Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Show 107: Animals in Music!

[Added on 2015/7/18:  This used to be called Show 7.  I've renumbered the shows, so that this one is Show107.  The July 4th show for this year will be numbered numbered Show201, and so on.  If you didn't figure this out yet, my first show aired the week of July 4th, 2014.]
This show was about animals, pieces of music that refer to animals.

Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf
The best-known classical piece for kids is Sergei Prokofiev’s Soviet era story of Peter and the Wolf.  Here Leonard Bernstein narrates, and conducts.
Bach / Brian Slawson: Das Roach
Two-part Invention in A minor, No 13 by J. S. Bach, jazzed-up by Brian Slawson, and performed on percussion.  The title is, I believe, a sly reference to a song well-known in the Sixties called La Cucaracha, the Cockroach.

Saint Saens: Carnival of the Animals
This performance is narrated by Leonard Bernstein, who introduces the movements.  However, his forces are the strings of the New York Philharmonic, two pianos, and several young special soloists.  For some of the pieces, I used performances by Eugene Ormandy, and a very small chamber orchestra, which seemed more appropriate, in particular the Donkeys, or People with Long Ears.
Note: the famous Swan movement, written for Cello, is played on a double bass!
Introduction and Royal March Of The Lion, Cocks and hens, Tortoises, Elephants, Kangaroos, Aquarium, People with Long Ears, Cuckoo in the heart of the Woods, Aviary, Fossils, The swan, Finale
Poulenc, de Brunhoff:
Babar the Little Elephant Meets the Old Lady
This is a book in French by Jean De Brunhoff, a French author, which was set to music by Francis Poulenc.  It is narrated here by Jan Bookspan, and performed by a special orchestra.
Beatles: Hey Bulldog
A relatively little-known piece by The Beatles, which was included in the recent re-release of the soundtrack of Yellow Submarine
Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela
A beautiful piece by Jean Sibelius
Flanders & Swann: The Gnu Song, The Sea horse, The Hippopotamus Song
A few animal-related songs by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, from The Bestiary of Flanders and Swann.
Leroy Anderson: Waltzing Cat
Leroy Anderson (of Sleigh Ride fame) wrote this piece for the Boston Pops.  This performance is by a Czech orchestra.
Canteloube: Le Coucou
Dawn Upshaw performs this song based on a folk song of the Auvergne region in France.
Beatles: I Am The Walrus
John Lennon’s famous nonsense song.
John Denver: The Eagle and the Hawk
An amazing song sung in John Denver’s highest register.
Stravinsky: The Firebird
The Firebird arrives in a garden, chased by Ivan.
Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus
A piece by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, which uses actual taped birdsong.

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