Philip Scriven played this last night at Lichfield and though I wasn't there a friend was and she reported hightly favourably on it. I've thought of getting the score but the only source I can find on google is Michael Music in the USA for which the postage is about the same price as the score; is there anywhere in the UK where it might be got? Indeed does anyone here play it?

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[andyorgan]

Yes, and its well worth getting. Some of the postage might be a bit pricey, but they are a very friendly outfit (I have exchanged a few emails with them over other publications), and the material I've ordered has always come pretty promptly.

 

The rest of the catalogue is worth a look, previously difficult to get hold of music/out of print. Dare I say it, but there's quite a few transcriptions in it!

 

I play the Hollins Overture he lists, which a number of people had asked me about copies, he was the only place I could find it, ditto the rather-good Concert Rondo. Not everyone's cup of tea!

[Peter Clark]

Thanks G for the reply. It seems that Crawford was a self-tought though brilliant theatre organist. That he had no formal training but could make such a persuasive transcription is quite remarkable. I will order the score from Michael Music.

 

Peter

[andyorgan]

I can't remember who, but there's another regular on the forums who has ordered from the same place.

 

The William Tell is also worth checking out if you want something slightly easier than the Lemare version.

[peeweeel]

Philip Scriven played this last night at Lichfield and though I wasn't there a friend was and she reported hightly favourably on it. I've thought of getting the score but the only source I can find on google is Michael Music in the USA for which the postage is about the same price as the score; is there anywhere in the UK where it might be got? Indeed does anyone here play it?

 

Cheers

 

Peter

 

Yes it was an interesting and well received evening. He called it "and all that jazz". It included a couple of Firebird movements, Locklair's "Rubrics" and Barber's Adagio for Strings as well as his own transcription of Bernstein's Candide overture.

[AJJ]

I can't remember who, but there's another regular on the forums who has ordered from the same place.

 

I have used them - I got a quasi oriental piece called Chinoiserie and also Lotus by Billy Strayhorn - the former has worked well in a 'lighter type' concert and the latter is a super bit of slush for before the service or in the Communion. They are a great help at Michael's Music and send update emails every so often with new things to try. Their catalogue also has the facility so see/hear a part of each piece - which I find a a rather great temptation when browsing.

 

A

[MusingMuso]

It might be interesting to compare the Jesse Crawford arrnagement with a couple of others; one complete and the other just a video clip.

 

Crawford may have been self taught, but Quentin Maclean certainly wasn't. His father was Alec Maclean ("the God of Scarborough") who was a gifted conducter/arranger resident at the Spa, Scarborough, where he conducted the orchestra.

A friend of C S Terry, he arranged for young Quentin to take lessons from him, (presumably in London), and therafter he went to Leipzig to stufy with Reger (composition) and Straube (organ).

 

This is the link to the page:-

 

http://theatreorgans.com/southerncross/Radiogram/UKfiles.htm

 

You need to scroll down to find the Gershwin.

 

A fascinatingly accurate and virtuoso pianistic/organ/orchestral style (all three used quite freely), is that heard from Hector Olivera, who uses every trick in the electronic book to re-create a superb performance of the Gershwin, more or less true to the original score.

 

 

For those of an impatient disposition, the Gershwin starts at 5m 10secs

 

The following also includes further bits of the same performance:-

 

 

Interestingly, should anyone wonder how Maclean gets the clarinet glizzando, he used the siren effect on the Marble Arch organ, and then transferred to a note on the Clarinet when the siren got up to speed.....quite remarkable! (This was a fully working siren installed on the instrument, which also had a full set of bell chimes).

 

My vote goes to Hector Olivera, (electronic or not), because the technology enables Hector Olivera to get very close to the score and the sound of the original.....but what a fabulous talent as both a classical and entertainment organist!

 

If anyone thinks they can play counterpoint, give this one a try!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

MM

[timothyguntrip]

Many apologies to Peter for hijacking his Gershwin thread - I've a similar transcription request...

 

After hearing a Youtube video recently of Colin Walsh playing Coates' Knightsbridge March, I'd love to know if an actual printed transcription exists. Robert Sharpe has recorded it at Lichfield as well but it seems to be slightly different from the aforementioned version, so I'm not sure whether they made their own respective transcriptions!

 

I'd be grateful to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

 

VA

[Peter Clark]

It might be interesting to compare the Jesse Crawford arrnagement with a couple of others; one complete and the other just a video clip.

 

Crawford may have been self taught, but Quentin Maclean certainly wasn't. His father was Alec Maclean ("the God of Scarborough") who was a gifted conducter/arranger resident at the Spa, Scarborough, where he conducted the orchestra.

A friend of C S Terry, he arranged for young Quentin to take lessons from him, (presumably in London), and therafter he went to Leipzig to stufy with Reger (composition) and Straube (organ).

 

This is the link to the page:-

 

http://theatreorgans.com/southerncross/Radiogram/UKfiles.htm

 

You need to scroll down to find the Gershwin.

 

A fascinatingly accurate and virtuoso pianistic/organ/orchestral style (all three used quite freely), is that heard from Hector Olivera, who uses every trick in the electronic book to re-create a superb performance of the Gershwin, more or less true to the original score.

 

 

For those of an impatient disposition, the Gershwin starts at 5m 10secs

 

The following also includes further bits of the same performance:-

 

 

Interestingly, should anyone wonder how Maclean gets the clarinet glizzando, he used the siren effect on the Marble Arch organ, and then transferred to a note on the Clarinet when the siren got up to speed.....quite remarkable! (This was a fully working siren installed on the instrument, which also had a full set of bell chimes).

 

My vote goes to Hector Olivera, (electronic or not), because the technology enables Hector Olivera to get very close to the score and the sound of the original.....but what a fabulous talent as both a classical and entertainment organist!

 

If anyone thinks they can play counterpoint, give this one a try!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

MM

 

and all that on a 2-man toaster! There's a fine line between genius amd madness, and HO is certainly on the former side!

 

P

[MusingMuso]

Many apologies to Peter for hijacking his Gershwin thread - I've a similar transcription request...

 

After hearing a Youtube video recently of Colin Walsh playing Coates' Knightsbridge March, I'd love to know if an actual printed transcription exists. Robert Sharpe has recorded it at Lichfield as well but it seems to be slightly different from the aforementioned version, so I'm not sure whether they made their own respective transcriptions!

 

I'd be grateful to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

 

VA

 

 

==========================

 

 

I think it would be fair to suggest that these excellent and popular Marches were usually available as piano-reductions, and most of the famous theatre-organists played/arranged from these.

 

I will have a copy of this somewhere in piano-reduction form if you get stuck.

 

MM

[MusingMuso]

and all that on a 2-man toaster! There's a fine line between genius amd madness, and HO is certainly on the former side!

 

P

 

 

======================

 

 

Absolutely, and as a classical organist, his recording from Ste.Clotilde playing Franck, is absolutely magnificent. If folks dig around the various Youtube clips of Hector Olivera, there is a short clip of him playing the Scherzo from Vierne's very difficult 6th Symphony.

 

What I find astonishing, is that many of the organ establishment criticise Hector Olivera for crossing the boundary between electronic, classical and theatre organ. In all three respective genres, (to which can be added Latin American and Jazz), Hector Olivera (Argentinian by birth), is supremely gifted at all of them, which I think makes him far cleverer than all his critics put together.

 

Genius is a word I avoid normally, but I would not hesitate to apply the word to this supremely gifted musician. There has never been another organist like him.

 

MM

[andyorgan]

After hearing a Youtube video recently of Colin Walsh playing Coates' Knightsbridge March, I'd love to know if an actual printed transcription exists. Robert Sharpe has recorded it at Lichfield as well but it seems to be slightly different from the aforementioned version, so I'm not sure whether they made their own respective transcriptions!

 

I'd be grateful to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

 

I had the same thought a couple of years ago and I got a book of piano reductions from Musicroom.com, called something like 'The Music of Eric Coates, an Anniversary Tribute'. It has both Lond Suites, Dambusters, Calling All Workers, Sleepy Lagoon, etc. I've got the Mark Blatchly disc from Lancing from a few years ago which is almost exclusively Coates transcriptions, I know Gerard Brooks did a couple from All Souls (including obviously Langham Place, on Priory). Kelvingrove were treated to Sleepy Lagoon not so long back, though in the noise of the hall I'm not sure how much they heard.

 

The book also includes a couple of his songs. Much underrated.

[Peter Clark]

I had the same thought a couple of years ago and I got a book of piano reductions from Musicroom.com, called something like 'The Music of Eric Coates, an Anniversary Tribute'. It has both Lond Suites, Dambusters, Calling All Workers, Sleepy Lagoon, etc. I've got the Mark Blatchly disc from Lancing from a few years ago which is almost exclusively Coates transcriptions, I know Gerard Brooks did a couple from All Souls (including obviously Langham Place, on Priory). Kelvingrove were treated to Sleepy Lagoon not so long back, though in the noise of the hall I'm not sure how much they heard.

 

The book also includes a couple of his songs. Much underrated.

 

I recently bought a Kevin Mayhew book - an activity more rare now than earlier - which contains a sight-readable arrangement of the Dambusters March along with a number of other well-known marches.

 

Peter

[Peter Clark]

Mnay years ago I was given a CD called Xanadu made by the Austrailian John Giacchi and one of the tracks is Spring Fever by "Bloom". No other information is given. Nothing on Musicroom. Can anybody shed light please?

 

Peter

[timothyguntrip]

Thanks to all with regards to suggestions for the Knightsbridge March!

 

VA

[Malcolm Farr]

Mnay years ago I was given a CD called Xanadu made by the Austrailian John Giacchi and one of the tracks is Spring Fever by "Bloom". No other information is given. Nothing on Musicroom. Can anybody shed light please?

 

Peter

 

Hi Peter

 

I expect the song was Spring Fever from the 1965 Elvis Presley album, Girl Happy. It was written by Bernie Baum (not Bloom), Bill Giant and Florence Kaye, who wrote a number of Elvis' songs in the mid- to late 60s.

 

Incidentally, John Giacchi was the organist for my wedding back in 1988, so your post has brought back a few memories.

 

Rgds

MJF

[Peter Clark]

Hi Peter

 

I expect the song was Spring Fever from the 1965 Elvis Presley album, Girl Happy. It was written by Bernie Baum (not Bloom), Bill Giant and Florence Kaye, who wrote a number of Elvis' songs in the mid- to late 60s.

 

Incidentally, John Giacchi was the organist for my wedding back in 1988, so your post has brought back a few memories.

 

Rgds

MJF

 

Thanks for this reply. However the sleeve notes state that the piece dates from 1926 and the composer was a person called Bloom. I suppose I could get in contact with John Giacchi - any idea how?

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[Malcolm Farr]

Thanks for this reply. However the sleeve notes state that the piece dates from 1926 and the composer was a person called Bloom. I suppose I could get in contact with John Giacchi - any idea how?

 

Cheers

 

Peter

 

Oops - I jumped to an incorrect conclusion on the basis of a little familiarity with the Elvis / Baum connection ... and Baum is somewhat like Bloom.

 

I remained in touch with John Giacchi for some years after my wedding, but it's probably the mid-90s since I last saw him. Do please let me know if you make contact.

 

Rgds

MJF

[innate]

Thanks for this reply. However the sleeve notes state that the piece dates from 1926 and the composer was a person called Bloom. I suppose I could get in contact with John Giacchi - any idea how?

 

Cheers

 

Peter

I did a Google search for +"Spring Fever" +Bloom and came up with some YouTube versions of a "stride" piano piece that could well date from the 1920s by Rube Bloom.

Try this:

[Peter Clark]

Yep, that's the one. What a talented chap! I never really could manage that stride style of playing....

 

Thanks

 

Peter

[Peter Clark]

The score of R in B arrived last week from Michaelsmusic in the USA arrived today - not so much a transcription as a kind of "selections from" - and at the beginning at least the material is not presented in its original order. Also when I learned a piano version of this many years ago it was in B flat major whereas Crawford has in in B major.

 

However this is a cracking-looking piece, not too difficult, and bound to be a crowd-pleaser (or even crowd-puller if you advertise!).

 

Peter