?2-CD digipac with 116-page booklet, 31 tracks. Total playing time approx. 128 mns

Charles Laughton - a world star joins the Brecht team ''Dear Brecht... ''
In March 1944, a chance meeting between three men in Santa Monica had far-reaching consequences. Playwright Bertolt Brecht and composer Hanns Eisler had worked together in Germany long before their period of exile in California. During an evening in the home of actress Salka Viertel, they found themselves in conversation with the famous British actor Charles Laughton. Brecht and Eisler had both seen Laughton in 'The Private Life Of Henry VIII'. When Brecht mentioned how much he liked the scene where Laughton played the English King devouring rather than eating a chicken, the actor was delighted. This broke the ice. Soon, the three would be working together.

Brecht appeared in Laughton's life at the right time. The latter had not trodden the boards for almost a decade, very much to his regret. Right from the beginning he showed an interest in Brecht's dramatic productions. In return, the German emigrant admired the great actor. At the time Laughton was preparing his first voice recording for the Decca record company: two Bible excerpts ('The Story Of The Three Wise Men' / 'The Oldest Christmas Story') along with the Christmas chapter from the Dickens novel 'The Pickwick Papers. ' Eisler suggested he could write small pieces of accompanying music, and Laughton agreed. The composer opted for a quintet line-up and the gramophone records were recorded in September 1944 at Decca's Hollywood studios. Here they are re-issued on CD for the first time.

The Christmas recording sold very well, and soon the record company was considering another Biblical release as a follow-up: an excerpt from the Book of Genesis, 'In The Beginning. ' When Laughton mentioned this, Brecht suggested that Laughton speak the text several times, in different versions, in a series of ''exercises''. ...Read more at: https://www.bear-family.de/

Track Listing

• Song (Somali 24)
• Galileo -4 Bild -Quedam miracula universi
• Charles Dickens -Mr Pickwick’s Christmas
• Galileo -5 Bild -Things Take Indeed A Wondrous Turn
• The Oldest Christmas Story, Die biblische Weihnachtsgeschichte (Lukas, 2)
• Galileo -6 Bild -When Galileo Was In Rome
• The Story Of The Three Wise Men, Die Weisen aus dem Morgenland (Matthäus, 2)
• Galileo -7 Bild -Galileo, Feeling Grim
• In The Beginning -Ãœblicher Vortrag (\straight\')'
• Galileo -8 Bild -For Eight Long Years With Tongue In Cheek
• In The Beginning -Rhythmischer Vortrag (\rhythm\')'
• Galileo -9 Bild -On April Fool’s Day, Sixteen Thirty-Two (unvollständig)
• In The Beginning -Rezitiert von einem Franzosen
• Galileo -12 Bild -June, Twenty-Second, Sixteen Thirty-Three
• In The Beginning -Von einem Yorkshire-Mann
• Ballade des Straßensängers -Vorspiel
• In The Beginning -Von einem Cockney
• Ballade des Straßensängers -When The Almighty Made The Universe
• In The Beginning -Von einem Pflanzer, der Eingeborenen glauben machen will, er habe die Welt erschaffen
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 1
• In The Beginning -Von einem Butler (abgebrochen)
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 2
• In The Beginning -Von einem Soldaten im Schützenloch
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 3
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 4a
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 4b
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 5
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 6
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 7
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 8
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 9
• Bericht von Charles Laughton an Brecht, 10

Additional Details

Label: Bear Family Records

Genre: Pop/Rock

Language: English

Run Time: 128 mins

Release Date: 06/27/14

UPC: 5397102160967