I am in the midst of losing a large part of my evening to listening to various recordings of Wondrous Machine in particular, and to Hail, Bright Cecilia in general. Thanks for this, Will. Love it. I had to look it up to learn that the wondrous machine is the organ.
NTT: My first thought was Ferde Grofé, because it sounds like it could be film music, and is has that easy, loping, cowboy-riding-a-horse rhythm of the Grand Canyon Suite. So I will guess American, maybe between 1930 and 1950. The harmonies are mostly unchallenging, the orchestration is relatively lush and pleasant, it’s pretty -- something meant to appeal to a large audience. So if it’s a quite serious classical composer, this could be them writing for something other than the concert hall. Maybe for stage or ballet or film. It doesn’t seem jazzy enough for Gershwin, and I don’t know many other composers of that period.
NTT: Interesting excerpt (and hint) today... though a couple of these names might be a stretch for "everyone" reading this newsletter to know, I'll guess the Edwards MacDowell and Elgar, even Johann Strauss (junior). Also if I may add even one more name, Sullivan (of Gilbert and).
Grofé, hokey-Americana Delius, Chadwick? I'm not sure! Flat oboe and sharp low horns are making me even more confused...I'm also hearing Porgy and Bess with hints of Wagnerian harmonies. I'm hearing totally American, which I think might be the trick. So going to guess someone in the early 1900s, European folk forward with a love for anything plagal.
I am in the midst of losing a large part of my evening to listening to various recordings of Wondrous Machine in particular, and to Hail, Bright Cecilia in general. Thanks for this, Will. Love it. I had to look it up to learn that the wondrous machine is the organ.
NTT: My first thought was Ferde Grofé, because it sounds like it could be film music, and is has that easy, loping, cowboy-riding-a-horse rhythm of the Grand Canyon Suite. So I will guess American, maybe between 1930 and 1950. The harmonies are mostly unchallenging, the orchestration is relatively lush and pleasant, it’s pretty -- something meant to appeal to a large audience. So if it’s a quite serious classical composer, this could be them writing for something other than the concert hall. Maybe for stage or ballet or film. It doesn’t seem jazzy enough for Gershwin, and I don’t know many other composers of that period.
NTT: Interesting excerpt (and hint) today... though a couple of these names might be a stretch for "everyone" reading this newsletter to know, I'll guess the Edwards MacDowell and Elgar, even Johann Strauss (junior). Also if I may add even one more name, Sullivan (of Gilbert and).
Grofé, hokey-Americana Delius, Chadwick? I'm not sure! Flat oboe and sharp low horns are making me even more confused...I'm also hearing Porgy and Bess with hints of Wagnerian harmonies. I'm hearing totally American, which I think might be the trick. So going to guess someone in the early 1900s, European folk forward with a love for anything plagal.