Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of Duke Ellington in the studios of Decca with the Cincinnati Symphony orchestra, conducted by Erich Kunzel and the recording of the album Orchestral Works.
The entire album is available for listening on You, courtesy of The Universal Music Group.
There were five years between the first public performance of The Golden Broom and the Green Apple and this recording. One of Ellington's 'occasional' pieces, the composition was written for the New York Philharmonic's French-American Festival which took place from 14 to 31 July, 1965. Scored for symphony orchestra, bass, (John Lamb), drums (Louie Bellson) and piano by Ellington bassist and copyist Joe Benjamin, the work had its première on Friday, 30 July, 1965. Ellington also played New World A' Coming with the New York Phiharmonic under the direction of Lucas Foss and was the narrator with the Orchestra in Copland's Preamble For A Solemn Occasion. The performance was repeated on Saturday evening, presumably the finale to the festival.
The link with Erich Kunzel and Cincinnati was forged almost twelve months later , Saturday, 16 April, 1966, when Ellington presented an afternoon seminar and piano recital at the Cincinnati Conservatory. On this occasion, Duke was presented with the key to the city.
That evening, Ellington gave a concert with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at The Music Hall in the city. Erich Kunzel was the director of the city's Symphony and so the connection was established. The evening concert comprised New World A' Coming, Harlem and The Golden Broom and the Green Apple, the pieces recorded for the album 27 May, 1970.
The Golden Broom and the Green Apple is a fascinating piece, not least because of Ellington's enigmatic narrative. There seem, to me, to be precursors to this, recurring narrative themes, in both Pretty and the Wolf and A Drum Is A Woman.
Ellington narrates on the Decca recording in the form of a 'poetic commentary'. He also wrote a commentary for the original programme of the New York Philharmonic's performance which is reproduced here by way of a libretto to the recording...
New World A’Coming
The première of New World A’Coming was in 1944. It is a statement of the hope of the American Negro for the enjoyment of the fruits of his labors which he has put into the building of the United States.
This work, coincident with the book of the same title by Roi Ottley, shows an awareness of many Negroes of the changing social scene during that early period in 1943. The first few notes were written during a Broadway theatre appearance with Lena Horne.
The Golden Broom and the Green Apple
Stanza I: The Golden Broom
The Golden Broom is a reflection of the haze we enjoy in the spin of today’s whirl, as our luxuriously appointed vehicle (designed origiannly for the beautiful rich city witch) dashes through space with its vacuum jet stream magnetizing the golden gleam of material security.
Stanza II: The Green Apple
As we relax graciously we love thinking that in spite of all we’ve done to acquire our portion of advantages, we still have our green apple (naturally grown and owned by the poverty-strick’ country chick), the symbol o our potentials – our virtues – our God–made and untouched purity.
Stanza III: The Handsome Traffic Policeman
In the third movement we may find the symbol of ourselves in the very handsome traffic cop, flashing his reds, greens and ambers as he stomps his authority around the intersection, where the paths of the beautiful rich city witch with her golden broom and the poverty-strick’ country chick with her green apple will sooner or later converge – and the decision has to be made.
With only one ticket left in our book which of these two ladies gets the ticket? The reason the handsome traffic cop’s book is down to one ticket is that all the more desirable ladies prefer to commit their violations at his intersection.
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