Lyric Spanish
Re: Bax quotes Friml?
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 14:26:09 +0100Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.recordings
Size: 1,420 bytes
Matthew B. Tepper writes: >You're early; April 1st is Tuesday. Either that, or you think I'm kidding >and you're playing along. But I really and truly am not kidding. A quote >of one phrase from that famous operetta number could be coincidence. But >answering it with the following phrase just has to be deliberate. Golly, you're right! Third Quartet, 4th movement from 2:30, as what's essentially a 'second subject'. A modified version of Friml's tune and answering phrase can certainly be heard (followed by a Dvorakian tag) initially on cello, then later on 1st Violin. As the quartet was written in 1936 it's just possible that Bax was quoting "Rose Marie", but his rhythm and accompaniment are very different (Irish-style jig) and the work would seem more centrally associated with Bax's friendship for E. J. Moeran than any romantic associations which might have led to him quoting from a popular operetta. Bax, it has to be said, was not a great admirer of such baubles. I would say this was no more than one of those delightful coincidences of melody which cheer us all up from time from time. The main tune of the following "Lyric Movement" is almost identical to Weill's 'My Ship' from "Lady in the Dark", but I fear that Weill's acquaintance with Bax was not all it might have been! -- Christopher Webber, Blackheath, London, UK http://www.zarzuela.net "ZARZUELA!" The Spanish Music Site
