Obscure Non-Prog Music Facts

The first artist to chart a Beatles song in America was not the Beatles.  Del Shannon covered "From Me To You" and took it to #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of 1963 - half a year before the band broke in America.

Famous Mahler conductor Bruno Walter only conducted Mahler's 7th Symphony twice, in 1920.

Judy Garland liked the music of Frederick Delius.

In 1969 a studio group called The Electric Indian released the single "Keem-O-Sabe", which charted in the top 20 in America.  Among the musicians on the record: a young Daryl Hall.

Mahler conductor Bruno Walter described the composer's 6th Symphony one time as "One great, big, resounding-NO!!"

Rick Robson wrote: presdoug wrote: Conductor Arturo Toscanini once declared Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet Symphony to be "some of the most beautiful music ever written". When conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent told Sir Thomas Beecham that he had been in the Middle East, and a bullet had hit the car he was in, Beecham replied, "I had no idea they were that musical." Hah! Beecham is awesome indeed!..   And almost no one better than the fantastic Toscanini to say some wise words about music and steering me towards acquiring this awesome Berlioz' symphony for sure, I can't let the time go by without knowing it!   Just stunning what Berlioz wrote in his Memoirs: "Beethoven opened before me a new world of music, as Shakespeare had revealed a new universe of poetry."

The inimitable Sir Thomas Beecham-what a musician and personality!
             The Romeo and Juliet Symphony is worth every note that makes it up, Ric. I would suggest Toscanini's complete recording of it, as well as Charles Munch's 1950's account, and that of Pierre Monteux in the early 1960s.
              That is interesting that quote of Berlioz. He also remarked, "I am picking up where Beethoven left off." I believe that Berlioz also conducted Beethoven's music.

Conductor Arturo Toscanini once declared Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet Symphony to be "some of the most beautiful music ever written".

When conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent told Sir Thomas Beecham that he had been in the Middle East, and a bullet had hit the car he was in, Beecham replied, "I had no idea they were that musical."

uduwudu wrote: A movie about Furtwangler (played by Stellan Skarsgaard)and his prosecution by the Allies (Harvey Keitel) for being pro-Nazi. It's quite good but the best bit is when (now real life archive footage) he shakes hands with Goebbels at the end of a gig and behind his back - in full view of the audience and cameras - wipes his hands on a cloth. The film is quite good but the reception comment at the end pretty much gives a fair assessment of the movie. It may be true to life as in films we like definitive closure which does not really happen. Although for me the above ending footage does make it definitive enough.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taking_Sides_%28film%29

Thanks for your assessment and link. Furtwangler was a courageous man in terrible times.

A movie about Furtwangler (played by Stellan Skarsgaard)and his prosecution by the Allies (Harvey Keitel) for being pro-Nazi. It's quite good but the best bit is when (now real life archive footage) he shakes hands with Goebbels at the end of a gig and behind his back - in full view of the audience and cameras - wipes his hands on a cloth.

The film is quite good but the reception comment at the end pretty much gives a fair assessment of the movie. It may be true to life as in films we like definitive closure which does not really happen. Although for me the above ending footage does make it definitive enough. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taking_Sides_%28film%29

When planning Walt Disney's original Fantasia movie, they were considering doing some animation set to Wagner's "The Ride Of The Valkyries".