# New to classical, need help picking music for a play



## jazzfan360 (Oct 18, 2007)

Hi...I work in community theater sometimes, and I've just been put in charge of music for an arch upper-class comedy of manners set in a big city along the Eastern Seaboard...specific time hasn't been decided yet but it's somewhere between 1900 and probably 1914 or '16 at the latest...somewhere in the Edwardian period. I know _very_ little about classical, my background being jazz and Latin, but this director liked what I put together for his last show and trusts my research and judgment enough to try something for this one.

I'm looking for light, sprightly, witty pieces for use before, during, and after the show, things ideally composed anywhere between, oh, maybe 1890 and 1912, just to be safe. The only jumping-off point I have for inspiration right now is some lovely pieces from the _Gosford Park_ score I have on CD, like a very funny one called "Scherzo in G." Since I want to emphasize the light sound, I'm not looking for full orchestra...smallish combos or solos, ideally, and I'd like to mix in a couple slower, more sensitive pieces (kind of like Satie's Gymnopedies, though maybe not specifically those).

I'm looking around on my own, but I thought I'd post here to see if anybody more versed in this type of music might be able to help, or point me in a good direction to start. Any suggestions appreciated.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Hello jazzfan360 ... Welcome aboard Talk Classical. 

There are others here lots better versed than myself for this subject, so I'll leave the answers to them. When is the play scheduled to hit the stage?

Kh


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## jazzfan360 (Oct 18, 2007)

In the spring, thanks for asking. Was hoping for some good suggestions but oh well.


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## Michael Ferris (Oct 25, 2007)

Well, I can give you a list of composers during that time period if you like that wrote some interesting music. I do not know the background of your theatre piece so I could not judge what is witty. It is a pity that Kurt Weill overshoots your time frame a bit, his Three Penny Opera is quite witty and I am sure it would entertain an audience that would like something witty. 

In your time frame, there is Bartók, Strauss; concerning what you said about something methodic like Satie, have you thought about Debussy or Fauré? They were both in this time period and wrote exquisite pieces. Or something VERY beautiful althought written a little earlier than the time period you mentioned, but still around the same period in 1879, Má Vlast by Bedrich Smetana. That is just beautiful! Well, hope I was able to help.


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