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