Ferde Grofe - World's Fair Suite: UNISPHERE
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
- The fame of composer Ferde Grofé (1892 - 1972) is largely based on his Grand Canyon Suite from 1931, and even this great piece is seldom performed in the concert hall. His other works (such as Missisipi Suite, Niagara Falls Suite, Death Valley Suite etc.) are known only by connaisseurs.
Recently I discovered his World's Fair Suite, composed for the New York World's Fair, which premiered at the opening day on April 22, 1964. It is a charming and funny piece, well composed just for entertainment.
Here, for the first time on RUclips, is the original mono recording, RCA Victor LM -2764. The piece is orchestrated by Albert Glasser, and performed by the World's Fair Symphony Orchestra with conductor Paul Lavalle.
The parts are:
1. Unisphere
2. International
3. Fun at the Fair.
4. Pavilions of Industry
5. National
Enjoy the music!
my grandmother purchased this record while we were attending the fair. now at 62, i play this record and close my eyes and see the fair coming back to me like a tsunami of emotions. like a movie.
I have recorded this off the radio back in 1965 on tape and have enjoyed it all along.
The following is an article by Harold C. Schonberg taken from the New York Times on April 23, 1964.
Yesterday's musical big moment came with the world premiere of Ferde Grofe's - you guessed it "World's Fair Suite". Mr. Lavalle, Conducted it before an attentive audience of 63. There were about 100 in the orchestra. The band was augmented by strings.
It could not be said that the occasion was conducive to an audience. The concert was given outdoors with the musicians playing form a sheltered stage. That was fortunate for there was intermittent rain and it was cold outside. The musicians wore their coats. Just before the concert started the personnel manager directed an urgent plea to them to remove their hats, they did.
The amplification was no help. It was low-fi, and all kinds of acoustical feedback squeals supplemented Mr. Grofe's orchestration, not to mention a helicopter every minute of so and a plane taking off from La Guardia every 10 minutes.
Mr. Grofe was present listening from a wheelchair. The 72-year-old composer suffered a stroke in 1961. His score is in five movements "Unisphere" "International" "Fun at the Fair" "Pavilions of Industry" and "National". It turned out to be a thoroughly commercial score. But it belongs to a thoroughly commercial fair.
Not only did I play (trombone) on the original recording made during the time of the opening of the Fair, I was there on opening day and we did play in the cold, chilly rain in a covered area. The crowd was small for opening ceremonies even though there were some important folks present, including the Governor, NYC Mayor, and some personalities of the past even including Postmaster General James Farley of the FDR administration.
@@jimherbert5888, beautiful job!
Not only was Grofe' a noted composer for orchestra, he spent many years as a show, radio broadcast and yep, even big band arranger. I was honored to have played trombone on this recording with Paul Lavalle's Symphony Orchestra which we did at the grand ballroom of the old Manhattan Center on 34th St, west of 8th Ave. Mr. Grofe' was present and during our breaks many of the "younger" players (me, at that time) enjoyed having the opportunity to meet him. Of course, Paul Lavalle was a legend as well, with his time as a clarinetist in the NBC Symphony under Toscanini, his own radio programs on NBC which were "The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" and "Highways of Melodies" featuring the "Stradivari Strings," every instrument was a "Stradivarius" according to Paul. He later founded the Cities Service Band of America for radio and television on NBC during the 40s and 50s and after, served as musical director and principal conductor at Radio City Music Hall.
Lovely. Nice historical facts
Thank you for uploading this totally enjoyable rarity.
It was a pleasure! Thank you!
I used to have an LP of this, purchased very soon after it came out. So this was a nice "rediscovery." Thank you!!
Thank you so much for this upload. Unfortunately some of Grofe's pieces that were released on lp have not been released on cd and are very rare.
That's right. I am looking for years for his Symphony in steel.