Camille Saint-Saens / Jamaica
On this day in classical music: Saint-Saëns’ “Piano Concerto No. 4” received its premier in Paris in 1875. Edouard Colonne conducted the concert which featured the composer as soloist. Saint-Saens studied at the Paris Conservatory where he excelled in organ and composition. From 1857 to 1877, he was organist at the Église de la Madeleine in Paris. His large body of works includes five symphonies, the third (Organ Symphony) of which remains his most popular, five piano concertos, concertos for violin and cello, miscellaneous works for orchestra and a significant number of works for piano and organ. Among his best known works are “The Carnival of the Animals,” the opera “Samson et Delilah,” the “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso” and the “Marche Militaire Francaise.” Listen to Philippe Entremont play the second movement of the “Piano Concerto No. 4” with Donald Vorhees conducting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du9aGwl6am8
On this day in the musical theatre: The Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg musical “Jamaica” opened on Broadway in 1957. Starring Lena Horne and Ricardo Montalban, “Jamaica” told the story of a simple island community fighting to avoid being overrun by American commercialism. Arlen’s score is lively and shows the influence of the Caribbean calypso. Savannah (Horne) wants a life in New York with modern conveniences. She is tempted to accept the marriage proposal of a New York businessman but ultimately chooses Koli, an impoverished fisherman who saves her younger brother’s life during a hurricane. Listen to Horne sing “Cocoanut Sweet.” The song starts about three minutes into the clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3WnJy35wIw
Musical musings: A hurricane named Lena (Horne) blew into the Imperial Theatre Thursday night, and proceeded to provoke some of the stormiest applause heard hereabouts in quite a spell. She brought in her wake a tempestuous musical titled “Jamaica.” To watch her on stage is like following the hypnotic movements of a brilliant flame. She is our idea of a definition for incandescent. “Jamaica” bowed into the Imperial with an advance sale of close to $2,000,000. And no wonder. For, with Skipper Horne at the helm, it spells theatre — for that matter, box-office — magic. It’s a grand gale of gala entertainment. – Robert Coleman writing in the Daily Mirror
Next Story