On May 13, 2005, at 9:10 AM, John Howell wrote:
True story: One of our choral conductors here wanted to put on "An Evening of Irving Berlin" program, and called I.B. Music to ask about the availability of choral arrangements. He was put on hold for a while, and when the person came back he was told, "Mr. Berlin does not approve of your proposal." Mr. Berlin, at that time, had been dead for about two years!
Bwhaa-ha! That certainly jibes with what I know about the organization! They (along with the Gershwins' lawyers) appear to be nuts. On the one hand, they refuse reasonable requests that stand to bring in money and raise prestige, on the grounds that they do not adhere to the "standard" set by the composer, but on the other hand they approve utterly tasteless things (like a certain Gershwin TV special I saw) that cheapen the legacy and lower the standard!
One of my teachers, the late Rayburn Wright, approached the Gershwin organisation about writing a different suite on Porgy and Bess commissioned by a major orchestra, as many conductors find the Robert Russell Bennett arrangement a little long in the tooth these days. He was refused, even though they stood to make MORE money, and get MORE performances, and get to distribute Ray's arrangement as well. He was mystified at their bullheadedness.
Christopher
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