mentions:
May 30, 2024
101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 125: Erich Wolfgang Korngold ~ Die Tote Stadt
Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Die Tote Stadt
7½ ips reel-to-reel tape
front cover detail
detail photo of tape box cover by Styrous®
7½ ips reel-to-reel tape
front cover detail
detail photo of tape box cover by Styrous®
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I
started the Vinyl LP series because I have a collection of over 20,000 vinyl record albums I am
selling; each blog entry is about an album from my collection. The 101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes series is an extension of that collection. Inquire
for information here.
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Yesterday was the birthday of Austrian composer and conductor, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, born on May 29, 1897. He was a child prodigy who became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history and a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for Hollywood films, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores.
I will write about his many accomplishments for his Hollywood films in later posts (so much for that). But I felt his serious work is not as well known, so, I've focused on one of his operas; in this case, Die Tote Stadt.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Die Tote Stadt
7½ ips reel-to-reel tape
front cover design Paul Schott
photo of tape box cover by Styrous®
7½ ips reel-to-reel tape
front cover design Paul Schott
photo of tape box cover by Styrous®
Die tote Stadt (The Dead City), Op. 12, is an opera in three acts set to a libretto by Paul Schott, a collective pseudonym for the composer and his father, Julius Korngold, based on the 1892 novel Bruges-la-Morte by Georges Rodenbach.
Tracklist:
Die Tote Stadt
A Act I (Part I)
B Act I (Concluded)
C Act II (Part I)
D Act II (Concluded)
E Act III (Part I)
F Act III (Concluded)
Credits
Baritone Vocals – Benjamin Luxon, Hermann Prey
Choir – Tölzer Boys Choir*
Chorus – Bavarian Radio Chorus*
Chorus Master [Director, Bavarian Radio Chorus] – Heinz Mende
Chorus Master [Director, Tölzer Boys Choir] – Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Composed By – Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Conductor – Erich Leinsdorf
Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Alfons Seebacher
Libretto By – Paul Schott
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Rose Wagemann
Orchestra – Munich Radio Orchestra*
Producer – Charles Gerhardt
Producer [Produced For Radio By] – Theodor Holzinger
Soprano Vocals – Carol Neblett, Gabriele Fuchs, Patricia Clark
Tenor Vocals – Anton de Ridder, René Kollo, Willi Brokmeier
Notes
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
includes libretto
Die Tote Stadt
A Act I (Part I)
B Act I (Concluded)
C Act II (Part I)
D Act II (Concluded)
E Act III (Part I)
F Act III (Concluded)
Credits
Baritone Vocals – Benjamin Luxon, Hermann Prey
Choir – Tölzer Boys Choir*
Chorus – Bavarian Radio Chorus*
Chorus Master [Director, Bavarian Radio Chorus] – Heinz Mende
Chorus Master [Director, Tölzer Boys Choir] – Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Composed By – Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Conductor – Erich Leinsdorf
Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Alfons Seebacher
Libretto By – Paul Schott
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Rose Wagemann
Orchestra – Munich Radio Orchestra*
Producer – Charles Gerhardt
Producer [Produced For Radio By] – Theodor Holzinger
Soprano Vocals – Carol Neblett, Gabriele Fuchs, Patricia Clark
Tenor Vocals – Anton de Ridder, René Kollo, Willi Brokmeier
Notes
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
includes libretto
Label: RCA Red Seal – ARL3-1199
Format: 2 × Reel To Reel 4-track 7-1/2 IPS Stereo Audio Tape
Box Set
Country: US
Released: 1975
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera, Modern
Format: 2 × Reel To Reel 4-track 7-1/2 IPS Stereo Audio Tape
Box Set
Country: US
Released: 1975
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera, Modern
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Erich Wolfgang Korngold Society
YouTube links:
Die Tote Stadt ~
Die Tote Stadt(complete) (2 hours, 25 minutes)
The opening reviews for Tosca were mixed. One critic described act 2 as overly long and wordy; another, that the rush of action did not permit
enough lyricism (really?), to the great detriment of the music. A third called the
opera "three hours of noise".
May 25, 2024
101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 124: Star Wars Episode IV ~ A New Hope
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Reel-to-Reel front cover
cover design by Theodor Lloyd Glazer
photo of album cover by Styrous®
Forty-seven years ago today, on May 25, 1977, the blockbuster film, Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope, was released and Sci-Fi films would never be the same again.
I vividly remember standing in line with thousands of other Sci-Fi fanatics to see this new marvel, not really knowing what was in store for me (link below). It seems it was only yesterday that I watched the opening of the film crawl which was a throw back to the old 1930's Flash Gordon series (link below) as the film began and I heard the dramatic music of John Williams explode then slowly dwindle out and the huge Empire warship slowly emerge from the top of the screen; I can still feel the goose bumps that popped out on my arms.
I was completely sucked in and have written extensively about the film, it's participants and, certainly not least, it's marketing items (link below) for the last few decades.
Reel-to-Reel front cover detail
cover design by Theodor Lloyd Glazer
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
Star_Wars ~ Episode IV – A New Hope was the first film released in the Star Wars film series and the fourth chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga".
The cast includes Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, and James Earl Jones.
Reel-to-Reel back cover detail
cover design by Theodor Lloyd Glazer
photo of album back cover detail by Styrous®
I think the score for the film, by John Williams, is one of the greatest film scores ever written, surpassed only by Bernard Herman for The Day the Earth Stood Still. Actually, I think Star_Wars is the greatest score Williams EVER wrote; he never surpassed it.
Other collaborations with Spielberg include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the Indiana Jones franchise (1981–2023), Jurassic Park (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Catch Me If You Can (2002), War Horse (2011), Lincoln (2012), and The Fabelmans (2022). His work as a film composer includes Valley of the Dolls (1967), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Cowboys (1972), The Long Goodbye (1973), and The Towering Inferno (1974). He received five Academy Awards for Best Original Score for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Schindler's List (1993), Superman (1978) and the first three Harry Potter films (2001–2004).
With Henry Mancini, he recorded the scores of Peter Gunn (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), and Charade (1963), and played the piano part of the guitar-piano ostinato in Mancini's Peter Gunn title theme.
The music from Star_Wars has been covered dozens of times. The film came out at the height of the disco era so, of course, there is a disco version by Meco (Domenico Monardo) (link below) and the latest iteration I know of is a hard rock cover by Galactic Empire with a really fun video for the song on YouTube (link below).
Tracklist:
Side 1:
Side 1:
A1 - Main Title
A2 - Imperial Attack
A3 - Princess Leia's Theme
A4 - The Desert And The Robot Auction
A5 - Ben's Death And The Tie Fighter Attack
A6 - The Little People Work
A7 - Rescue Of The Princess
A8 - Inner City
A9 - Cantina Band
A2 - Imperial Attack
A3 - Princess Leia's Theme
A4 - The Desert And The Robot Auction
A5 - Ben's Death And The Tie Fighter Attack
A6 - The Little People Work
A7 - Rescue Of The Princess
A8 - Inner City
A9 - Cantina Band
Side 2:
B1 - The Land Of The Sandpeople
B2 - Mouse Robot And Blasting Off
B3 - The Return Home
B4 - The Walls Converge
B5 - The Princess Appears
B6 - The Last Battle
B7 - The Throne Room And End Title
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Soundstream, Inc.
Mastered At – Soundstream, Inc.
Mastered At – Sheffield Lab Matrix
Credits:
Composed By, Conductor – John Williams (4)
Design [Cover Design, Illustration] – Theodor Lloyd Glazer
Orchestra – Boston Pops Orchestra
Photography By – William Shisler
Producer – George Korngold
Notes:
℗ 1977 20th Century Records
CRC denotes Columbia House club edition
"For The United Kingdom, licenses for the use of recordings for public performances may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd., Ganton House, 14-22 Ganton Street, London.
Label: 20th Century Records – 1R2 6693
Format: Reel-To-Reel, 3 ¾ ips, ¼", 4-Track Stereo, 7" Cine Reel, Album, Club Edition
Country: US
Released: 1977
Genre: Classical, Stage & Screen
Style: Modern Classical, Contemporary, Soundtrack
Viewfinder links:
May 22, 2024
May 21, 2024
East Bay Open Studios 2024
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Next Month you'll have four chances to see the latest work of art, fashion and photography by the artists of Jingletown in Oakland, all of which will be for sale. 
Viewfinder links:
Next Month you'll have four chances to see the latest work of art, fashion and photography by the artists of Jingletown in Oakland, all of which will be for sale.
The dates for the event are Saturday, June 1, Sunday June 2, Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. The time each day will be from 11 AM to 5 PM.
The galleries that will be open are the Ford Street Studios, the Gray Loft Gallery and the Jingletown Art Studios. Individual artist studios will also be open and there will be food pop-ups as well.
Net links:
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