Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Genesis Suite

Shilkret’s Genesis Suite Schoenberg Stravinsky

The creation of the heavens and the earth may have taken six days, but Nathaniel Shilkret and I only have one hour.

This week on “The Lost Chord,” I hope you’ll join me for a true curiosity, a collaborative effort organized by Shilkret – a child prodigy from Queens who was associated with the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, the Victor Herbert Orchestra, the Sousa Band, the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor), NBC Radio, the RKO and M-G-M movie studios, and concerts and recordings featuring many of the starriest jazz and classical artists of his time – who managed to cajole a number of the day’s greatest composers, then living in California, into contributing to a seven-movement piece for narrator, chorus and orchestra.

Take a gander at the layout for the “Genesis Suite” (1943):

“Prelude (The earth was without form),” composed by Arnold Schoenberg;

“Creation,” by Shilkret;

“Adam and Eve,” by Alexandre Tansman;

“Cain and Abel,” by Darius Milhaud;

“Noah’s Ark,” by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco;

“Babel,” by Igor Stravinsky;

and “The Covenant,” by Ernst Toch.

No one can accuse the project of a lack of ambition!

The “Genesis Suite” is the only time the twin titans of twentieth century music, Schoenberg and Stravinsky, were to collaborate on the same piece – though they never actually worked together. The two men were highly suspicious of one another, to put it mildly, and rehearsals had to be carefully calibrated so as to keep both composers from showing up at the same time. On the one occasion when they did, they remained aloof on opposite ends of the hall.

I give more background on the show – probably more than is necessary – but it’s all very interesting, I hope. That’s “First Among Equals” – Nathaniel Shilkret and the “Genesis Suite” – on “The Lost Chord,” now in syndication on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!

Clip and save the start times for all three of my recorded shows:

PICTURE PERFECT, the movie music show – Friday at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

SWEETNESS AND LIGHT, the light music program – Saturday at 11:00 AM EDT/8:00 AM PDT

THE LOST CHORD, unusual and neglected rep – Saturday at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT

Stream them, wherever you are, at the link!

https://kwax.uoregon.edu/

IMAGE: Adam and Eve (1526) by Lucas Cranach the Elder

September 27, 2025
Rosh Hashanah Creation Stories on WPRB

In the beginning… we’ll hear “In the Beginning.”

On the recommendation of Benjamin Britten, Aaron Copland set a passage from Genesis for a cappella chorus. A beautiful recording of the work, featuring the Choir of New College Oxford, will kick off five hours of musical creation stories for Rosh Hashanah on WPRB.

We’ll also hear the Adam and Eve duet from Franz Joseph Haydn’s oratorio “The Creation,” Jerome Moross’ Adam and Eve ballet “The Last Judgment,” and the “Creation Symphony” by Scottish composer William Wallace.

Not all of the selections will derive from the Judeo-Christian tradition. We’ll also hear Alberto Ginastera’s “Popol Vuh,” after the Mayan creation story; Darius Milhaud’s “La Création du monde,” inspired by African creation myths; “The Creation of the World” from the “Edda Oratorio” by Icelandic composer Jon Leifs; and Jean Sibelius’ “Luonnotar,” after a passage from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala.

We’ll round out the morning with a collaborative curio organized by composer and conductor Nathaniel Shilkret. Shilkret managed to cajole a number of the day’s greatest talents, then living in California, into collaborating on the “Genesis Suite,” a seven movement work for narrator, chorus and orchestra. The individual movements were composed by Arnold Schoenberg, Alexandre Tansman, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Ernst Toch, Igor Stravinsky, Milhaud and Shilkret himself.

That’s a full morning of creation stories for the Jewish New Year, from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. When tempted with the Forbidden Fruit, we always ask, “Where’s the honey?,” on Classic Ross Amico.

September 21, 2017
Rosh Hashanah Playlist: Music of Creation

L’shana tova! Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown. The Jewish New Year marks the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.

This Thursday morning, though the observant will likely be in synagogue as I present my weekly show on WPRB, I thought I would try to tie in loosely with the celebrations by assembling a playlist of music about the creation of the world. We’ll hear Aaron Copland’s “In the Beginning,” the Adam and Eve duet from Franz Joseph Haydn’s oratorio “The Creation,” Jerome Moross’ Adam and Eve ballet “The Last Judgment,” and the “Creation Symphony” by Scottish composer William Wallace.

Not all of the selections will derive from the Judeo-Christian tradition. We’ll also hear Alberto Ginastera’s “Popol Vuh,” after the Mayan creation story; Darius Milhaud’s “La Création du monde,” inspired by African creation myths; “The Creation of the World” from the “Edda Oratorio” by Icelandic composer Jon Leifs; and Jean Sibelius’ “Luonnotar,” after a passage from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala.

Some of the music will tie in very loosely indeed. Sir Arthur Bliss’ ballet “Adam Zero” begins with the birth of Adam, then sets him on an allegorical journey through the cycle of life. Romeo Cascarino’s “Pygmalion” is a beautiful metaphor for the artist who falls in love with his own creation.

One of the morning’s true curiosities will be a collaborative effort organized by composer and conductor Nathaniel Shilkret, who managed to cajole a number of the day’s greatest talents, then living in California, into contributing to a seven movement piece for narrator, chorus and orchestra. The individual movements of the “Genesis Suite” were composed by Arnold Schoenberg, Alexandre Tansman, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Ernst Toch, Igor Stravinsky, Milhaud and Shilkret himself.

The creation of the heavens and the earth may have taken six days, but we’ve got only five hours this Thursday morning, from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. I’ll be sending you best wishes for a sweet new year, from Classic Ross Amico.

IMAGE: Adam and Eve (1526) by Lucas Cranach the Elder

“Is there any honey on that apple?”

September 20, 2017

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