Episode 54. Transatlantic Crossover (Crossover Classics IX)

Episode 54. Transatlantic Crossover (Crossover Classics IX)

Today is the final episode of the Crossover Classics series and the final episode of Season One of Countermelody. The subject is US-American singers who spent significant portions of their lives and careers in Europe. I begin with an historical survey of early Twentieth Century singers who emigrated from the US to Europe (Geraldine Farrar, Mary Lewis) as well as from Europe to the US (Jarmila Novotná, Lotte Lehmann). Singers are featured in operetta (Barry McDaniel, Donald Grobe, Arlene Saunders), musicals (Reri Grist, Tatiana Troyanos, Wilbur Evans, Robert Trehy, Maria Ewing), jazz (Margaret Tynes, Charles Holland, Shirley Verrett), and pop, soul, and schlager (Lawrence Winters, Anna Moffo, Kenneth Spencer, Grace Bumbry, Felicia Weathers). The range of composers represented is enormous, from Cole Porter to Carrie Jacobs-Bond to Jimmy Webb to Rodgers and Hammerstein to ABBA to Duke Ellington to Gilbert Bécaud to J.B. Lenoir to Franz Lehár. The tone ranges from tongue in cheek to dead serious, from the quasi-bel canto pop vocalism of Muriel Smith to the intimate, Lieder-like shadings of Roberta Alexander to the raw blues stylings of Barbara Hendricks. Tune in next week for an sneak preview of Season Two.

RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE

Jimmy Webb: Up, Up and Away. Felicia Weathers; Harold M. Kirchstein und sein Orchester (from Wunderbar ist die Welt, 1969).

Benny Andersson; Björn Ulvaeus: I Have a Dream. Barbara Hendricks

J. Fred Coots, Charles Kenny, Nick Kenny; Ralph Maria Siegel (German lyrics): Komm zu mir, wenn du einsam bist [Love Letters in the Sand]. Kenneth Spencer, Herbert Beckh und das Tanzorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Tino Mattei, G. Clifton Bingham: Dear Heart. Geraldine Farrar

Carrie Jacobs-Bond: The Hand of You. Mary Lewis

Hans May: Der Duft, der eine schöne Frau begleitet. Lotte Lehmann; Frieder Weissmann, Members of the Berlin State Opera Orchestra

Sergio Bardotti, Dario Baldan Bembo, Norman Newell: Born to Lose. Grace Bumbry

Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn: A Drum Is a Woman. Margaret Tynes; Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

Fletcher Henderson, Irving Mills, Ned Williams: Harlem Madness. Charles Holland; Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra

Traditional Spiritual, arr. William H. Dawson: Talk about a Child. Charles Holland; Ralph Linsley

J. B. Lenoir: Down in Mississippi. Barbara Hendricks and Her Blues Band

Franz Lehár: Weißt du noch was ein Herz voller Sehnsucht begehrt (Frasquita). Jarmila Novotná; Orchestra conducted by Franz Lehár

Johann Strauss II: Komm in die Gondel (Eine Nacht in Venedig). Donald Grobe; Richard Müller-Lampertz, Orchester der Hamburgischen Staatsoper

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Carl Millöcker: Wird erfüllt mein Verlangen (Gasparone). Arlene Saunders, Barry McDaniel; Heinz Wallberg, Mitglieder des Münchner Philharmonischen Orchesters

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Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim: A Boy Like That (West Side Story). Tatiana Troyanos, Kiri Te Kanawa; Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein

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Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim: Somewhere (West Side Story); Reri Grist introduced by Chita Rivera [Live, 2007 Gypsy of the Year]

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II: Happy Talk (South Pacific). Muriel Smith; Reginald Burston, The Drury Lane Theater Orchestra [Live 6 May 1952]

Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss: How Important Can It Be. Muriel Smith; Angela Morley and Her Orchestra

Cole Porter: I Love You (Mexican Hayride). Wilbur Evans; Harry Sosnik, Mexican Hayride Orchestra

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Eberhard Storch (German lyrics): Wundervoll ist dieser Morgen (Oklahoma). Robert Trehy; Alexander Rumpf, Orchester des Theater des Westens, Berlin

Hans-Arno Simon: Wenn im Dunkel der Nacht. Lawrence Winters; Orchestra conducted by Hans-Arno Simon

Hans-Arno Simon: Eine zärtliche Melodie. Lawrence Winters; Orchestra conducted by Hans-Arno Simon

Gerhard Winkler, Fred Rauch, Frank Weingarten: Bärenjagd in Alaska. Kenneth Spencer; Adalbert Luczkowski mit seinem Orchester, Bernd Hansen-Chor;

Jupp Schmitz, Fritz Weber: Layana Lu. Kenneth Spencer

Heinz Gietz, Kurt Feltz: Go Man, Go. Kenneth Spencer

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German Folk Song: Schwesterchen, komm’ tanz’ mit mir. Kenneth Spencer; Orchestra conducted by Adalbert Lutter

Daniel White, P. Maritain: Partir. Kenneth Spencer; Orchestra conducted by Daniel White

Willy Mattes, Günther Schwenn: Baby! Sonnenschein (Mein Bruder Josua). Kenneth Spencer; Hans Conzelmann und sein Orchester

Claude François, Jacques Revaux; Paul Anka (English lyrics): My Way. Grace Bumbry; produced by Andrew White

Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Roberta). Anna Moffo; Lehman Engel, RCA Victor Orchestra

Unknown Composer: Buon viaggio a te, che te ne vai. Anna Moffo

Gino Paolo, Sergio Berdotti: Un fiore è nato (Menage all’italiana). Anna Moffo; Ennio Morricone e la sua orchestra

Nicolas Roubanis, Fred Wise, Bob Russell, Milton Leeds: Misirlou. Felicia Weathers; Harold M. Kirchstein und sein Orchester

Gilbert Bécaud, Louis Amade; Gisela Zimber (German lyrics): Überall blühen Rosen [L’important c’est la rose]. Felicia Weathers; Harold M. Kirchstein und sein Orchester

George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin: Fascinating Rhythm (Lady, Be Good). Shirley Verrett; Ensemble conducted by Tzimon Barto

Cole Porter: Anything Goes (Anything Goes). Maria Ewing; Neil Richardson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson: It Never Was You (Knickerbocker Holiday). Maria Ewing; Richard Rodney Bennett

Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick: Dear Friend (She Loves Me). Roberta Alexander; David Triestram

John Kander, Fred Ebb: I Don’t Remember You (The Happy Time). Roberta Alexander; David Triestram

David Shire, Richard Maltby, Jr.: With You (Baby). Roberta Alexander; David Triestram