Korngold plays Korngold
In August 1951 composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold was invited to the birthday party of his orchestrator and friend Ray Heindorf.
It always was a highlight to let Korngold perform and to listen to his unmistakable, rich and virtuoso play, which he, the prodigy that he was, already had as a youngster.
On this day, one of those unique performances was gladly recorded and in this video you can experience the rare and very original Erich Wolfgang Korngold, accompanied with some known and many rare photos of the composer and his family. Also, a very special treat: the composer in moving images can be seen at the end of the video, sourced from the Korngold family home videos.
If you listen carefully you can hear him humming and singing all along. But don't mix him up with the brighter Ray Heindorf (especially when they are at the piano to play the Love Theme of The Sea Hawk).
The last minute of the video surely marks one of the most interesting spots of this 20 minute recording: The voice of the composer, crystal-clear speaking in broken English, which was an absolute rarity, continuing singing joyfully over the theme of Anthony Adverse.
Playlist:
00:00 Pierrot's Lied from the opera Die Tote Stadt (op. 12)
02:38 Love Theme from Escape Me Never
04:43 Main Theme from Kings Row
05:53 Love Theme from The Adventures Of Robin Hood
08:14 Finale from The Adventures of Robin Hood
09:11 Nocturne (Love Theme) from The Sea Wolf
11:40 Love Theme from The Sea Hawk
12:49 Love Theme from Kings Row
14:24 Tomorrow (op. 33) from The Constant Nymph"
16:12 Panama Theme from The Sea Hawk
16:40 Theme from Between Two Worlds
17:01 The Ship from Captain Blood
17:26 Love Theme from The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex
18:08 Love Theme from Anthony Adverse
18:32 Theme from Anthony Adverse
Пікірлер: 71
I have been a huge fan of Korngold for over 50 years and on New Year’s Eve eve 1974, I had dinner with Frank Sinatra and his then girlfriend Barbara Marx. Frank loved opera as I do and I asked him if he was familiar with my favorite opera “Die Tote Stadt”...he asked who wrote it. When I replied EWK, he said, “Oh, he’s my neighbor!”
@brendahayward2415
4 жыл бұрын
Correction...”he was my neighbor!”
@AA-of4kl
3 жыл бұрын
Very lovely & lucky lady🎶💓🌈
@ralphtrout5587
3 жыл бұрын
most people don't know that Sinatra was extremely well versed in "classical" ( I HATE using that term for music, but there it is ) music which helps to explain his impeccable phrasing.
@catchoupiote
Жыл бұрын
@@brendahayward2415 Korngold's music has such a great cantabile that a singer like Sinatra must have loved it.
I fell in love with K nearly 20 years ago. Am loving the rightful attention he is now getting. The man was a genius and the most underrated composers of any era. Melodically - no one better in my view. Yes - sentimental. But so f-ing what? His music makes my heart swell, sing and weep and I will die loving this man and the joy he has brought me. Thank you Eric. Thank you so much.
He plays the piano as if it's an orchestra! Listen to the sounds he pulls from the keyboard!
Back when pianists really, _really_ knew how to play, how to be orchestral! Yes there are phenomenal pianists/composers today but the 20th century is yet to be beat.
@epicbottleflips5032
11 ай бұрын
We are only a fifth way threw 21st so we have time
Einfach nur wunderschön.
he is my Cousin grandfather and he is buried in penobscot maine, bless his soul.
On the 29th of May the austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold would have had his 120th birthday. This occassion in mind I thought of something special, not a soundtrack suite as usual, but a real treasure. [Please read the description for more details] One of the most successful composers of the 20th century died thinking he would be forgotten, lets show him, that this is not the case. I had this fragments uploaded already but giving each track a single video, now we have it all together, giving an unmistakable listening experience. Enjoy! P.S. I absolute recommend to you his "Sinfonietta", a piece he had written with 15 years of age. A stroke of genius indeed, everybody will confirm.
@kennethhakanson8246
7 жыл бұрын
Soundtrack Fred A most enjoyable memorial of the great talent of Erich Korngold, wonderful and romantic music he brought to the world
@LaSharown
7 жыл бұрын
Soundtrack Fred
@bernardchaudey9684
7 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately he passed away the very same year I was born. I discovered but late his wonderfull scores, thank to the great Classic Film Scores RCA series and in the following years I tried to know his works better. I purchased his opera "Die Totte Stadt" and various orchestral works. I fortunately was able to buy his violin concerto memorable recording Heifetz/Hendl/DSO which is a pure gem in itself (I have the Perlman/previn version too but prefer the first). Once more, thank you for this treasure archive ! Regards Fred
A wonderful composer; greatly underrated. He had a fine piano technique, and on these recordings it was all challenged into these fabulous melodies and harmonization.
@TheStockwell
2 жыл бұрын
No offense intended, but when there are multiple recordings of your works by respected orchestras and performers, and when your works are performed regularly, the word "underrated" seems an odd choice. You must have a different definition of "underrated" than most of us do! 🤔
@EvanKaplanPianist
Жыл бұрын
@@TheStockwell disagree with this…korngold is known well within a good amount of the classical world, but is often regarded as a mere romantic film composer. The fact is he deserves far more recognition for the incredible innovation and beauty of his music.
Korngold is a Wonderful Lifer.. per the movie "A Wonderful Life" in which a man realizes the tremendous value he has to his family and community. Korngold changed my life many times reminding me of how important I am to everyone around me. He speaks to me like comforting grandparents. A home away from home where there is no judgement only peace, love and joy. His music will be that secret place for me always and forever, and will hopefully be the last thing I hear before leaving my journey here on earth and ascend into the heavens.
Wunderschöne Sammlung dieser fein komponierten Meisterstücke im gut phrasierten Tempo mit anmütigem Anschlag des Klaviers und perfekt kontrollierter Dynamik. Echt unvergleichlicher Komponist/Pianist!
What an incredible treasure, thank you so much for posting this.
Fantastic musical history of the grand past music scorers of Hollywood & European film industry. This was so good...the party audience enjoying these Korngold scores via piano, humming & slight singing. Thanks Fred!
KZread should rot in hell for inserting ads in the middle of this greatness!
Thank you for posting the wonderful music and performance. John
I had the pleasure of singing Pierrot's Lied some years ago in a theatrical production in Stockholm. Such an exquisite experience.
Terrific inclusion! From the hands of the maestro himself! Adventures of Robin Hood and King's Row are my favorites.
What a memory.....i have a few memories too of some special long gone souls
Thank you very much Fred, I love so much korngold's music. What a treasure ! Regards from France
What a great find. Marvelous to hear Korngold play his own compositions! The well-spring of Warners' classic sound. Thanks for posting this. (ps -- Happy Birthday, EWK!)
Grateful to you for sharing this! He should not be forgotten !
what a treasure recording! Thank you!
Awesome video. Thanks for posting this.... Bravo!!!
Amazing!!! Thank you very much! Gracias!
My goodness gracious 🌺 so natural & originally beautiful pieces of Heavenly vibrations 🎶🌻🌍🌈
This was great. I wonder what we'd have been gifted with if he hadn't died so young...
@robertgreene2684
10 ай бұрын
Actually, he was 60 when he died. A loss indeed but he was hardly cut off in his early youth.
Absolutely brilliant....what a treasure
Nice. Thanks for this.
Just fantastic!
Korngold was a great composer of the 20th century!
Such a cute photo with the young kid at 17:02!
@SoundtrackFred
9 ай бұрын
It is! The kid is his grandson, Gary, son of Erich's son George. 😊
Heralded as a '2nd Mozart' in Vienna in his youth. 'King's Row' the best
@agustinfodrini
Жыл бұрын
Mozart would wish to write like Korngold.
Bravo!!!
Lovely playing. Thanks for adding. The second piece is incorporated in the "Always and Forever" Hollywood Bowl synphony CD. Next, the Main Title from "King's Row" was incorporated into the 50 years of film music 3-LP set of music from Warner Bros. films. Korngold produced such a beautiful tone on the piano. He also scored for piano in such a way as to do this, also.
A rarity indeed.
Interestingly, Ray Heindorf later hosted two private parties at which he recorded a set of improvisations by the great jazz virtuoso, Art Tatum. These were released on the album, "Art Tatum -- 20th Century Piano Genius". What a lucky man to get to host not one, but two inimitable musical giants in his own home!
@emilgilels
6 жыл бұрын
And how lucky are we that he recorded these events!!!
A true genius...
My hero ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much Soundtrack Fred. What a privilege. I’ve been a fan of Mr Korngold and all the other extraordinary film composers of his era. But this is a rare privilege indeed. Magnificent. Superlative. Oy. I’m getting faklempt. Does anyone know of a biography of Mr Korngold? It’s hard to tell by his photos if he was a happy man.
@SoundtrackFred
Жыл бұрын
Hello Hope and thank you so much for your wonderful comment! There is an extensive biography of Korngold called "the last prodigy" by Brendan G. Carroll. It reads like a novel, as Korngold's life was so full of ups and downs, you will be surprised! I can tell you that he was always a happy grown child, even playing pranks on people. That all slowed down, when he had to immigrate to the US, forced to score movies, losing his (musical) hometown Vienna. After the war, when he returned and saw the beautiful city destroyed and himself and his name almost forgotten by the locals, he went back to the US, thinking he got forgotten, which, as we know today, is absolutely not true! Best to you! Fred
Greatest Composer to ever live.
@TheStockwell
Жыл бұрын
🙄
@agustinfodrini
Жыл бұрын
@@TheStockwell And by far :)
My cousin is his grand daughter
KORNGOLD !....said to be a genius at 9 by Mahler and for the genius that was Mozart writing at a young age, Mozart wrote music of the period..... Korngold wrote "new" music at 9.
OMG, Here it is you have it...silly me
On the third piece I thought for a second he would play the star wars theme
@jimberg3088
Жыл бұрын
That’s King’s Row. Rent the movie; you’ll love as I do. R Reagan in his famous role uttering “where’s Tv he rest of me?” Those words are the title to his autobiography! 19:22 19:22
@herbertbrant5738
Жыл бұрын
John Williams has been asked repeatedly if Korngold is a inspiration for his music, and he is a little shy about it. He swears any resemblance to Korngold's music is an "homage". But Superman and King's Row are just too similar to be merely an "homage".
Read Brendan Carroll’s carefully researched and well written bio. It’s out of print but available from lending libraries.
Vous êtes invité à une soirée, on vous offre du Champagne et en plus, et à quelques mètres, E. W. Korngold joue quelques uns de ses thèmes au piano, comme ça, pour l'ambiance...Y'a quand même des gens trop chanceux ! You're at a party, drinking Champagne, and just a few meters from your table, a guy named Korngold plays some if his themes on a piano, just for pleasure. Now that's totally unfair !
7:20
Where did he live in Los Angeles?
@SoundtrackFred
5 жыл бұрын
He lived at Toluca Lake, not far away from the Warner Bros. Studios.
Has this record ever received a proper commercial release?
@fireatheart
5 жыл бұрын
It's included in the 2010 DVD release of Adventures of Robin Hood.
@iangowers9514
5 жыл бұрын
fireatheart h
I think it is running a little bit to fast.Just a little bit.