美国名人 作曲家 钢琴家 艾灵顿公爵 1.docx

美国名人作曲家钢琴家艾灵顿公爵1DukeEllingtonz1899-1974:FromaYoungPaintertoMusicalRoyaltyplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-16:26repeatByO2010-8-14Photo:americaslibrary.govDukeEllingtonandsomeofhismusicalfriendsattheAquariuminNewYork,1946SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:I'mShirleyGriffith.RAYFREEMAN:AndmRayFreemanwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPEOP1.EINAMERICA.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Today,wetellaboutthegreatjazzmusician,EdwardKennedyEllington.Hewasbetterknowntotheworldas"Duke"Ellington.(MUSIC)SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:ThatwasDukeEllington'sorchestraplaying"Takethe'A,Train."Justthefirstfewnotesofthatsongareenoughtotellanymusicexpertwhoisplaying.Itislikeamusicalsign.Thesignsays,"1.isten!YouareabouttohearsomethingbyDukeEllington'sorchestra."Itwasalwaysthefirstsonghisorchestraplayed."Takethe'A,Train"wasonlyoneofhundredsofsongsheplayedallovertheworld.(MUSIC)RAYFREEMAN:EdwardKennedyEllingtonwasbornonApriltwenty-ninth,eighteenninety-nine,inWashington,D.C.HisfamilylivedintheAfrican-AmericanareaofWashington.ItwasatimewhenracialseparationwasthelawinmuchoftheUnitedStates.RaciallawsandracialhatredweretofollowEdwardKennedyEllingtonallthroughhislife.Afriendoncecalledhim"Duke"becausehelikedclothessomuch,likeamemberofaroyalfamilyYoungEdwardlikedclothes.Afriendoncelookedathimandsaid,"Youlooklikeaduke."HemeantthatEdward'sclothesweresogoodthathelookedlikeamemberofaroyalfamily.Otherfriendslaughed.Yettheyallbegancallinghim"Duke."Thenamestayedwithhimtherestofhislife.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:Whenhewasaboutsevenyearsold,DukeEllingtonbegantoplaythepiano.Whenhewasinhighschool,hebegantopaint.Hebecameverygoodatboth.AfamousartschoolinNewYorkCityinvitedhimtotakeclassesthere.Buthehadalreadydecidedtobecomeamusician.Hegothisfirstprofessionaljobinnineteensixteen.Heplayedmusicatnightandpaintedbusinesssignsduringtheday.Themostpopularmusicbackthenwascalledragtime.DukelistenedtoragtimepianoplayerswhovisitedWashington.Thenhetriedtoplayaswellorbetterthantheydid.Yearslater,herecordedasongthatshowedhowwellhecouldplaythepiano.Itisaragtimesongcalled"1.otso'Fingers."(MUSIC)RAYFREEMAN:DukeEllingtonmovedtoNewYorkCityinnineteentwenty-three.Hehadasmallband.SoonitwasplayingatthefamousCottonClub,whereitwouldplayformanyyears.DukeandhisbandcouldplayattheCottonClub.Buttheycouldnotcometohearanyoneelse,becausetheywereblack.Dukedidnotbecomeangry.Hedidnotbecomefilledwithhatredtowardwhitepeople.Helethismusicspeakforhim."Takethe'A'Train"wasDukeEllington'smostfamoussong.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:Intime,DukeEllington'sbandgotbigger.Itwasajazzorchestra.Morepeoplebeganhearingtheorchestra'smusic.TheycouldhearitonaradioprogramfromtheCottonClub.TheprogramoftencouldbeheardallovertheUnitedStates.Atthesametime,DukeEllingtonandthemembersofhisorchestrabeganrecordingtheirsongs.Theirfirsthitrecordwasoneoftheirmostfamous.ItwasrecordedinOctoberofnineteenthirty.Itwascalled"DreamyBlues."1.ater,Dukechangedthename.Itisstillconsideredagreatbluessongandisoftenplayedtoday.Itiscalled"MoodIndigo."(MUSIC)RAYFREEMAN:Anorchestraisateammadeupofindividualplayers.1.ikeanyteam,theindividualsinanorchestramustcooperatetoproducegoodmusic.Theleaderofateam,oranorchestra,mustlearnthestrengthandtheweaknessofeachmember.Andagoodleaderwillusethisknowledgetomaketheteamororchestraproducethebestresult.Inthenineteentwentiesandnineteenthirties,membersofadanceorchestraneverstayedwithonegroupforlong.Musiciansmovedfromgrouptogroup.Yet,whenamusicianplayedwithDukeEllingtonzheusuallystayed,sometimesformanyyears.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:Thishadaneffectonthegroup'smusic.Dukewouldwritemusicespeciallyformusiciansintheorchestra.Hissongsusedthestrengthsofoneortwoindividuals.Therestoftheorchestracooperatedwiththem.americaslibrary.govDukeEllingtonoftenplayedtheParamountTheaterinNewYorkCityThiscooperationbecamethemethodEllingtonusedagainandagaintoproducebeautifulsoundcolors.Hismusiccouldmakepeoplefeeldeepemotions-feelingsofhappiness,orsadness,orlonelinessorjoy.RAYFREEMAN:SomemembersoftheDukeEllingtonorchestrawerethebestjazzmusiciansoftheirday.Theircooperationproducedasoundthatisalmostimpossibleforotherstore-create.Tocreatethatsamesound,youwouldneedthemusicianswhofirstplayedthemusic.Oneofthosemusicianswas"Cootie"Williams.HeplayedthetrumpetintheDukeEllingtonorchestraformanyyears.DukeEllingtonusedthestrengthofCootieWilliamswhenhewroteasongcalled,"AConcertoforCootie."Criticssaidthisworkshowedtheunitybetweenthemusicwriter;theleaderoftheorchestra,anditsmembers.1.istenasCootieWilliamsseemstoleadtheorchestra.Hearhowtheothermemberscooperatewithhimtoproduceaverybeautifulandspecialsound.(MUSIC)SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyPaulThompson.Itwasproducedby1.awanDavis.mShirleyGriffith.RAYFREEMAN:AndmRayFreeman.JoinusagainnextweekatthistimeforthesecondpartofourPEOP1.EINAMERICAprogramaboutDukeEllingtonontheVoiceofAmerica.