Abraham: Ball at the Savoy (Sung in English) [Arr. A. Barrese, M. Grimminger & H. Hagedorn]

Featuring

Anthony Barrese
Alison Kelly
Gerald Frantzen
Ryan Trent Oldham
Cynthia Fortune Gruel
Rose Guccione

Bridget Skaggs
Matt Dyson
Kingsley Day
Kurt Bender
Ronald Watkins
Felicia Filip Burkovskiy
Katelyn Lee
Shawn Morgenlander
Gillian Hollis
Gretchen Adams
Roxann Ferguson
Erich Buchholz
John Wesley Hughes
Ernie Cottrell
Chicago Folks Operetta
Unknown ensemble
Paul Abraham

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Compositional Technique

Paul Abrahám's operettas, including "Ball at the Savoy," were scored for an orchestra augmented by a jazz band, featuring instruments like steel guitar, piano, drum set, and banjo.

Notable Performances

The premiere of "Ball at the Savoy" on December 23, 1932, at Berlin's Grosses Schauspielhaus, was considered by some to be the last major cultural event of Weimar Germany.

Composer Biography

Paul Abrahám, a classically trained composer, invented the jazz operetta, achieving huge success in Weimar Germany, particularly Berlin.

Recording & Production

This album is a world premiere recording of the English language version of Paul Abrahám's "Ball at the Savoy."

Historical Context

Despite its initial triumph, "Ball at the Savoy" was written, produced, and performed by Jewish artists, making them targets of Nazi harassment, leading to the show's closure and the artists' forced exile.

Critical Reception

Critics hailed Paul Abrahám's music for "Ball at the Savoy," with one comparing him to Richard Strauss and Stravinsky of modern operetta.

Composition History

"Ball at the Savoy" was a collaboration between Paul Abrahám and leading librettists Fritz Löhner-Beda and Alfred Grünwald, the same team behind his previous successes.