Howard Hanson / Merrily We Roll Along
On this day in classical music: Serge Koussevitzky conducted the premiere of Howard Hanson’s “Symphony No. 2,” subtitled the “Romantic,” with the Boston Symphony in 1930. By far the most popular of Hanson’s seven symphonies, the Second features a brief excerpt that became known as the Interlochen Theme, a romantic, evocative melody that is still used today to close all concerts at the popular music institution in Interlochen, Michigan. Hanson composed much of the Romantic symphony during one of his frequent visits to Interlochen. Hanson was director of the Eastman School of Music from 1924 to 1964 and was founder of the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra. He had a long partnership with Mercury Records for which he recorded many of his own works as well as other notable compositions by American composers. Hanson once estimated that 2,000 works by more than 500 American composers were premiered during his tenure at the Eastman School. The Romantic symphony was commissioned by Koussevitzky for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony. Listen to the World Youth Symphony Orchestra perform the Interlochen Theme from Hanson’s “Symphony No. 2.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2dVof0WDpU
On this day in the musical theatre: Stephen Sondheim’s ill-fated musical “Merrily We Roll Along” closed on Broadway after just 16 performances in 1981. Based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, “Merrily We Roll Along” focuses on Franklin Shepard, a talented composer of Broadway musicals who has abandoned his friends and his songwriting career to become a Hollywood producer. Like the play, the musical begins at the height of his Hollywood fame and moves backwards in time, showing snapshots of the most important moments in Shepard’s life that shaped the man that he is today. Considered a cult show by industry insiders, “Merrily We Roll Along” has been produced numerous times over the years, each time reflecting a series of changes designed to improve and clarify the story. Despite its short run, the musical produced several songs that have remained popular with recording artists: “Not a Day Goes By,” “Good Thing Going,” “Old Friends” and “Our Time.” Listen to Lin-Manuel Miranda, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Colin Donnell perform “Old Friends” in a promotional video for an Encores! production. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5U_C668gS8
