NYTimes.com: "With their similar grooves, “ABC” and “Do-Re-Mi” from “The Sound of Music” seemed like a natural mash-up to Peter Kiesewalter of the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, an instrumental quartet that mixes rock, jazz, R&B and more. But the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization, which holds the rights to that songwriting duo’s catalog, is famously persnickety. So when the organization’s legal department sent a cease-and-desist letter to Mr. Kiesewalter, he was a little nervous. He hadn’t just messed with “Do-Re-Mi”; he had also made mash-ups and covers out of all the songs from the 1959 “Sound of Music.”
Sunday, January 30, 2011
‘Sound of Music’ Tribute by Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata
NYTimes.com: "With their similar grooves, “ABC” and “Do-Re-Mi” from “The Sound of Music” seemed like a natural mash-up to Peter Kiesewalter of the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, an instrumental quartet that mixes rock, jazz, R&B and more. But the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization, which holds the rights to that songwriting duo’s catalog, is famously persnickety. So when the organization’s legal department sent a cease-and-desist letter to Mr. Kiesewalter, he was a little nervous. He hadn’t just messed with “Do-Re-Mi”; he had also made mash-ups and covers out of all the songs from the 1959 “Sound of Music.”
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4 comments:
This is such an interesting idea. I wonder how the idea to mash-up and make covers of songs such as the ones from "The Sound Of Music" occurred, but it seems to be a successful project for Kiesewalter. It is also great to see how supportive the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization was of this endeavor, and great that they found the music made by Kiesewalter to be accurate to the original intention of the songs on an "intellectual level".
I was so excited to read this. I think Sound of Music is one of the most beautiful musicals and I would love to experience it in a new way. It seems like this group was able to bring new perspective to the classic songs, but it almost sounds like they're making a mockery of them. Edelweiss with a bluegrass feel? This is something that I'm going to keep track of, I'm curious as to how they'll be received. I think most of why they're seeing interest right now is because people are curious. However, I'm glad the Rodgers and Hammerstein Company gave them this chance. Especially for a company who has a rep for being "persnickety". They were able to see potential for Sound of Music to gain a new role in today's culture. I'm excited about this.
I think taking older music and changing it can either work really well or really horribly. I think in this case it is the former. The Sound of Music is such a classic show and the music is so well known that a little update can never hurt something that is timeless. I'm glad that R&H ended up loving the idea as well and letting the band go through with their cd.
It's about time! It's impressive that after being around for such a long time, that they are only now making a "remix" of Sound of Music. Hopefully they were not to greedy and have not ruined the original songs, as some tributes are known to do *cough*Across the Universe*cough*.
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