Such Sweet Thunder
Posted by: Max Bass on 01 January 2008
Listening to this classic album by the Duke, last night. Forgot what a hard driving tune the opening title cut is! Absolutely killin'!!
"I never heard so musical a discord, such sweet thunder." Taken from one of the lines of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer NIght's Dream". What a musical genius Ellington was/is . . . to have based a whole suite of music around one of the classics in literature.
This album deserves to be heard many more times and that's just what I'm gonna do!
Max
p.s. Happy New Year everyone!
"I never heard so musical a discord, such sweet thunder." Taken from one of the lines of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer NIght's Dream". What a musical genius Ellington was/is . . . to have based a whole suite of music around one of the classics in literature.
This album deserves to be heard many more times and that's just what I'm gonna do!
Max
p.s. Happy New Year everyone!
Heyyyyyy!! Finally, someone out there who likes Duke Ellington. 
Alan, thanks for your reply. In retrospect, I probably should of posted in the "what are you listening to . . ." thread. However, I do think that it deserves special merit since: A. it's a rare work, in that it creates a relationship between jazz and Shakespeare.
B. I (could be wrong) but, jazz doesn't get covered nearly enough in this forum.
In answering your question, the music may have been used in someones production of "Midsummer's" but that was not the intent of the composer. As I recall, Ellington had been at a music festival that included a Shakepeare production which in turn inspired Duke to write a suite of music that would create such a relationship.
Max
Alan, thanks for your reply. In retrospect, I probably should of posted in the "what are you listening to . . ." thread. However, I do think that it deserves special merit since: A. it's a rare work, in that it creates a relationship between jazz and Shakespeare.
B. I (could be wrong) but, jazz doesn't get covered nearly enough in this forum.
In answering your question, the music may have been used in someones production of "Midsummer's" but that was not the intent of the composer. As I recall, Ellington had been at a music festival that included a Shakepeare production which in turn inspired Duke to write a suite of music that would create such a relationship.
Max