Arthur Rubinstein and Eugene Ormandy-Leith Stevens Piano Concerto

[vova47]

Rare pleasure to see these two giants in a movie clip. The beginning of a concerto could almost be a jazz ballad, akin to what Bill Evans or Ahmad Jamal might play.It is fascinating piece of music and it reminds us that Arthur Rubinstein was thoroughly modern pianist performing music of many new composers along with great classic masters,

[bersa888]

Great find as a film.... the music? I find it bombastic and rather insipid, a collections of many bits and pieces from other concertos... but I still enjoyed it. Go figure! ;-)

[mibelleson]

Thank you for posting this! I haven't heard this since I was in high school when I saw and fell in love with the movie for the first time when it was on late at night on AMC. I only have a recording of it on VHS, and I hope they release it on DVD as it's just a copy of when it was on tv.

[oldgypsytap]

How wonderful...how refreshing....how satisfying, to see a film in which a fine piece of music is beautifully performed and is filmed in its entirety with no gimmicks, no fast cuts, no tricks. It's also great to be reminded of what great screen faces Dana Andrews and Merle Oberon possessed. Thank you for posting this gem.

[parzifal40]

Great music. Two of the twentieth century icons together.....Ormandy and Rubinstein....it simply can not get much better than that. Wonderful piece of music and most enjoyable.

[metoyermg]

I first saw night song and heard the concerto at the age of 10 or 11 years. I am now a senior citizen and I have been haunted ever since by it's poignant melody that gave life to the emotional movie plot. Heard it again 1st time in decades 2 weeks ago. Was just as powerfully effected as ever. Thanks for this treasure. I would like a recording of the full work. Any available??

candlefilly

[friskylamar]

The opening music from Destination Moon was used as theme music to our local horror movie show: Fantastic Features, complete w/host 'vampire' w/southern accent.

So, everyone in Memphis, TN of a certain age knows Leith Stevens' score as the scariest music in the world. And it IS!!!!

[eltachimetro]

wow! is such a dramatic movement in my opinion, but its really unique from any other composer

[Toppercat]

This is FANTASTIC! This is PRICELESS!!!

[vividwatch47]

Too bad Leith Stevens isn;t that well represented on C.D.s (asde from a rerecording of his score from "Destination Moon," one of this piano concerto, and Shorty Rogers' rerecording of his score from "The Wild One".

[biegel88]

This is great!!! Thanks to James Spencer for sharing this with me.

[JimminyJimmy]

This is my favorite 20th century 1 movement concerto. It has tinges of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and sweeping romantic film noir. I have performed it and sketches of the score are at Syracuse Library. I think I'm only the 3rd person to perform it. Santiago Rodriguez recorded it in my favorite added hexatonal sketches left out of the movie score. Also a great movie, hope it gets released on dvd some day soon.

[stephenjoeagi]

Very interesting comment. Thank you much. I suggested it  (for performance) to a couple of my friends to no avail. It is also one of my favorite concertos, as well as the movie that contains some very interesting piano music by Leith Stevens. Another very modern, very interesting and almost never played, is the piano concerto of GK Menotti, a recording of which was given to me by the late great Yuri Boukoff, and which I have posted. After 2-3 hearings it grows on one and becomes a favorite.

[vividwatch47]

I wish I knew what C.D. of a new recording this was on.

[stxer]

Does anyone happen to know what hall this was filmed in?

[lyricatonality]

It seems to be the "Philadelphia Music Academy" which the Philadelphia Orchestra called home for many years. I say this because of the circle of lights above Ormandy's head when photographed from below. (An image on many album covers of the period.)

[spacepatrolman]

Ormandy did a bonus interview recored where he talks about fritz kriesler he said he never had to practise.

[MarianneAlkonost]

Amazing!!! Thank you so much for this video!!!!!!!

[elmuchoguapo]

I love it! Arthur looks like a hungry animal!

[snaaptaker]

Ahh! It's good to have this back on YouTube. Thank you, Stephen.

This was on here last year, but apparently went missing for a while. You've brought it back with much better video and audio.

It's been many decades since I last saw this movie, and I couldn't remember the title. Thank you for that, too.

And it's always good to see

Dana Andrews, Hoagy Carmichael, and, if I'm not mistaken, Olivia de Havilland.

[jkircher314]

What film is this from?

Thanks for posting it!

[stephenjoeagi]

'Night Song'

[stephenjoeagi]

Thank you. The actress was though, Merle Oberon.

[NOSEhow2LIV]

Everyone seems on top form here, Rubi revelling in his lush piano part,plus vintage Ormandy with a luxury band,(the horns..!). This would have made it on to the typical "Warsaw Concerto" compilations if there'd been a Big Tune to knock em out. As it is, we can enjoy a fine piece of piano/orch writing with hints of Copland & Villa-Lobos. A brilliant period piece. Bravo for finding it.