Ernst von Dohnanyi / Little Shop of Horrors

On this day in classical music: Hungarian composer and pianist Ernst von Dohnanyi was born in 1877. He was a classmate of Bela Bartok at the Budapest Academy of Music. As a conductor, he championed Bartok’s early works. Dohnanyi remained in Hungary during the Second World War but came to the United States shortly thereafter. He divided his time between conducting and composing. While Dohnanyi produced a fairly substantial body of work, he is perhaps best remembered for his “Variations on a Nursery Tune,” a set of theme and variations for piano and orchestra on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Dohnanyi’s grandson is conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi. Listen to Phillip Fowke perform the finale of the “Variations on a Nursery Tune.” Bryden Thompson conducts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTnr5HrtCXw

 

 

 

On this day in the musical theatre: In 1982, “Little Shop of Horrors” opened at the Orpheum Theatre, an off-Broadway house. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, “Little Shop” was based on Roger Corman’s 1960 budget film. The musical’s premise — a nebbish flower shop assistant discovers that a new plant he picked up only thrives on blood — helped turn “Little Shop” into a cult favorite. The musical would play 2209 performances before closing in 1987. A revival opened on Broadway in 2003 but only lasted 11 months. “Little Shop” quickly became a popular show for stock and community theaters. Its score produced the rousing “Suddenly Seymour” and the heartfelt ballad “Somewhere That’s Green.” Listen to Ellen Greene sing “Somewhere That’s Green.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RctkAoTHHrc&feature=youtu.be

 

Musical musings: The show is, in essence, the timeless Faust legend given classical Broadway shape by a first rate book-and-lyric writer and transformed into something new by the application of a fresh and consistent style. Every element of it, from the cartoon-like punch of its dialogue to its litany of television and pop-culture references, to its amazing catalogue of early ’60s musical idioms, combines to give it a unique and irresistible identity. In many respects it seems to be built entirely out of the found materials that wash around in the head of every baby boomer who grew up on AM radio and drive-in movies, but it is so cunningly built that it moves you even as it is having fun with itself. It sends up stereotypes and then sells them to you as if they were flesh and blood. – Jack Viertel

Thank you for joining our conversation on Articulations. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.