Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: kieran 03:42 am EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| nm | |
| Link | John Latouche |
| reply to this message | |
| re: Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: larry13 11:04 am EST 12/15/17 | |
| In reply to: Review of new John Latouche biography - kieran 03:42 am EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| Thank you, kieran, for yet another fascinating article you've posted. Three items in this review are questionable. As BALLAD OF BABY DOE premiered in 1956 in Colorado, it's extremely doubtful it was "created" for NYCOpera(which, also, was certainly not a new company then). City Opera didn't do it until two years later and in a revised version. Second is the citing of Latouche's "first musical" being BEGGAR'S HOLIDAY when the reviewer has ALREADY mentioned the three earlier musicals Latouche wrote with Vernon Duke! Finally, IF Billy Strayhorn indeed wrote the music for this show--and not the always credited Duke Ellington--this is a MAJOR finding that the reviewer(and the biographer?)should have addressed. It certainly warrants more attention than, for example, telling us that Beverly Sills went on to manage City Opera. |
|
| reply to this message |
| re: Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: Erik_Haagensen 02:34 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Review of new John Latouche biography - larry13 11:04 am EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE was initially attached to producers who intended to bring it to Broadway. When they couldn't raise the money, they let go of the rights and eventually NYCO picked it up. The review also errs in stating that Latouche never saw a production of the opera. He was present for the world premiere in Colorado and subsequently did rewrites based on that experience. With regard to BEGGAR'S HOLIDAY, I'm presuming that the reviewer meant to say that it was the first Broadway musical for which Latouche wrote both the book and lyrics, which is true. As to the music being by Strayhorn, that's an old controversy, with some sources claiming that Billy Strayhorn really wrote all of Duke Ellington's music. The two men worked closely together, but no one has ever proved that Ellington didn't write the music with which he is credited, and certainly biographer Howard Pollack makes no such claim in the book. Strayhorn did get credit alongside Ellington for the music to the pop hit "Day Dream," which had a lyric by Latouche, so clearly Ellington wasn't above giving him compositional credit if it was warranted. There are other errors in the review. THE VAMP is not about 1930s Hollywood; it is a satire of the silent films era inspired by the story of Theda Bara. Also, Latouche did not die at Harry Martin's house. He died at the home he co-owned with lover Kenward Elmslie in Calais, Vermont. Martin was present at the time, though, as Latouche's guest. Elmslie was not there. Elmslie still owns the house today, splitting his time between NYC and Calais. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: Ned3301 11:10 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Review of new John Latouche biography - Erik_Haagensen 02:34 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| We should all take note that these appear to be errors made by the reviewer, not the author of the book. The review says Libby Holman was in Beggar's Holiday, but Pollack makes it clear that she was in the first public performances but was replaced before the premiere by Bernice Parks. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 06:03 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Review of new John Latouche biography - Erik_Haagensen 02:34 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| Just to add a bit more to your helpful post, I'd say that, if anything, Pollack is skeptical that a good deal of the Beggar's Holiday music was by Strayhorn. He doesn't seem to buy it. Luther Henderson (the person who probably would have known best after both Ellington and Strayhorn were gone) seems to have said somewhat different things at different times on the question. I don't know about Strayhorn having written all or virtually of the music credited to Ellington generally, but Henderson did say at a talkback for the Mufti Beggar's Holiday that much of the music was by Strayhorn, but he said things that gave a different impression at other times (as well as having apparently said to David Hadju more or less what he said at Mufti). | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: MFeingold 09:07 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Review of new John Latouche biography - AlanScott 06:03 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| In another small error that I don't think anyone here has pointed out yet, the reviewer says that Libby Holman appeared in BEGGAR'S HOLIDAY, which was certainly not the case, though she worked with Latouche in other contexts. Interestingly, Billy Strayhorn's credit on Beggar's Holiday, per IBDB, reads "Orchestrations under the personal supervision of Billy Strayhorn." Which, as Gertrude Stein said in a different context, does not prove anything but on the other hand may tend to indicate something. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: larry13 03:35 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Review of new John Latouche biography - Erik_Haagensen 02:34 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| Thank you. YOU should have written the review. I find it unnerving, if that's the best word, how many errors this reviewer made. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Review of new John Latouche biography | |
| Posted by: bmc 08:12 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Review of new John Latouche biography - larry13 03:35 pm EST 12/15/17 | |
|
|
|
| I very much enjpyed Pollack's bio of Marc Blitzstein. This Latouche bio, not so much. Also I can't remember if the recording of BEGGER'S OPERA was reviewed here. I didn't enjoy it at all,; Latouche's lyrics were touched up by Dale Wasserman, and it seemed to me like a vanity project. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.024341 seconds.