The opening marches were played in response to some requests made by listeners in the past. Side note: "Colonel Bogey" is better known as the theme of the movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai. Victor Herbert, composer of "March of the Toys", was born this week in 1859, so we take this opportunity to commemorate this anniversary.
Alford: Colonel Bogey (CD: Marches in Hi-Fi) L. v. Beethoven: Turkish March Victor Herbert: March of the Toys (Boston Pops; Arthur Fiedler)
Jascha Heifetz, widely considered the great violin virtuoso of the 20th century, was born this week in 1901. This arrangement (by Heifetz) from the Bach's English Suite No. 3 was recorded in 1934.
J. S. Bach: Gavotte I & II (CD: Bach Sonatas and (Jascha Heifetz, violin) Partitas)
And we follow the violin connection to play a duet from an opera that was probably named after the violinist Paganini. Following that, we observe another violinist's birth week, Fritz Kreisler in 1875, with a historical performance recorded in 1927. Then, we look back at the Paganini collection with one of his compositions, on another historical performance, this one in 1938. Finally, to close out this thread, a historic recording of Rachmaninoff performing his own work based on Paganini's 24th Caprice, recorded some time in the years 1929-1944.
Franz Lehár: Niemand liebst dich so ich lieb (from Paganini) (Page Swift, mezzo-soprano; Siegmund Seigel, tenor; Charles Worth, piano) Fritz Kreisler: Schön Rosmarin (CD: The Recorded (Fritz Kreisler, violin) Violin) Nicolo Paganini: Nel cor più variations (CD: The Recorded (Vása Príhoda, violin) Violin) Sergei Rachmaninoff: Variations on a Theme of Paganini (CD: Rachmaninoff Plays (Sergei Rachmaninoff, piano; Rachmaninoff) Philadelphia Orchestra; Leopold Stokowski)
Continuing the started series last week, here is probably the best known variation of the Adagio from Barber's String Quartet, an arrangement for string orchestra, in the famous 1942 recording with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Oh, and violinists in the NBC were asked to play all 24 of Paganini's Caprices...
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (CD: Toscanini (NBC Symphony Orchestra; Collection, Vol. 38) Arturo Toscanini)
And just a bit more music to round out the hour:
Edward Elgar: Sea Songs (CD: Cello Concerto III. Sabbath Morning at Sea and Sea Songs) IV. Where Corals Lie V. The Swimmer (Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano; London Symphony Orchestra; Sir John Barbirolli)
Page Swift, Siegmund Seigel, and Charles Worth present "The Romance of Old Vienna" at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 600 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto, on Sunday, February 6, at 4 PM. Call St. Mark's at (415) 326-3800 for more information.
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