1959

It is possible, however, that even more Spanish music has been composed outside of Spain than in it. Its highly emotional, insidiously rhythmic, blazingly colorful characteristics have seduced the world’s most eminent composers.

It is possible, however, that even more Spanish music has been composed outside of Spain than in it. Its highly emotional, insidiously rhythmic, blazingly colorful characteristics have seduced the world’s most eminent composers. Debussy, Chabrier and Ravel are notable among the great French talents who, at one time or another in their careers, fell under the spell of Spain. Jules Massenet, represented in this album by the graceful Castillane from his opera El Cid, was another. Probably the consummate expression of Spanish musical influence on a French-man was Carmen, one of the most sublimely integrated and emotionally stimulating operas of all time, and of course the crowning achievement of its composer, Georges Bizet. The Intermezzo heard on this recording is from Carmen Suite No. 14. It contains rippling flute and harp passages of unparalleled tranquility and delight, which reflect the potent blend of, French dramatic lyricism with themes that are inescapably Spanish.

The devious route which carried the music of Spain out to the rest of the world proved to be a two-way street through which foreign idioms came in. Manuel de Falla is an interesting illustration of this. One of Spain’s most gifted musicians and a dedicated pupil of the Iberian nationalist composer Felipe Pedrell, Falla was in turn strongly influenced by the impressionists Debussy, Ravel and Dukas, whom he met in Paris when he visited there in 1907. The engaging Danza (Spanish Dance No. 1), included here, is from the opera La Vida Breve (The Short Life), one of his earliest works. Its inherent excitement is skillfully dramatized by Carmen. Dragon. The impress of the tempo español is nowhere sharper or more vivid than in Latin American folk tunes, whose character was molded by the long-ago conquistadores and their numerous descendants. The folk themes which permeate most Spanish music—from the hoarse
flamencos of the cantinas to the classical studies for violin, guitar and piano—emigrated to the New World, where the syncopated Iberian beat and the percussive Indian rhythms took to each other readily and made a happy marriage. The body of folk songs which resulted —sentimental, bawdy, tender, sad, gay and altogether wonderful — inevitably crossed the border into the United States, where they have become increasingly familiar and popular. Two particularly charming examples of Latin America’s folk music — Ay, Ay, Ay and Jesusita en Chihuahua—have been chosen for this album by Carmen Dragon, who treats them with the affection they deserve. Jesusita includes the extra delight of a typical Mexican mariachi hand, which engages in a musical dialogue with the full orchestra. Spanish dance forms crossed the great ocean to the Western Hemisphere along with Spanish music, and one of the most spectacular of these was the tango. Descended from a Negro dance called the tangano, it journeyed in various forms to Andalucia, the. rest of Spain and to the Americas. Its last major excursion was up from Argentina to the United States, as an exhibition dance. Characterized by aristocratic but free-flowing movements, the tango persists as a steady favorite in this country, and La Cumparsita is possibly the one most frequently heard. Conductor Dragon gives this composition a sparkling performance in which soaring strings, growling trombones, crackling trumpets and the hypnotic interbeat of castanet and tambourine emphasize its fascinating rhythm.

Other successful Castilian-accented residents of the United States are Lady of Spain, Jalousie and Valencia, all three enjoying long careers as popular standards and susceptible to a variety of stirring treatments. Carmen Dragon displays taste and flexibility in gracing these favorites with the opulent spectrum of tone, rhythm and harmonic richness which only the full symphony orchestra can provide. Mr. Dragon ebulliently explores the rhythmic variations of fandango, waltz, tango, galop, beguine, samba and mambo with a dazzling counterplay of instrumental colors—calling upon marimbas, flutes, bongos, castanets, maracas, tambourines and all the varied percussive accents which punctuate so much of Spanish music.

Produced by RALPH O’CONNOR

CARMEN DRAGON has distinguished, himself in America as an out-standing composer, arranger and conductor in many fields of music, including motion pictures, radio and television, and appearances with major symphony orchestras throughout the nation.

With these intentions in mind, he has conceived Floatin’ Like a Feather: twelve beautiful selections in which the orchestra plays with a light, swinging style, “floating” along on top of the rhythm section. Since making his first mood album nearly fifteen years ago, Paul Weston has recorded more than 250 selections in his famous melodic style. These recordings have featured a broad variety of sounds and techniques, for Weston experiments continuously with fresh orchestral ideas. In every recording, however, he has followed this basic concept: “The melody is the thing!” And he has built his art around that plan, seeing to it that over-harmonization and over-arranging never interfere with the listener’s appreciation of the composer’s melodic line. And, indeed, in this album every selection is rich in melody. But Weston has achieved something refreshingly different, too. While his full orchestra goes “floatin’ like a feather” with these melodic mood stylings, a fine rhythm section and top soloists add zest to the pace, and a sailing lift to every number.

In this collection, Norman Luboff leads his celebrated choir in a charming succession of favourites largely taken from those years. They are romantic, all of them, and have the further advantage of not being over-played. Together they represent some of the finest work of some of America’s finest composers-not, perhaps, the most publicized, but men of wide attainment nevertheless, and the programme as a result is both nostalgic and uncommonly enjoyable.

The Luboff Choir sings these songs with that remarkable sympathy that in a few years has made it one of the most acclaimed in the country. Throughout its relatively brief existence. Mr. Luboff has directed the Choir in songs of the west, of the south, and of the sea. This last programme was received to unanimous acclaim everywhere and has firmly established the Choir as a ranking musical organization. But the group is at home in the popular song. too. as its collection of Broadway choruses and an earlier group of ballads has proved. With discreet instrumental effects adding to the atmosphere, this romantic collection takes its place among the Choir’s most rewarding efforts.

But Beautiful, which opens the programme and lends it its name, is the most recent of the songs included, having been composed in 1947 by Johnny Burke and Jimmy van Heusen for The Road to Rio, with that celebrated trio, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Next comes another melody introduced by Mr. Crosby, Pennies from Heaven from the 1936 film of the same name, written by Mr. Burke with Arthur Johnston. Blue Moon of 1934 is one of the very few songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart that was not written for a musical production. and is followed by I Should Care written in 1945 by Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl and Paul Weston. I Don’t Know Why, by Roy Turk and Fred Ahlert, goes back to 1931, and Gus Kahn and Isham Jones carry us still farther, to 1924, with the ever-charming I’ll See You in My Dreams.

1937 was the year of Remember Me introduced by Kenny Baker in a movie called Mr. Dodd Takes the Air. Then, moving back to 1929, Mr. Luboff and the Choir offer For You, by Al Dubin and Joe Burke. Don’t Blame Me of 1933 is one of the most sentimental and charming of the collaborations of Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, and from 1940 is heard the memorable Fools Rush In by Rube Bloom and Johnny Mercer. Then comes Don’t Worry ’bout Me, a lovely song written by Rube Bloom and TM Koehler in 1919, and the programme concludes with Moonglow, a lasting hit from 1934, written by Will Hudson, Eddie De Lange and Irving Mills. The vocal soloists in this collection are Bill Lee and Betty Mulliner; other soloists include Babe Russin on tenor sax, Joe Howard on trombone, Paul Smith on piano and George Van Eps on guitar.