Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much contented fish, listening to the extraordinary strings of the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy – currently a Corelli Concerto Grosso (Gross Concerto), having just heard Mozart’s Serenade No. 13, a warhorse if ever there was one and there was one back in the day of warhorses. This is disc nineteen out of the forty I’ve loaded into Music thus far. It’s taking a lot of self-control, of which I have little, to not skip around, but I like listening to these in the order in which they were recorded. My other favorite of the five I listened to yesterday was an album of Debussy and Ravel that was simply ravishing. I have so many versions of the pieces on this album, and they’re all really great by great conductors, but this is right up there with the best of them. No muss, no fuss, just a world-class orchestra under a wonderful conductor. Next up will be interesting – a shortened version of Handel’s Messiah, or at least that’s what I’ve read. While I can appreciate the Messiah it’s not really my cuppa so I’ll be curious to see if I like it any better with Ormandy and the troops (spoort, spelled backwards). Earlier, I will confess to watching the first twenty minutes of The Will Rogers Follies, the original cast videotaped for Japanese TV. I saw the show early in its run on Broadway and early in my friendship with Tony Walton, who did the amazing set. My history with it, however, began just a little earlier than that, when I planning Classical Broadway. I’d contacted Cy Coleman and asked if he had any classical pieces and I gave him my office number. A couple of weeks later the phone rang and I happened to pick it up. “Bay Cities,” said I. On the other end of the line I heard a boisterous voice say, “Is this Bruce?” “Yes,” said I. “Who’s this? The boisterous voice said, “Call me Cy.” It took me a minute to realize I was talking to Cy Coleman. Before I could say anything else, he said, “Listen to THIS!” He then played the entire song, Never Met a Man I Didn’t Like over the phone, hot off the press from the cast recording – I was probably one of the first to hear it. “Whaddaya think?” said Call Me Cy. “It’s great,” said Call Me I. “Good!” said Cy, “Right answer. And yes, I have a wonderful classical piece for you and it’s in the mail, a tape and the music. I found The Will Rogers Follies an example of style over content. The book was the biggest disappointment, which was surprising because it was by Comden and Green. The score had some really nice stuff in it. But it was Tommy Tune’s staging and choreography that turned it into something magical. The dances and musical staging were so inventive and clever, and then you add the set, lighting, and costumes, an amazing company led by a stellar Keith Carradine, and the weak book didn’t really matter. The other thing that came out of the show was that it was my introduction to a talented kid playing one of Will’s kids – Tammy Minoff. We would become partners in crime for a few years, first on recordings, and then in several shows we did together. Watching it again, I felt exactly the same – a brilliant production of a not-brilliant show that was still very entertaining. Of course, I also watched some irritating YouTube videos.
Earlier, I had a fun dinner with the Pearls and friend Kenny Morse. We convened at the Smoke House and were there for two amusing hours. I had a cup of clam chowder, a shrimp cocktail, and a wedge salad with thousand island dressing, all great. Barry had beef stroganoff and a shrimp cocktail, wife Cindy had prime rib, and Kenny had barbecue chicken. And, of course, we all partook of the garlic cheese bread. No dessert – too full for that and I’m still full four and a half hours later. Before that, I got nine or ten hours of good sleep. Once up, I answered e-mails, shaved and showered, then loaded more CDs and listened whilst doing a few things on the computer. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll really try to write and my eyeballs don’t drive me crazy, I may go out to eat – just need to get out of the house for an hour or two – if not, I’ll order in. I’ll load more CDs, listen to more Ormandy, and the I’ll add relax and watch to the mix.
Tomorrow and the weekend will be more writing, meals, and relaxing. Then next week I’m hoping to see a galley and covers and if they’re correct then the book will go to the printers for my test copies, so this should move right along. In the meantime, I’m thinking of putting up the eBook next week, for anyone who’d like to get an early peek at it. I approved the eBook version yesterday and it’s all loaded in at Amazon, I just have to do the pricing page and then it will go live.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, write, eat, load CDs, listen to CDs, and relax and watch. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite choral pieces and your favorite recordings of same? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have remembered the Call Me Cy story.