Liner Notes to Frederick Fennell Conducts the Music of

Leroy Anderson
Sleigh Ride and Serenata were recorded on October 25, 1956, using one 201 and
two U47 Telefunken microphones and were originally released on SR90009. Tracks
1-12 on this CD were recorded on March 3, 1958, using one 201 and two M56 Telefunken microphones and were first released as SR90043. All of these works were
recorded at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester, New York. Tracks 15-23 were recorded in Watford Town Hall, outside London, on July 9, 1964, using three Telefunken 201 microphones and originally released on SR90400. All works were recorded on three-track half-inch tape.
Recording Director: Wilma Cozart (1-14); Harold Lawrence (15-23)
Musical Supervisor: Harold Lawrence (1-14)
Chief Engineer and Technical Supervisor: C. Robert Fine (1-14); Robert Eberenz (1523)
Produced, musically supervised, 3- to 2-channel conversion for Compact Disc by
Wilma Cozart Fine
Mastering Engineer for Compact Disc: Andrew NIcholas
Liner Note Editor: Sedgwick Clark
Only Original Masters used for transfer to Compact Disc.

Frederick Fennell Conducts Music of Leroy Anderson

That Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) made his unique musical bed and lay in it so conspicuously well affords defensible proof, once more, for the logic that light symphonic
music is in its own way as sought after and personal an expression of the taste of the
times that engender it as are the elegant musical counterpanes embroidered for
those same times by more earnest composers. To express accurately this alwayschanging taste is praiseworthy; to do so with true stylistic clarity and forthrightness is
better and rarer.

There are many evidences of the individuality of Anderson's work: his apparently effortless way with melodies and syncopated rhythms, for instance; his imaginative use of percussion instruments and his broadly humorous experiments with sound
effects; the remarkable ease of his music forms; and, less positively, the indifferent
success of his many imitators, whose last thought, probably, is sincere flattery, and
whose first thought, certainly, is the garnering of a share of Anderson's wide and
loyal following. This following was loyal since the first of his pieces began to be
played, and it grew increasingly wide with every new publication. The reasons for
such good-humored appreciation are as many as the kinds of listeners who enjoy
him. Children like the wryly explicit portrait of a cat's monstrously vocal encounter
with the neighborhood dogs; the trained musical ear may prefer the subtler incongruity of a stately saraband's being interrupted at intervals by an impudently jazzy
rhythmic figure. The shower singer is provided with an easily remembered melody;
the parade enthusiast recognizes a good brisk tempo when he hears one. The sentimental soul recalls with pleasure the days of horse and buggy; while the office
worker is soothed by the efficient sound of a typewriter as an obbligato "musical" instrument. The tango dancer has his tango; the waltzer, his waltz ... there is something personal for everyone.
The twenty-three of Anderson's amiable and inventive pieces on this CD exhibit the pervading stylistic tendencies of the composer, and at the same time they
point up the canny ingeniousness which enables each work to maintain an independence of its own.
Belle of the Ball is a brilliant fast waltz which re-creates the atmosphere of the
Viennese grand ballroom. The sophisticated lilt of the main theme is complemented
by a closely related section accented by the tinkling sound of bells, and both motifs
are ebulliently combined in the abandon of a breathless coda.
In Horse and Buggy we are shown an elaborate vignette of the courting vehicle so popular at the beginning of the century. After a short introduction, the dawdling
horse is aroused to a trot with a single crack of the whip, and its tuneful careering is
punctuated with the brisk clip-clop of hooves until a romantic view distracts its driver
and his lady and affords the horse a chance to resume its leisurely gait, while the
French horn plays a theme reminiscent, possibly, of Rachmaninoff. After a genteelly
abbreviated interlude, another whip crack starts the obedient horse on its homeward
route, and a mild whinny announces, at the conclusion, that the destination has been
reached.
Another domesticated associate of mankind, this time a rather giddy feline, is
the subject of The Waltzing Cat. Lifting its incredible voice in repellent song, the cat
capers through an entrancing dance - now slow, now fast - full of impressive ritardandos and fetching pauses which allow him to keep an eye out for unwanted canine
spectators. Just as the waltz reaches its climactic moment, there is indeed heard the
clamor of dogs in full cry; and the cat, outnumbered and outraged, pierces the air with
an ominous snarl and departs, prestissimo.
Blue Tango is a characteristic example of Anderson's use of classic dance
forms in a manner which is immediately and unmistakably his own. This setting is
richly orchestrated and luxuriantly melodic; the addition of a silvery rhythmical counterpoint gives a final sheen.
Summer Skies is a kind of modern pastorale. Glistening strings unite in a
suave triplet-meter theme which is lent additional charm by chromatic ornaments in
the woodwinds. Anderson's willingness to let his melody take its own course without
obvious attempts to elaborate meaninglessly is well illustrated here, and the piece
ends with the quiet flow of its beginning.

The Song of the Bells, another whirling, infectious fast waltz, is highlighted by
the sonorous addition of orchestral bells and chimes. In the first appearance of the
chief theme, in fact, the chimes play the solo part, supported by violins. Soon the
woodwinds assume the melody, to be followed by a kind of duet between chimes and
bells, surely a unique experiment and just as surely an effective one. Following another exposition of the main theme, a brilliant and vividly hued coda brings the dance
to an end.
A typewriter was actually used in the recording of The Typewriter, and Frederick Fennell himself addressed both hands to the keyboard, a bobbing head to the
orchestra, and his subconscious to the score, which he had memorized - with special
attention to his "solo" passages. At the end of the session, Dr. Fennell was exhausted but satisfied, and the typewriter was returned to its original desk, as good as
ever in spite of the probability of more carriage returns in one afternoon than in the
course of its entire history as a non-musical office machine.
The timepiece pictured in The Syncopated Clock seems almost to develop a
tentative but winning personality as he strives to emulate the elementary syncopation
of the obviously more learned violin. Just as he gets it right at last, his preceptor
wanders off, and the music is dominated by the more niggardly psyche of a common
alarm clock. Soon the violin returns and the student's rhythmic attempts begin afresh.
He has no sooner succeeded once more in matching the syncopation of the strings
than, it is sad to report, his mainspring flies into pieces, and time - for him - stops forever.
Castanets, Latin rhythms, and a seductive manner distinguish The Girl in Satin
as she executes a warm-blooded tango. The mood, growing more and more apassionato, is reflected in the increasing richness of the orchestral sweep. Once again,
the composer shows his adroitness in the managing of two themes conjointly, and
the coda displays an unobtrusive but skillful handling of dissonance to great atmospheric effect.
The theme of the China Doll is of special interest. It appears first in a rather
plaintive fashion, played by the solo oboe; next the violins and flutes combine with
the oboe to give it more assertion; then the entire woodwind choir takes up, this time
forcing it into a jaunty syncopation of the original statement. Finally the solo oboe
plays it once more, and the accompanying "wa-wa"'s remind us that bedtime for tired
little girls and their playthings has come.
One of the most cleverly written works of this explorative composer is the
Saraband that follows. The sedate tempo, the elegant ornaments, the traditional form
of the antique saraband are all here in a dignified array. To them has been added the
piquancy of impish counterpoints, frankly jazzy interpolations, and unctuous orchestral colorings. The result - much better entertainment than mere parody - is wellachieved satire.
Fiddle-Faddle is modeled on the classical bravura display piece for solo violin,
the moto perpetuo, and utilizes such devices customary to that genre piece as the
rapid and constant tempo, the alternation repetition of short virtuosic sections. Since
this is a freely paraphrased example, however, such an innovation as a fragmented
"tap dance accompaniment" diversion is not only admitted but admired briefly before
the violins enter again in fanciful roulades above the original melodic pattern. This
melody attenuates into staccato mutterings before a swaggering recapitulation brings
the piece to a brilliant conclusion.
Next come the whirling measures of Anderson's very popular Sleigh Ride,
conveying a vivid picture of a crisp winter day on a snowy country road, complete
with trotting horse, whip, and sleigh bells.

To the accompaniment of castanets comes the throbbing rhythm of a Spanish

dance. It develops into a very pretty and lyrical middle section which undoubtedly
inspired the title of Serenata.
Promenade contrasts a brisk walking theme, first heard on solo trumpet, with a
flowing middle theme carried by the strings. The piece was written in 1944, while
Capt. Anderson was stationed at the Pentagon. He conducted its first performance
that year at an "Army Night" concert given in Boston.
Chicken Reel is a perfect example of Anderson's special gifts. Painting a
merry "turkey-in-the straw" picture of a farm, it makes especially effective use of both
syncopation and augmentation (the doubling of the value of the notes). It also contains one of the composer's signature devices, the incorporation of a non-musical
sound. In this case, it's the cock-a-doodle-doo at the end, performed here by no less
a virtuoso than Gervase de Peyer, first clarinetist of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Although Anderson insists that Kipling had nothing to do with it, The Phantom
Regiment certainly does its bit to conjure up the ghostly spirit of colonial England.
The stately work is touchingly evocative of all the regiments that ever set foot into the
valley of death; though the upper lip is kept musically stiff, there is a wisp of wistfulness in the melody that gives it a rare emotional quality.
Jazz Legato and Jazz Pizzicato are companion pieces that have the distinction
of being the first of Anderson's compositions to be written and recorded. Already
highly regarded as an arranger, he wrote Jazz Pizzicato in 1937 as an encore piece
for the Boston "Pops" Orchestra. It turned out to be an immediate success. When it
was to be recorded two years later, however, its brief length proved to be a bit too
skimpy for one side of the then-common 78-rpm record, and the composer was
forced to create a Jazz Legato of approximately the same length to fill out the space.
These contrasting but companionable works have been almost inseparable ever
since.
Plink Plank Plunk is, like Jazz Pizzicato, played by the string section plucking
the strings rather than by using the bow. The perky number, which was written in
1951, has been one of the composer's most frequently performed works ever since.
The Bluebells of Scotland is part of Anderson's Scottish Suite. The familiar air
takes on new freshness as a result of the composer's remarkable use of tonal color,
sense of humor (the bells and chimes to suggest the flower), and arranging skill (the
canon form is employed with striking effectiveness).
The happy expectation of the joys of spring is captured perfectly in The First
Day of Spring. Be that as it may, however, the melody was created before it was
given the title, which had originally been intended for a waltz. But the lush strings and
the pastoral oboe gave the unnamed piece an even more spring-like sound, and the
switched title proved to be even more appropriate.
The Song of Jupiter received its first recording in this collection. "Where'er you
walk," from Hndel's opera Semele, to be one of the composer's most beautiful but
least familiar creations. His inspired arrangement of this affecting piece features a
trumpet solo first heard "singing" the aria.
To these compositions Leroy Anderson brought innate musical fecundity and a
carefully trained craftsmanship that was a product of his years at Harvard University,
from which he was graduated with honors in 1929. Not only his proximity to this institution - he was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts - dictated his choice of schools; at
Harvard he was able to study with such eminent men as Walter Piston, Walter Spalding, and Edward Ballantine. Even with this impressive background, Anderson spent
another four years in preparation for a career in languages before he finally decided

to make music the source of his livelihood. Up until the end of his career, he was one
of the most successful and knowledgeable practitioners in the happy art of writing
truly "popular" music.
Adapted from notes by Clair W. Van Ausdall, Alfred E. Simon (tracks 13 and 14), and Stanley Green
(15-23)

About Frederick Fennell

Long recognized as a pre-eminent conductor of the finest wind and percussion music, Frederick Fennell is no stranger to the symphonic "pops" repertory. For years he
was an annual guest conductor of the Boston "Pops," where his performances were
characterized, in the words of a newspaper reviewer, "by a rare combination of wit,
vivaciousness, and musical sensitivity."
In 1952 Frederick Fennell organized the Eastman Symphonic Wind Ensemble
in Rochester, New York, and until his departure in 1962 he increasingly dedicated
himself to the exploration of musical works originally scored for winds and brasses,
and to the stimulating of interest on the part of contemporary composers in writing
works for this particular instrumentation.
Less than a year after its establishment, the Eastman Symphonic Wind Ensemble made its first appearance on Mercury Living Presence recordings, and the
ensemble produced a series of discs that have won critical acclaim everywhere. In
such recordings as Holst's Suites and Sousa's Marches, Dr. Fennell demonstrated
that his musical tastes are refreshingly broad. Yet another facet of this conductor's
versatile talent was revealed in this full symphony-orchestra recording of music by
Leroy Anderson.

About this recording

The lan of Anderson's orchestrations, and his frequent use of unusual sound effects, make these pieces especially effective and exciting when they are recorded
stereophonically with Mercury's Living Presence lifelike imaging and full dynamic
range. In the several waltzes, for instance, the melodic line is often given to the violins in their beautifully shining upper register; in some of the quicker pieces the
brightness and crispness of the entire woodwind section is called for. Most of the
sound effects - wind whistles, woodblocks representing clocks, and the like - originate
in the percussion section, rear stage right, but the typewriter, in the piece named after
it, was placed on a stand directly to the right of the conductor's podium in order that it
might successfully dominate the music in spirit and sound. Thus, the exciting dimensions of depth and direction are shown most impressively on this disc.

Mercury Living Presence on Compact Disc

In bringing these historic recordings to compact disc, the aim of the production and
engineering team was to capture as accurately and completely as possible the true
sound of the original tape and film masters.
Only the original masters were used for CD transfer, and, as in the recording
sessions themselves, no equalization, filtering, compression, or limiting was used.
The actual analog-to-digital conversion device used 128 times oversampling with
proprietary noise-shaping techniques. Throughout the CD mastering process, the
digital master was compared to and matched against the 3-track master to ensure as
true and faithful digital reproduction of the original as possible.
For the transfer of these masters to the digital domain, the original Mercury
vacuum-tube Westrex film recorder and Ampex 3-track tape machine were restored.

In addition to provifing the exact reciprocal of the original equalization curve, the tube
technology replicated the full rich sound, clarity of instrumental timbre, and solid convincing soundstage preserved on the original tapes or film.
This combination of classic tube technology and state-of-the-art digital equipment re-creates for compact disc the wide dynamic range, lifelike clarity, and spatial
perspective of Mercury Living Presence.
Because of the historical significance of the Mercury Living Presence recordings, and in response to requests from record collectors, it was decided to use
the original LP covers and liner notes whenever possible.
Frederick Fennell, conductor
Eastman-Rochester "POPS" Orchestra (1-14)
Orchestra conducted by Frederick Fennell (15-23)
Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)
Tracklist:
1 - Belle of the Ball
2 - Horse and Buggy
3 - The Waltzing Cat
4 - Blue Tango
5 - Summer Skies
6 - Song of the Bells
7 - The Typewriter
8 - The Syncopated Clock
9 - The Girl in Satin
10 - China Doll
11 - Saraband
12 - Fiddle-Faddle
13 - Sleigh Ride
14 - Serenata
15 - Promenade
16 - Chicken Reel
17 - Phantom Regiment
18 - Jazz Legato
19 - Jazz Pizzicato
20 - Plink Plank Plunk
21 - The Bluebells of Scotland
22 - The First Day of Spring
23 - Song of Jupiter
Total

2:47
3:34
2:21
3:31
2:56
3:28
1:39
2:26
2:40
2:51
3:45
3:44
2:46
3:43
2:24
2:39
3:07
1:41
1:51
2:27
1:57
2:43
4:20
-----65:20

Recorded: 3/1958 (1-12), 10/1956 (13 & 14), USA

7/1964 (15-23), Great Britain