Serious Fun!

Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano), Jody Karin Applebaum (soprano), Jody Karin Applebaum (narrator)

Catalog #: TROY0744
Release Date: June 1, 2005
Format: Digital
Vocal

Jeremy Nicholas writes: "Phrases that chill the heart: 'I want a volunteer from the audience.' 'Is this your car, sir?' 'Have we shown you our holiday snaps?' Or how about "Tonight's lecture is on the art of writing comedy." Go to that seminar and one thing you know for sure in advance is that you are consigning yourself to an evening devoid of any humor. Dissecting comedy, analyzing jokes or, in this case, comic songs, has all the allure of pulling off the wings of a butterfly to see how it flies. Setting off writing a comic song is rather like being your own crossword compiler, designing the grid, filling in all the squares, setting your own clues. No, it's not, really. It's more like taking a pile of kid's building bricks and making a spectacular skyscraper from them. No, that's not it either. But there are elements of both that are pertinent (a good word for seminars)." In other words, comedy (and comic songwriting) is hard work. Think of the last time you told a joke and it didn't come off. The material was right but maybe the delivery was off. But remember the joy when the response was perfect: not only did they laugh, but you sensed the anticipation: this is going to be funny. And for this album, the anticipation certainly pays off. Anyone who grew up in the 1950's and 1960's will recall the wonderful humor of the works of Tom Lehrer, the classic HMV (Angel in this country) LP's of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. More recently we've seen how Stephen Sondheim and William Bolcom can easily move back and forth between the serious and the humorous. And just to prove that comedy can be serious business, we have the participation of Marc-Andre Hamelin, one of the most highly regarded concert and recital pianists as accompanist and composer, joined by his wife Jody Karin Applebaum. Her resume includes performances of Bach's Christmas Oratorio and St. Matthew Passion, Handel's Messiah, to contemporary works by Stephen Albert, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Gorecki. Together they have performed in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Canada, England and the Middle East. Together they have recorded music of Britten, Schoenberg, Bolcom, Wolpe, Weill, Satie and Poulenc. Here both they and you have some fun for a change!

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Track Listing

Title Composer Performer
Christian Dior Bruce Montgomery Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Someone Is Sending Me Flowers David Baker Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Madeira, M'Dear? Donald Swann Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Ill Wind Donald Swann Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
A Word On My Ear Donald Swann Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
The Twelve Days After Christmas Frederick Silver Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Matenity Jeremy Nicholas Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Usherette's Blues Jeremy Nicholas Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Musical Chairs Jeremy Nicholas Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Pretty Plain Jeremy Nicholas Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Come On Algernon Lord Berners Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
A Farmer's Boy Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Tamara, Queen Of The Nile Peter Winkler Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
The Shape of Things Sheldon Harnick Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
I Never Do Anything Twice Steven Sondheim Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
(I'm Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica Tom Lehrer Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
The Masochism Tango Tom Lehrer Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Summer Is A-Comin' In Vernon Duke Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise William Bolcom Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano
The Green-Eyed Dragon Wolseley Charles Jody Applebaum, soprano, Marc-AndrŽ Hamelin, piano

Reviews

  • "Soprano Jody Karin Applebaum...has a terrific flair for comedy that really comes across in this collection... For all her formidable technique...nothing gets in the way of a laugh."

    – American Record Guide

  • "...Applebaum and Hamelin are flawless musicians and impeccable stylists when it comes to this kind of material."

    – Classics Today

  • Don't let this scrumptious comedic bon-bon pass you by, get your copy today! Highest possible recommendation for a truly unique item.

    – Fanfare

*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.