[78-L] Max Steiner, "Symphonie Moderne"

[David Lennick]

It was prominent enough at the time to have had a dance version done by Freddy 
Martin. Janssen recorded a number of "high classy" film themes for the Red Seal 
label, including "Laura" (at least that one was a good tune), which were later 
reissued on a Camden lp. One of them, Bernard Herrmann's "Hangover Square Piano 
Concerto", never appeared on 78. Victor then gave up and had Henri Rene and Al 
Goodman do the film themes on Black Label, then gave one more shot to 
respectability with the Boston Pops doing "Lust in the Dust" (sorry, Duel in 
the Sun") as a 4-disc Red Seal set complete with illustrations.

As for Warsaw Concerto..it's still popular, so who am I to judge? As for 
Cornish Rhapsody..just a ripoff of the Warsaw Concerto. But at least it's two 
minutes shorter.

dl

On 7/10/2012 3:59 AM, DAVID BURNHAM wrote:
> I was just listening to an RCA recording of Max Steiner's "Symphonie Moderne", played by the Janssen Symphony of Los Angeles conducted by Werner Janssen.  This record is not too well liked;  I looked it up in both issues of David Hall's "Record Book" that I have and there's nary a mention, similarly there's no listing for it in WERM either.  I googled it and found a Gramophone review of the disc from March of 1944 - a scathing review which treats it as little more than musical trash, and doesn't imply a high opinion of American listeners either, (let me adjust my Maple Leaf).  I will admit that it certainly isn't a masterpiece of classical music but it isn't that bad.  I found nothing offensive about it.  But I guess, saying that, I should come out of the closet;  as much as I enjoy the Symphonies of Mahler, Bruckner and Spohr, I must confess that I also enjoy the Warsaw Concerto and the Cornish Rhapsody.
>
> It's 3:58 AM so I guess I'll go to bed now!
>
> db