Leopold Stokowski: Harl McDonald Juarezca
Harl McDonald (1899-1955) was a composer / conductor who also became manager of the Philadelphia Orchestra in the 1930s. Stokowski premiered and recorded a number of McDonald's works, including his Double Piano Concerto in 1937. We hear the finale, entitled "Juarezca", a jazz-inspired Mexican dance. The soloists are Jeanne Behrend and Alexander Kelberine.
Harl McDonald "Rhumba"
This comes from McDonald's 2nd Symphony ("Reflections upon an Era of Turmoil"), a work inspired by the Great Depression of early 1930s America. However, the music reflected that it was also a time of gaiety and entertainment, with the rise of the big bands, Hollywood musicals, and so on, and this 'Rhumba' was the result. It was recorded by Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1935.
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| English: portrait painting by Leopold Seyffert of Leopold Stokowski (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
