“Prelude to Carmen”
Composed by Georges Bizet; arranged by Jack Pleis and Jan Savitt.
Recorded by Jan Savitt and His Top Hatters for Victor on May 5, 1941 in Chicago.
Jan Savitt, directing: Johnny Napton, first trumpet; George Hosfeld and Jack Palmer, trumpets; Al Leopold, first trombone; Ben Pickering and Al George, trombones; George “Gigi” Bohn, first alto saxophone and B-flat clarinet; Andy Egan, alto saxophone and B-flat clarinet; Joe Aglora and Sam Sachelle, tenor saxophones and B-flat clarinets; Ray Tucci, baritone saxophone; Jack Pleis, piano; Danny Perri, guitar; Howard Cook, bass; Russ Isaacs, drums.
The story:
The year 1941 was one of the most musically interesting and productive of the swing era. The reason for this, in large measure, was the ASCAP-radio dispute, which forced bandleaders, radio networks and recording company producers to think outside of the box to come up with new music that was not composed by ASCAP members that could be played over network radio.
“The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), America’s largest musical performing rights organization, was determined to extract more money from the radio networks for the privilege of airing songs written by its members, on whose behalf ASCAP collected and distributed performing-rights fees. The networks responded by setting up a competing organization called Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI). (ASCAP’s catalog) …amounted to some 1,250,000 songs, including nearly all of the top hits of 1940. The (radio) boycott of ASCAP songs went into effect on January 1, 1941 (and ended on October 31, 1941), forcing bands that performed on radio to play either BMI controlled or public domain songs during their programs. Soon every bandleader was frantically commissioning arrangements of (traditional tunes, folk tunes or classical melodies).” (1)
No bandleader in the swing era came to his work with better musical qualifications than Jan Savitt. Savitt was born in Shumsk, Russia on September 4, 1907 as Jacob Sarvetnick (some sources have it Savetnick). His family emigrated to South Philadelphia in 1909, settling in the Orthodox Jewish community there. He began playing violin at age 6 in 1913. By 1924, he was a student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Two years later, at age 19, he was playing violin in the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Leopold Stokowski. That association lasted eight years. In 1932, Savitt formed a string quartet which was featured on radio station WCAU, the CBS network affiliate in Philadelphia. Shortly after, he organized and led a 35-piece symphonic jazz orchestra in the manner of Paul Whiteman on WCAU which presented a weekly program called Fiddle-isms. In 1934, at age 27, he became musical director at WCAU, and was featured on another radio program there built around him, Savitt Serenade. This program had Savitt and other talented Philadelphia musicians performing popular music. (Above left: Jan Savitt in the mid-1930s, looking rather like actor Raymond Massey’s brother.)
By 1936, Savitt was a well-known musical personality in the Philadelphia area. Late in that year, he was lured away from WCAU to KYW in Philadelphia, one of the radio superstations of the 1930s, with a signal powerful enough to be heard clearly all over the eastern U.S., and well into Canada. It was at this time that he formed his first swing band dubbed Jan Savitt and His Top Hatters. But prior to that, he had been immersed in the world of “classical” music for over two decades. Consequently he was well-versed in the repertoire of symphony orchestras, smaller “classical” groups, and opera. (Above right: Tommy Dorsey visits Jan Savitt at KYW-Philadelphia on March 17, 1938.)
The music:
I am not an opera fan. Nevertheless, I am curious about operatic music, and have attended a good many operas. The last opera I saw was Philip Glass’s Akhnaten a couple of years ago at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Despite my reservations about a lot of Glass’s music, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed Akhnaten. The music, which definitely enhanced what was going on onstage, was performed impeccably by the rather small orchestra that was required by the production, and the sets, staging, acting and dancing, which included a good bit of juggling, were all excellent.
The music in Akhnaten is not particularly melodic in the sense of the melodies we hear in popular songs. That is not a criticism because Glass’s music is remarkably effective as a critical element in the overall presentation of that opera. Melody is only a part of music. But it is something that can be used to evoke a wide range of human emotions. The role of melody in opera over the last 250 years has been interesting to chart. My take on this is that people have always respond positively to melodies in operas, especially arias, which are sung by a single voice. If those melodies are memorable, the likelihood that an opera that showcases them will be successful with audiences increases.
The opera Carmen, composed by Georges Bizet, which debuted on March 3, 1875 at Opera Garnier in Paris, is a veritable cornucopia of melodies, and most of them are memorable. But in addition to its melodies, Carmen also contains many colorful characters and a lot of action. In short, it is a feast for the eyes, ears and emotions of audiences. That is why it has been a perennial audience magnet since its first production. (Shown at right – Georges Bizet.)
The arrangement of the “Prelude to Carmen” that Jan Savitt’s band plays with great zest in the performance presented here was written by Jack Pleis, the pianist in the Savitt band. My informed speculation is that Savitt, who undoubtedly played this music many times in his “classical” years, thought it would be an ideal candidate for being recast as a swing opus. In addition to its happy, jaunty character, it contains two memorable melodies, and was orchestrated by Bizet in such a way that its various musical episodes move organically from one to the next, that is to say it is paced perfectly. Savitt had Pleis translate all of this rather literally from the instrumentation of a classical ensemble to that of a swing band.
The Savitt band brings Bizet’s music vividly and joyfully to life. Their performance is definitely at the virtuoso level. Savitt the conductor facilitated an immaculate reading and playing of the music, done with the brio of a top-flight swing band.
The first of Bizet’s melodies is presented by the brass, trumpets and trombones, with robust asides from the saxophones, all backed by drummer Russ Isaacs’s tom-toms. The next musical episode spots the reeds, now including a clarinet, leading the way melodically, then the bright brass, trumpets on top, trombones underneath. A short, colorful transition leads to a reprise of the first melodic tract. (Pianist/arranger Jack Pleis is shown at left.)
The next sequence begins with the shuffle-rhythm for which the Savitt band was noted, led by pianist Jack Pleis, followed by a lively sequence featuring the trombone trio of Al Leopold (lead), Ben Pickering and Al George. The open trumpets and reeds add color.
Jack Pleis’s arrangement also contains space for a couple of jazz solos. A descending passage with the brass and reeds catapults tenor saxophonist Joe Aglora into a swinging 16 bar improvised solo. The open trumpets follow, keeping the rhythmic momentum intense. Trombonist Al Leopold then plays, and takes his instrument into its high register in an improvised solo that can aptly be described as exuberant.
The clarinet-led reeds play next leading the music into a romping climax that has the reeds and open brass playing antiphonally.
Bravo Bizet, Savitt, Jack Pleis and the Savitt band!
The recording presented with this post was digitally remastered by Mike Zirpolo.
Notes and links:
(1) Duke …A Life of Duke Ellington by Terry Teachout (2013), 220.
Here is another example of Jan Savitt swinging a classic: https://swingandbeyond.com/2022/04/29/my-heart-at-thy-sweet-voice-1940-jan-savitt-and-his-top-hatters-arranged-by-billy-moore/
Here are some other great recordings by Jan Savitt:
https://swingandbeyond.com/2019/07/04/ring-dem-bells-1939-live-jan-savitt-and-his-top-hatters/
https://swingandbeyond.com/2020/12/30/green-goon-jive-1941-jan-savitt-billy-moore/
Here is a link to the “Prelude to Carmen” performed by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Niemann: https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-imageadvan-imageadvan_findrecipe&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-imageadvan_findrecipe&hspart=imageadvan&p=Prelude+to+carmen&type=251_pc.typedin.ftre_ftre#id=1&vid=4991af624a0da92c3fcdfd5dba32087e&action=click
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