The flowers that bloom in spring, tra la, breathe promise of merry sunshine. Words of hope from the pen of W.S. Gilbert, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame.
We’ll begin this Sunday morning on WPRB with the overture to “The Mikado.” This will kick off three hours of music inspired by Japan, alongside original works by Japanese composers, a musical tie-in, of sorts, to the National Cherry Blossom Festival, now flowering in Washington, DC.
The “highlight” of the morning will be Sidney Jones’ musical comedy, “The Geisha,” which opened in London’s West End in 1896. The work became an international sensation. “The Geisha” capitalizes on the orientalism craze that gripped Europe and the United States at the end of the end of the 19th century. Predating both Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” and the story that inspired it by several years, the plot similarly is set in motion by a questionable relationship between a Western Navy man and a Japanese woman. The similarities end there, however, as matters rapidly plummet into farce, underscored by melodies and patter songs that owe more to Gilbert and Sullivan than Italian verismo. The work contains one memorable melody after another, and a happy ending is guaranteed.
Though the piece may be hampered by its twee exoticism and unfortunate slang that mark it very much as a product of its time, heard from an historically-informed perspective, “The Giesha” still has much to offer the modern listener.
If you prefer your Japanese culture undistilled, tune in early for music by Japanese composers Komei Abe, Kiyoshige Koyama, Yoquijiro Yocoh, and Akira Ifukube (of “Godzilla” fame). We’ll also hear Gustav Holst’s rarely-heard “Japanese Suite” and, unavoidably, a selection or two from “The Mikado.” Be forewarned, if you switch off before the end, you will miss the inimitable Claudia Novikova’s infectious recording of “The Laughing Song,” an insert aria composed for “The Geisha,” which I guarantee will make your day.
The sun rises in the East, this Sunday morning from 7 to 10 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. We’ll substitute tea for coffee, on Classic Ross Amico.
