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Subject: Newman Levy Songs From: GUEST,Stewart Date: 18 Aug 00 - 01:45 PM Looking for info on Newman Levy. Have sung Thais for many years but only recently found out lyrics written by Newman Levy - former Atty Gen NYC, trial lawyer, writer of light verse, opera and theater fan. Several poems from his book OPERA GUYED -- Thais, Carmen, Tristan & Isolda -- have been set to music (in DigTrad), but by whom? Another poem, Bluebeard, is certainly also by Newman, but where was this orig published? Another book, THEATRE GUYED, contains even better poems (stories of various plays), including Oedipus Rex, and The Three Cherry Sisters Karamazov, which I have set to music (the former my own, and the latter to Stenka Razin; I'd be happy to supply lyrics and music). He wrote an autobio, MY DOUBLE LIFE, in 1958, quite interesting. When did he die? Any living heirs who might provide more info? Who holds copyright to his material? Any other of his poems set to music? He is said to have replied to George Gershwin's question, "I wonder if my music will be played a hundred years from now?" with the answer, "Yes, if you're around to play it!" Quite a wit,he deserves to be more well known to a later generation. |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Aug 00 - 02:10 PM Gee, Stewart, I thought I'd be able to find better information. The three or four songs we have here seem to be the biggest collection of Newman Levy information that exists on the Internet. I did a Hotbot search and found very little. A Lycos search (click) brings up the Gershwin quote and a lot of tidbits of information you might like to explore, but nothing looks particularly substantial. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: GUEST,lamarca Date: 18 Aug 00 - 03:51 PM Well, this was fun! I now use Google as my search engine of choice. Their first hit for "Newman Levy" is a list of his papers collected by NYU :The Newman Levy Papers; a search of Bookfinder.com gives a number of Levy titles available from on-line used book dealers: "Opera Guyed" had its copyright renewed in Dec 1950, "Gay But Wistful, Verses" in May, 1953 The Web sources I found listed Levy's year of birth as 1888, but none gave a year of death... |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE THREE CHERRY SISTERS KARAMAZOV^^ From: Stewart Date: 28 Aug 00 - 05:02 PM Thanks, Joe and lamarca. I guess I'm probably the local world's authority (world's local authority?). The Newman Levy Papers are only available to read at the NYU library (a long way from Seattle, where I reside). I just finished reading his autobiography MY DOUBLE LIFE (1958, only available at used bookstores or library) and I highly recommend it -- very interesting. I mentioned a couple of choice Newman lyrics, so I'll include them here. The first scans well to the tune of STANKA RAZIN (a Russian folk song), and I have composed a tune for the second which I can send to anyone interested as a midi file. THE THREE CHERRY SISTERS KARAMAZOV (Newman Levy) His name was Boris Makaloff Alexis Gregor Mackaloff, His neighbors called him Grisha In their quaintly Russian style. His life was sad but lecherous Mid landscape bleak and treacherous Where Nevsky Prospekt pleases And only man is vile. He loved his cousin Anushka Andreiovanya Babushka, A gloomy dipsomaniac Called Sonia by all. A girl of low mentality Which, in that grim locality, Did not impair a maiden's Popularity at all. With ardent love did she adore A student known as Fyodor, A circumstance that filled our hero Grisha with dismay; So when his love she threw aside He threatened sudden suicide (A popular diversion In a merry Russian play). "Alas," he muttered sourly, "I'm growing madder hourly. Don't spurn me, little mother, For this unattractive guy. I may say, without vanity, For unalloyed insanity You'll have a job to find a lad As lunatic as I." "Although," retorted Anushka Andreiovanya Babushka, "Your maudlin, drunken lunacy My girlish heart has swayed, Though Fyodor's inferior, He's gloomier and drearier, A prime consideration to A simple Russian maid." Her ancient servant, Rubinoff, Remarked "You're hardly boob enough To want to wed a student So devoid of worldly goods." Said Fyodor dejectedly, Arriving unexpectedly, I'm but a simple Muscovite, But how I love the woods! "This life is all futility And chronic imbecility; It's desolate and empty as A broken samovar." "Alas! alack!" cried Sonia, "I've galloping pneumonia!" And burst into a melancholy Tune on the guitar. "Now, by our good St. Nicholas, This all is too ridikilous!" Cried Grisha with asperity, and Drew a murderous gun. "My paranoidal tendency Is gaining the ascendancy. Let's kill this fellow Fyodor In clean and playful fun." "Alas," retorted Anushka Andreiovanya Babushka, "That pistol is unloaded That you're pointing at his head." Cried Grisha, sad and tearfully, "The fates have tricked me fearfully. Let's get a flask of vodka, and Get ossified instead." So, as this project germinates The play abruptly terminates. (A custom of the Russians to Leave everything in doubt.) Although I've seen the best of them By Tchekoff and the rest of them I've not the slightest notion what The devil they're about. The lyrics are by Newman Levy, published in Theatre Guyed, 1933, Alfred A. Knopf, NY. It can be sung to the tune of STENKA RAZIN. ^^ OEDIPUS REX (Newman Levy) List to the story of Oedipus Rex, Poor little, misunderstood little Oedipus, Victim of sad maladjustment of sex, Poor little Oedipus Rex. When Oedipus was but a babe, (So runs the tale historical), His doting dad betook the lad (A custom that those ancients had) To interview the oracle. Because in Greece, In Ancient Greece They'd never start a thing or cease, Commence a war or make a peace Unless they asked the oracle. The pythoness upon the throne Said sadly and oracular, "This lad, ha ha! will kill his pa And after that he'll wed his ma, A sad life, but spectacular." When Oedipus's dad heard that, The Theban King La‹us, "It's up to me," he said, said he, "To circumvent that prophecy And find a way to free us. "I'm off that oracle for life. From now," he said, "all bets off. She thinks she's slick; I know a trick To make that Delphic dame look sick. I'll show her where she gets off." And so he called a servant in, A faithful old attendant. "I hesitate to flirt with fate, So please," he said, "assassinate My helpless young descendant." The servant had a tender heart, Considering his station. "Although, oh, King, it's hard to bring Myself," he said, "to do this thing, I'll murder your relation." Instead he took the babe away, A puny undergrown child, And gave him to a shepherd who Exclaimed, "I'll take that brat from you And rear him as my own child." So Oedipus to man's estate Grew up, a rustic peasant. No thought of care intruded there, For, of his future unaware, His life was gay and pleasant. One day while strolling down a road, An unfrequented byway, An unknown guy came driving by Who socked our hero in the eye And shoved him off the highway. He straightway raised his staff and smote The man who'd rudely kicked him, Quite unaware that then and there Upon that public thoroughfare His father was his victim. Nearby his home there dwelt a sphinx Who filled the land with terror; Half girl half bird who put absurd Conundrums to the passing herd, And ate them when in error. When Oedipus, a puzzle fan, Was told the tale distressing He said, "Methinks I'll put a jinx Upon that riddle-asking sphinx. I'm very good at guessing." So to the sphinx he went and said, "I'm fit as any fiddle. Go do your stuff. However tough I'll solve the question quick enough Come on! Let's hear your riddle!" The sphinx then gave a sphinx-like leer And murmured "Here's my query-" Without a fuss Young Oedipus Replied, "The answer's thus and thus. That ought to hold you, dearie." The monster gave a shriek and died 'Mid widespread jubilation. "The sphinx is dead!" the people said, "Let's make this bright young lad the head Of this here Theban nation." And thus he rose to royal rank, And wed the consort regal, But cruel fate, I hate to state, Had made the lad his mother's mate, A marriage quite illegal. Now came a dire and dreadful plague With devastating quickness, And all in Thebes, both Greeks and Heebs, Were smitten with the Heebie-jeebs, A most appalling sickness. The oracle exclaimed, "Ha, ha! I'm sorry for to scold you, This plague is sent for punishment. You're harboring a guilty gent. Don't say I never told you." And so at last the truth's revealed. The luckless monarch cries out, "Though Doctor Freud be overjoyed I must confess I'm quite annoyed." With that he puts his eyes out. Thus ends the story of Oedipus Rex, Poor little, misunderstood little Oedipus, Victim of sad maladjustment of sex, Poor little Oedipus Rex. The lyrics are by Newman Levy, published in Theatre Guyed, 1933, Alfred A. Knopf, NY. ^^ |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Joe Offer Date: 28 Aug 00 - 07:00 PM These are great, Stewart - could you please e-mail the tune to me so I can include it in the database with the song? I'll also forward the tune to Mudcat MIDIs. -Joe Offer (click to e-mail)- |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Mary in Kentucky Date: 28 Aug 00 - 09:09 PM Stewart - I'd like to hear the tune to Thais also. From reading the words in the DT, it sounds like the same story as the opera, Thais, by Jules Massenet. One of my favaorite melodies is Meditation from this opera. You can hear it at The Classical Midi Connection - Romantic Period - Massenet. Mary |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Stewart Date: 28 Aug 00 - 10:06 PM Mary -- what's your email address? I'll email you midi files for Thais and also Oedipus. Yes this story of Thais is the same as the Opera. Newman Levy was quite an opera fan and did poems of a bunch of operas in his book OPERA GUYED -- this is probably his best. |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Mary in Kentucky Date: 28 Aug 00 - 10:16 PM I'll PM you my address. |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: dick greenhaus Date: 28 Aug 00 - 10:44 PM Could someone please post Levy's Rain? My copies of Opera Guyed and Theater Guyed vanished in the long-distant past.
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Subject: Lyr Add: RAIN (Newman Levy)^^ From: Stewart Date: 28 Aug 00 - 11:50 PM Dick -- Here is Levy's Rain. It's another choice one. Anyone have a tune for this?
RAIN |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Stewart Date: 31 Aug 00 - 06:30 PM Okay, I've posted a web page Newman Levy Songs with the songs I have collected along with their tune clips. |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: dick greenhaus Date: 01 Sep 00 - 12:54 AM Many thanx. IMH, tunes are secondary in importance for this type of verse, and almost anything that fits works if it's not too distracting. You could try the tune of Mary Ellen Carter to Rain (with a wee bit of fiddling) |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Stewart Date: 09 Jun 11 - 03:39 PM I included BLUEBEARD in my collection of Newman Levy songs since it sounds like something Newman would have written (from DT - Note: I don't know who wrote this, but it sounds like Newman Levy. Anybody know? RG). But I just found out Bluebeard was written by Guy Wetmore Carryl. It is from his book Grimm Tales Made Gay, and the full title of the poem is "How the Helpmate of Blue-Beard Made Free with a Door". I never could find any mention of Bluebeard in any of Newman Levy's writing. This solves the mystery. It looks like there are some great poems and puns by Guy Carryl. I think he merits some review. "You are only absurd when you get in the curd, But you're rude when you get in the whey." from 'The Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet,'쳌 by Guy Wetmore Carryl Cheers, S. in Seattle |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs From: Joe Offer Date: 10 Jun 11 - 04:27 AM It only took me 11 years to get to it, Stewart, but I just read Newman Levy's 1933 poem "Rain," which you posted in 2000. It's almost exactly the plot of the 1953 Rita Hayworth movie, Miss Sadie Thompson. Turns out that Sadie Thompson was the main character in four movies, the first played by Gloria Swanson in the 1928 movie Sadie Thompson. Wikipedia has quite a story on the Sadie Thompson saga, which apparently started out in 1921 as a Somerset Maugham short story titled "Miss Thompson" (click for text) (audio version here-click). Apparently, the title of the Somerset Maugham story was later changed to "Rain." So, the Newman Levy song came after the short story and one or two of the movies. -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: Newman Levy Songs: misspelling in Thais From: GUEST,Mark Mandel Date: 08 Dec 18 - 02:23 PM The lyric given on this site for "Thais" differs in some insignificant details from the one I learned, but that's normal folk variation. However, there's once misspelling that must be corrected: the monk's name is Athanael with AE, not Athaneal with EA. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thais_(opera), where the second paragraph ends with the sentence The work was first performed in Italy ... with Lina Cavalieri in the title role and Francesco Maria Bonini as Athanaël. The EA misspelling suggests a mispronunciation as "athaneel", which has only three syllables and messes up the meter. But just as we often spell "Thaïs" in English without the dieresis over the "i", we can write "Athanaël" as "Athanael". |
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