Musical Metropolis: Los Angeles and the Creation of a Music Culture, 1880-1940

289 Pages·2004·3.52 MB·English

by  Kenneth Marcus

Musical Metropolis
Los Angeles and the Creation of a
Music Culture, 1880–1940
Kenneth H. Marcus
This eBook does not include ancillary media that was packaged with the
printed version of the book.
MUSICALMETROPOLIS
© Kenneth H.Marcus 2004
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published in 2004 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™
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ISBN 1–4039–6418–1 hardcover
ISBN 1–4039–6419–X paperback
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Marcus,Kenneth H.
Musical Metropolis:Lost Angeles and the creation of a music culture,
1880–1940 / by Kenneth H.Marcus.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 1–4039–6418–1 (alk.paper)—ISBN 1–4039–6419–X
(pbk.:alk paper)
1.Music—California—Los Angeles—19th century—History and
criticism.2.Music—California–Los Angeles—20th century—History
and criticism.3.Music—Social aspects—California—Los Angeles.I.Title.
ML200.8.L7M37 2004
780(cid:1).9794(cid:1)94—dc22 2004042843
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd.,Chennai,India.
First edition:December 2004
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America.
To the memory of my mother
Laura Hearne Marcus
(1922–2003)
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
List ofIllustrations vi
List ofTables viii
List ofRecordings ix
Acknowledgments x
Introduction 1
1. Theater Music During the Boom Years 11
2. “Making Friends with Music”:Music Education in the
Classroom and Concert Hall 37
3. “Symphonies Under the Stars”:The Romance of the
Hollywood Bowl 65
4. The Art of Pageants,Plays,and Dance 87
5. Leaving a Legacy:Early Recordings of Indigenous,Classical,
and Popular Music 119
6. “An Invisible Empire in the Air”:Broadcasting the Classics
during the Golden Age 143
7. Music on Film:Hollywood and the Conversion to Sound 165
Epilogue 191
Notes 199
Bibliography 245
Appendix 261
Abbreviations 263
Index 265
A CD containing musical selections discussed in this book can be found on
the back cover.
List of Illustrations
Prelims
Southern California,ca.1920 xii
Chapter 1
1.1 Los Angeles,ca.1920 12
1.2 Main Street and Second,with Grand Opera House
on Right,ca.1889 16
1.3 Hazard’s Pavilion 17
1.4 Los Angeles Theatre 18
1.5 National Opera Company 26
1.6 Adolph Willhartitz 29
1.7 Harley Hamilton 30
1.8 Lynden Behymer 31
Chapter 2
2.1 Miguel Arévalo,ca.1872 45
2.2 Heinrich von Stein,ca.1911 47
2.3 Neighborhood Music School 52
2.4 William Wilkins with Class,ca.1932 53
2.5 Walter Henry Rothwell 58
2.6 Philharmonic Auditorium 60
2.7 Philharmonic Auditorium,interior view 61
Chapter 3
3.1 Founders in dish:Charles Toberman,Harriet Grey,
Mr.Sibertson,Artie Mason Carter,Frederick Blanchard,
unidentified,Ellis Reed 69
3.2 Easter Sunrise Service,1924 73
3.3 Founders and patrons signing up,1927 75
3.4 Hollywood Bowl,1930 76
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vii
3.5 Eugene Goossens 79
3.6 Princess Tsianina 81
Chapter 4
4.1 John Steven McGroarty 92
4.2 Juan Zorraquinos and Juanita Vigare 94
4.3 Fiesta scene,The Mission Play 95
4.4 Garnet Holme 103
4.5 José Arias and Troubadours 106
4.6 Indian Christening scene,Ramona Pageant 108
Chapter 5
5.1 Manuela García 123
5.2 Rosendo Uruchurtu 125
5.3 Charles Wakefield Cadman,Margaret Messer Morris,
Arthur Alexander 133
Chapter 6
6.1 KECA Program:Beethoven,1935 154
6.2 KECA Survey,1936 157
Chapter 7
7.1 Max Steiner 170
7.2 Erich Wolfgang Korngold 174
7.3 Alfred Newman 178
List of Tables
6.1 Top 12 Composers on Standard Hour Broadcasts,1929–35 148
6.2 Origin of Composers on Standard Hour Broadcasts,1929–35 148
List of Recordings
1. Rosa and Luisa Villa,“La Serenata”(1904)
2. Zoellner Quartet,Medley:“Dixie”and “Swanee River”(1915)
3. Kid Ory’s Sunshine Orchestra,“Ory’s Creole Trombone”(1922)
4. Margaret Messer Morris and Charles Wakefield Cadman,“At Dawning”
(1922)
5. Charles Wakefield Cadman, piano solo, “Land of the Sky Blue Water”
(1926)
6. Olga Steeb,Edward MacDowell’s “Rigaudon,Op.48/s”(1922)
7. Olga Steeb,Frederic Chopin’s “Mazurka in B-flat,Op.7”(1923)
8. Grauman’s Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Ulderico Marcelli, Erno
Rapée’s “Echoes From the Iron Horse”(1925)
9. Aimée Semple McPherson,“I Ain’t Gonna Grieve”(1926)
10. Don Clark Orchestra,with Bing Crosby and Al Rinker,“I’ve Got the Girl”
(1926)
11. Los Angeles Philharmonic,cond.by Eugene Goossens,Antonin Dvorak’s
“Carnival Overture”(1928)
12. Percussion Ensemble, cond. by Nicolas Slonimsky, Edgard Varèse’s
“Ionisation”(1933)
13. RKO Studio Orchestra, cond. by Max Steiner, Vincent Youmans’s
“Carioca”from Flying Down to Rio(1933)
14. Lawrence Tibbett,Elinor Remick Warren’s “Sweetgrass Range”(1935)
15. Johnny Green and male quartet, George Gershwin’s “Bidin’ My Time”
(1937)
16. Arnold Schoenberg, Gershwin eulogy, Gershwin Memorial Broadcast
(1937)
17. Bob Crosby and His Orchestra,“Panama”(1937)
18. WPA Los Angeles Federal Symphony, with Colored Chorus, cond. by
William Grant Still,excerpts from “Lenox Avenue”(1938)
19. José Arias Troubadours,“El capotin”(1949)
20. José Arias Troubadours,“Cielito lindo”(1949)