Re: GG: Wagner/Mitch/F&T

[Richard Vallis <rvpiano@spec.net>]

Mitch Miller, a classically trained oboist turned pop record producer,
was immensely popular in the 60's with his television show and
recordings.  The TV show (and recordings) featured Mitch  leading an all
male chorus in  American popular tunes often from the early 1900's
(e.g." Me and My Gal,"  If You Knew Suzie,"  "Alexander's Ragtime Band"
etc.

Junichi Miyazawa wrote:

> Questions on GG Wagner transcription (linernotes).
>
> GG refering to Mitch Miller:
>
> >KH:  Well, now, before you wrote out your transcription
> >[of Meistersinger Prelude, which contains too many
> >voices in the last three minutes], how did you navigate
> >that segment in performance at home?
> >
> >GG:  By the simple expedient of leaving out one or
> >other of the principal voices and adding
> >a Sing-along-with-Mitch-style descant.
> >^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >KH: Of which there is already quite enough on your
> records as they stand, if I may say so, Mr. Gould!
>
> I learned last night that Mitch Miller (b. 1911) is a
> conductor and had an NBC TV program
> "Sing Along With Mitch"in 1960-64 and released
> various records with the same "sing along with" title.
>
> Q1.  Would anyone explain what was the program like?
> What does the "sing-alone-with-Mitch style* mean?
>
> ----
>
> GG refering to Ferrante & Teicher:
>
> (After confessing that GG did over-dubbing recording
> for the Meistersiner Prelude)
>
> >KH: . . . But did your three minutes of *primo-secondo*
> >over-dubbing persuade you that the "Meistersinger"
> >*Vorspiel* can work *in toto* on the piano?
> >
> >GG: That, sir, is not for me to say.  But given the
> >nightmare of endeavoring to sync to my own rubato,
> >it proved conclusively that Ferrante and Teicher, I'm not.
>
> I learned also last night that
> Ferrante & Teicher (b. 1921 & 1924) are pianists as a duo.
> They did two things: experimantal performance with the
> so-called (John-Cage-like) prepared pianos; and
> standard easy listening music.
> I understand they were famous and popular in the 1960's,
> weren't they?
>
> Q2.  Anyway, please check my paraphrase:
>
> The dubbing session of Meistersinger was
> a nightmare.  It was very difficult to
> synchronize the secondo piano to the primo
> on the rubato parts.
> So, in conclusion, I found I could not be
> Ferrante & Teicher even with the help of
> recording technology.
>
> (Does GG refer to F & T as a virtuosic and romantic
> piano duo of easy listening?)
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Regards,
>
> Junichi
>
> ****************************************
>   Junichi Miyazawa, Tokyo
>   walkingtune@bigfoot.com
>   (alias for: farnorth@mbc.sphere.ne.jp)
> ****************************************
>   http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/3739