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Donald Macleod examines the use of light music in cinema in Britain and explores how the transition from silent movies to the talkies affected the genre.

Donald Macleod examines the use of light music in cinema in Britain and explores how the transition from silent movies to the talkies affected the genre.

The names of the composers of British light music - Coates, Ket猫lby, Farnon, Dring or Tomlinson - might not be as well known as those of Mozart, Beethoven or Bach, but some of their music will be just as familiar to most listeners, and it still provides the soundtrack to many people鈥檚 everyday lives through, among other things, the theme music to their favourite TV and radio programmes. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod tracks the rise and fall of light music in Britain over roughly 100 years, from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th. He鈥檒l be exploring the social history which led to this genre flourishing, from the late-Victorian theatre crowds in want of more popular fare after the successes of Gilbert and Sullivan鈥檚 operettas, to the orchestras which sprang up to entertain the burgeoning UK seaside resorts. Along the way, Donald will examine the explosion of music in people鈥檚 homes, as at first pianos and other instruments, and then radio and television sets, became affordable to households across the country, and the transition from silent movies to the talkies. Donald will also explore the challenges which the genre faced as audiences moved towards new ways of listening in the 20th century and the pioneers who have sought to keep this music alive.

In Wednesday鈥檚 episode, Donald examines the huge light music industry which built up around the use of music in cinemas during the silent movie era and explores how composers such as Frederic Curzon, Hubert Bath, and Richard Addinsell had to adapt to the changing needs of film with the advent of the talkies.

Frederick Curzon
Robin Hood 鈥 March of the Bowmen
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Adrian Leaper, conductor

Richard Addinsell
Love on the Dole 鈥 Main Titles - Sally Awakes; Courting Couples; Blackpool Outing; End Titles
成人快手 Philharmonic
Rumon Gamba, conductor

Frederic Curzon
The Dread Tribunal
New Concert Orchestra
Frederic Curzon, conductor

Frederic Curzon
Bravada: Paso Doble
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Adrian Leaper, conductor

Hubert Bath/ Charles Williams/ Jack Beaver/ Louis Levy
Music from the 39 Steps: 39 Steps / Highland hotel / Mr Memory / Finale
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Paul Bateman, conductor

Richard Addinsell
Warsaw Concerto
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
成人快手 Symphony Orchestra
Hugh Wolff, conductor

Hubert Bath
Cornish Rhapsody
Daniel Adni, piano
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Kenneth Alwyn, conductor

Hubert Bath
Out of the Blue
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Gavin Sutherland, conductor

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Frederic (Ernest) Curzon

    Robin Hood (No 3, March of the Bowman)

    Orchestra: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Leaper.
    • NAXOS : 8.-555172.
    • NAXOS.
    • 16.
  • Richard Addinsell

    Love On The Dole (excerpts)

    Orchestra: 成人快手 Philharmonic. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • CHANDOS : chan-10046.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 5.
  • Frederic Curzon

    The Dread Tribunal

    Orchestra: New Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Frederic Curzon.
    • Cavandish.
  • Frederic Curzon

    Bravada: Paso Doble

    Orchestra: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Leaper.
    • NAXOS.
  • Louis Levy

    Music from the 39 Steps

    Composer: Hubert Bath. Composer: Charles Williams. Composer: James Beaver.
    • SILVA SCREEN RECORDS.
  • Richard Addinsell

    Warsaw Concerto

    Performer: Jean鈥怸ves Thibaudet. Orchestra: 成人快手 Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Hugh Wolff.
    • DECCA : 4605032.
    • DECCA.
    • 1.
  • Hubert Bath

    Cornish Rhapsody

    Performer: Daniel Adni. Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Kenneth Alwyn.
    • EMI 3 52392 2.
    • EMI.
    • 4.
  • Hubert Bath

    Out of the Blue

    Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Gavin Sutherland.
    • NAXOS.

Broadcast

  • Wed 30 Aug 2023 12:00

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