Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Circus Music

Julius Fučík The Circus Music You Know

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages!

Julius Fučík was born in Prague 150 years ago!

Fučík was one of the finest bandmasters in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In fact, comparisons were often drawn to his American counterpart, John Philip Sousa. In all, Fučík composed some 400 marches, polkas, and waltzes. You may not know him by name, but you most certainly know his music, especially if you’ve ever been under the Big Top.

Interestingly, Fučík’s original title for his most famous march, composed in 1897, was “Grande Marche Chromatique” – not exactly calculated to sell sheet music. But his interest in Roman history (thanks to a reading of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s novel “Quo Vadis”) led him to retitle the piece “Entry of the Gladiators.”

It turns out it wasn’t all that great a leap from gladiators to clowns, as the music soon became inextricably linked with American circuses. As opposed to Roman ones.

Let’s hope Fučík saw a few royalty checks (doubtful).

Happy 150th, Julius Fučík!

July 18, 2022
Circus Movie Music Vampire Circus & More

And you thought clowns were scary! Join me for a suite from David Whitaker’s score for “Vampire Circus,” on this week’s “Picture Perfect.”

It’s part of an hour of music from movies set under the Big Top, including “The Greatest Show on Earth” (Victor Young), “Trapeze” (Malcolm Arnold), “La Strada” (Nino Rota), “Big Top Pee-Wee” (Danny Elfman), and “7 Faces of Dr. Lao” (Leigh Harline).

That’s a clown car full of calliopes! The circus train rolls into town this week, on “Picture Perfect” – now at a new time – SATURDAY EVENING AT 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org

October 3, 2020
Circus Movie Music Picture Perfect on WWFM

Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Children of all ages! May I have your attention, please?

Step right up! This week on “Picture Perfect,” it’s music from movies about the circus!

In 1964, George Pal produced and directed an adaptation of Charles G. Finney’s dark fantasy novel, “The Circus of Dr. Lao.” “7 Faces of Dr. Lao” was envisaged as a real showcase for its star, Tony Randall, who plays not only the mysterious proprietor of an itinerant Old West circus, but also Merlin the Magician, the great god Pan, a Serpent, the fabled monster Medusa, the blind fortune-teller Appolonius of Tyana, and the Abominable Snowman!

The unusual score is by Leigh Harline, who freshens up tropes of the American Western by applying some Eastern spice. We’ll hear selections from the film’s original elements, remastered for the Film Score Monthly label.

We’ll also have music from two Academy Award winners: Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Greatest Show on Earth,” voted Best Picture of 1952, with a score by Victor Young, and Federico Fellini’s “La Strada,” Best Foreign Language Film of 1956, with music by Nino Rota.

Malcom Arnold wrote the music for “Trapeze,” Carol Reed’s 1956 love triangle on high (with Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, and Gina Lollobrigada), and Danny Elfman understands that every day’s a circus for Paul Reubens in “Big Top Pee-Wee,” from 1988. I know you are, but what am I?

Finally, with Halloween right around the corner, I couldn’t resist including a suite from Hammer Film Productions’ “Vampire Circus,” from 1972. The composer is David Whitaker, of “The Sword and the Sorcerer” cult status.

Music for the circus takes center ring, on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, now at its new time, this SATURDAY EVENING AT 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

October 2, 2020
Circus Music Farewell to Ringling Bros

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages…

As Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus prepares to take its final bow, we salute the circus this Thursday morning on WPRB.

Join me to hear works such as Douglas Moore’s “The Pageant of P.T. Barnum,” Nino Rota’s “La Strada Ballet” and Rodion Shchedrin’s “Old Russian Circus Music.” I’ll also have snappy circus favorites like Julius Fucik’s “Entry of the Gladiators,” Juventino Rosas’ “Over the Waves” (a.k.a. the trapeze music), and Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance.” Perhaps there will even be a circus-oriented film score or two.

The traveling circus’ roots reach back deep into the 19th century. Ringling Brothers will stream its final performance, from Uniondale, NY, on its Facebook page, Sunday evening at 7:00 EDT.

For now, it will be a morning of pure nostalgia, a musical nod to a fading piece of Americana, from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. We’ll have more circus music than clowns in a clown car, on Classic Ross Amico.

May 18, 2017
Ringling Bros Circus Radio Tribute

The Big Top will come down for the last time, metaphorically speaking, on May 21. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, an entertainment spectacle that has been part of the fabric of American life for 146 years, will tumble its last acrobat in Uniondale, NY, this weekend.

To mark the end of the era of the traveling circus, a phenomenon with roots reaching back deep into the 19th century, I will be dusting off and refurbishing one of my most popular shows this Thursday morning on WPRB.

Join me as we listen to such works as Douglas Moore’s “The Pageant of P.T. Barnum,” Walter Piston’s “The Incredible Flutist,” Nino Rota’s “La Strada Ballet,” Erik Satie’s “Parade,” and Rodion Shchedrin’s “Old Russian Circus Music.” I’ll also have snappy circus favorites like Julius Fucik’s “Entry of the Gladiators,” Juventino Rosas’ “Over the Waves” (a.k.a. the trapeze music), and Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance.” Perhaps there will even be a circus-oriented film score or two.

I can’t claim that it will be the Greatest Show on Earth. All I know is that it was a big hit when the circus train first rolled into town, back in August of 2015. I’ll be sprucing up the spandex and spangles, this Thursday morning from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. We’ll enjoy peanuts and cotton candy for breakfast, on Classic Ross Amico.

May 17, 2017

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