Re: [ARSCLIST] Oscar Levant-William Kernell Opera 'Carnival'

[Karl Miller <lyaa071@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005, Thomas Stern wrote:

> Hi Karl & David,
>   Thanks for this information - please let me know some details of this
> LP (title, label, catalog number....).  Would be very interested in
> obtaining a copy or dub.

The disc is Medallion ML 310. It includes the Levant Piano Concerto...dub
came from NBC collection, but I believe it is pitched 1/2 step high, at
least compared to the inhouse tape I have of a New York performance from
several years ago...a program which also featured the Dukelsky Piano
Concerto.

The Medallion discs includes Tudor Williams doing "Then Farewell", Enrico
Ricardi "King and Country Call," Zaruhi Elmassian, soprano with "Ah! Romantic
Love Dream," and a reprise of "Then Farewell" with Elmassian and
Williams...all from "Charlie Chan at the opera."

Side two features "Gershwin: A Portrait by Levant" with Levant as pianist
and narrator, and orchestra conducted by Kostelanetz.

Program notes by Michael Feinstein.

No need for anyone to dub as I believe the CD from DRG 13113 contains most
of the same material from side one plus other items.


>   In searching the (En)rico Ricardi reference, a site about film dubbing
> indicated that the singing voice for Karloff is Tudor Williams.  Anyone
> know?  I thought the 'Karloff' vocals were rather musical, the others
> grating.  Did Williams make any recordings?

I can find only a Tudor Williams listed as a conductor in a dramatic
version of Robin Hood, Columbia set MM 583 and Treasure Island, CL 673.
Also Tudor Williams Quartet on a transcription disc "Keystone Broadcasting
System" at LOC...also at LOC a listing for the Tudor Williams Quartette on
a disc with the Wally Roth Electric Trio (anyone know anything about
them...were they really electric?...another with Phil Neely and Sue
Jones...and at Indiana University the Quartet is featured with Hoagy
Carmichael....and the Tudor Williams Ensemble with Nick Cochrane at LOC...

These listings from OCLC.

Also, you might want to check out

http://www.dandugan.com/maytime/f-phanto.html

He has a credit as singing in the Nelson Eddy version of Phantom of the
opera.

and

http://www.dandugan.com/maytime/f-sanfra.html

in the film San Francisco

http://www.dandugan.com/maytime/f-rosali.html

in the film Rosali

was chorus master for film Citizen Kane

I didn't check with any collector friends, but I would guess that perhaps
a posting on the opera list might turn up something. There was at least
one post on that list devoted to the Levant score...comes up on Google.

I should add that I have several broadcasts of Levant performing,
conducted by Ormandy and others. I think he was a wonderful pianist. We
share the same birthday...different years however.

And, it will be Oscar's 100th in 2006.

If you are interested in Levant, I have quite a few of his broadcast
performances doing Concertos...Tchaikovsky, Grieg, etc., plus his own
music on an edition of the Robert Russell Bennett radio program and with the
Pittsburgh Symphony etc. I also have a broadcast of the slow movement of
his String quartet...and I would swear that the announcer was Copland.

Anyone out there with his performance of the Gershwin Concerto with the
New York Phil conducted by Mitropoulos?

Karl