Georges Bizet / Two by Two

On this day in classical music: Georges Bizet’s orchestral suite “L’Arlesienne” was given its premiere in Paris in 1872. The original work featured incidental music for Alphonse Daudet’s play “L’Arlesienne.” It consisted of 27 brief numbers for voice, chorus and small orchestra. Daudet’s play received poor reviews and closed after just 21 performances. Unwilling to let poor reviews thrust his work into obscurity, Bizet created a suite of four movements from “L’Arlesienne.” The suite’s movements are a Prelude that features “The March of the Kings,” a Minuet, an Adagietto and a Carillon with a repeated pattern in the horns that suggests the peal of church bells. A second suite, also featuring four movements, was created by Ernest Guiraud four years after Bizet’s death. Listen to the Deutsch-Niederlandische Kammer Philharmonie perform “The March of the Kings” from “L’Arlesienne.” Otis Klober conducts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibd1-ooK5as

On this day in the musical theatre: “Two by Two” opened on Broadway in 1970. After Oscar Hammerstein’s death in 1960, Rodgers worked with several lyricists, including Stephen Sondheim on “Do I Hear a Waltz?” Sheldon Harnick on “Rex” and Martin Charnin and Raymond Jessel on “I Remember Mama.” “Two by Two,” which marked Rodgers’ first collaboration with Charnon, featured Danny Kaye as Noah. Based on Clifford Odets’ play “The Flowering Peach,” “Two by Two” was a musical that focused on Noah’s preparations for the Great Flood and its aftermath. After the show had been running for a while, Kaye began improvising and adlibbing, an approach that delighted audiences but infuriated Rodgers. Kaye subsequently broke his foot and returned to the show in a wheelchair and later in crutches. “Two by Two” ran for 343 performances. Listen to Megan Hilty sing “The Golden Ram” from “Two by Two.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-6Ql2NA7Wg

Musical musings: Richard Rodgers hasn’t had his heart in a show since Oscar Hammerstein died 10 years ago. Since then, his composing has been lifeless, sporadic and strictly business, none of which was very good for music or the man. “Two by Two” becomes a plain retelling of Noah’s story, which is kind of incredible coming in a professional Broadway production. Noah tells his sons to build and ark, the rains come, the rains end and they go off. Needless to say, the story’s major elements can’t be shown on stage — the art itself or the 40 days worth of rain. There isn’t much musical about “Two by Two.” Joe Layton has directed it with very little movement and no dancing at all, but even more unmusical than that, there is no rhythm to the show — no musicality in the feel of it. And getting down to specifics, Rodgers’ score is so unmemorable it’s a wonder the pit musicians didn’t forget the tunes between looking at the sheet music and turning to their instruments. “Two by Two” is merely, in the jargon of the entertainment business, “product.” – Martin Gottfried in Women’s Wear Daily

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