This is a follow-up to my post of last November presenting a Columbia LP of ballet music conducted by Efrem Kurtz.
That post contains an introduction to the career of this talented conductor who made many records with the New York Philharmonic and the Philharmonic Orchestra.
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| Efrem Kurtz |
I mentioned then that Kurtz was the music director of the Houston Symphony from 1948-54, but had recorded only a few items with that ensemble. Today we are concerned with his Houston recording of two pieces of French ballet music, Erik Satie's
Parade (Realistic Ballet) and a suite from Georges Auric's
Les Matelots ballet. The sessions were held in Houston's City Auditorium in December 14, 1949. It was a busy day for Kurtz and his charges - all their Columbia recordings were made during that session, including suites from
Kiss Me, Kate and
South Pacific, plus Fauré's Pavane, used as a filler on the
Kiss Me, Kate 78 set.
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| Auric by George Hoyningen-Huene; Satie by Man Ray |
Kurtz was particularly well suited to conducting the Satie and Auric ballets. Before coming to the US, he had been the conductor of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo for a decade. That was the successor troupe to Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, which premiered those works. Kurtz worked directly with Léonide Massine, who choreographed both ballets.
Satie and Auric were connected through an association with what became known as "Les Six." In 1917, Satie had assembled a group of younger composers he dubbed "Les nouveaux jeunes," including Auric. That group later became the basis of Les Six, with Jean Cocteau as guiding light rather than Satie.
This 10-inch LP is well played and recorded, and the music is delightful.
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| Kurtz's dog endorsed Calvert Reserve liquor |
19 comments:
Link (Apple lossless):
http://www.mediafire.com/file/992drjjneh11j1n/Satie_-_Parade%252C_Auric_-_Les_Matelots_%2528Kurtz%2529.zip/file
Hi Buster, This looks delightful, but when I attempt to download, I receive the following message from mediafire: "Permission denied. 'Choral' by Efrem Kurtz may be available for download from Amazon." Would you be willing to upload to another service, e.g., MEGA? Many thanks as always, Daniel
Many thanks for this very rare recording featuring two French ballets : the famous Parade (which has been a big event with Picasso setting; Kurtz chooses here a concert version) and the unknown Sailors suite by Auric.
Kurtz and Houston SO are excellent.
Dear Buster,
Many thanks for this download - will be interesting to listen to it.
Efrem Kurtz was the conductor (1955-7) of my local band "(Royal)Liverpool Philharmonic" in my early days - but do not remember whether I saw him or not. Only really started attending concerts on a regular basis in mid 1960s.
Cheers,
Douglas (UK)
His dog had an endorsement contract for liquor? I'm glad the Kardashians haven't thought of that (yet)!
Try downloading it a couple times in a row, you'll usually get it.
Finally got it on my third attempt. Any idea what's causing the problem?
This is a great one, thank you!
Hi everyone, and thanks for the comments!
Mediafire apparently has a contract with Amazon where it makes money through referrals, so it reroutes people to Amazon whenever some aspect of the file name matches an Amazon file, no matter how inexact the match. (It's an algorithm.) Let me upload the file to Mega. Link forthcoming,)
Alternative link:
https://mega.nz/#!yJ0E3YjA!H1NKquO6PauyD-3Uk3b-53h71_tHBcls5c-BpfP7snI
When I first listened to the Auric, I thought I noted a distinct trace of Stravinsky. But the ballets by Igor I was thinking of--e.g., "La Baiser de la Fee"--came years after "Les Matelots." I love Auric. His music for Jean Cocteau films is some of the most memorable soundtrack music ever written. Thanks for this.
And now a request that only you might fill: a recording by The 5 Red Caps for a lost Andy Razaf song, "Destination Unknown." It was released on the Joe Davis label in 1945 or 46. Lyricist Andy Razaf deserves tribute with the same pent-up need as Willard Robison.
David - I think I do have some Red Caps records on Joe Davis - at least one, anyway! I'll check for you.
I checked on the 5 Red Caps. I do have a few releases, but not the one you want. However, I have located a lossless transfer, will spiff it up, and post it on Buster's Swinging Singles in a day or so!
I've now posted it over on the other blog:
https://bustersss.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-5-red-caps-and-destination-unknown.html
Haven't listened to the Auric, but find the 1949 sound on the Satie amazing. Not my favorite "Parade" rendition, but I'll give it high marks for keeping a steady, solid beat per section (though with too little variation between them, imo). I would have gone with different tempos, overall, but I wasn't the conductor. The solid beat adds a lot, and from that feature alone the listener can tell the conductor took Satie seriously. Too few musicians seem to. There's the stereotype of Satie as "eccentric," as some semi-legit composer whose innovations influenced Debussy and Ravel, yes, but whose actual works lacked much musical merit. Luckily, there are artists, like this conductor, who know better.
Thanks, Lee. This is the best Parade I've heard, not that I've heard many of them!
Love the Satie score and all those associated with this ballet (Parade was a ballet production by Sergei Diaghilev, based on a theme by Jean Cocteau. The music was written by Erik Satie, choreography by Léonide Massine, curtain, décor and costumes designed by Pablo Picasso. The first performance of Parade was at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on May 18, 1917.) Thank you very much for this rich score.
First, let me thank you again for cleaning--and I mean deep cleaning--up "Destination Unknown." Second, let me throw a request your way that is probably my--or anybody's, for that matter--last chance of ever hearing this album.
As you know, I'm a big Fred Katz fan and have managed to find every album on which he played or arranged. One eludes me: "The Sound of Bernhart," by trombonist Milt Bernhart (famous for the trombone solo on frank Sinatra's 1956 recording of "I've Got You Under My Skin"), released by Decca Records in 1958 (when the label was using Fred for lots of projects). Katz shares arranging chores with Calvin Jackson. That's all I know. But if you have this album, or can find it, please gift it to the world. I'll try not to bother you again for a while, although I think it is time for you to pay tribute to arranger Ralph Burns. Just a suggestion, not a full-fledged beseeching of you.
David - I have the Bernhart Modern Brass LP on RCA, but not the Sound of Bernhart, I don't think. Sorry! I do have Ralph Burns records, though!
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