Here’s a real rarity/oddity … 

Composer Joseph Carl Breil is best known for his pioneering work in film music. He compiled and composed the score for D. W. Griffith’s BIRTH OF A NATION, for example. But before that, he worked extensively in theater music—mostly light operettas. (He was trained as both a composer and as a tenor.)

In 1919, New York’s Metropolitan Opera debuted three newly commissioned works, one of which was Breil’s “grand opera,” THE LEGEND: A LYRIC TRAGEDY. Critics savaged it—partly because the vocal writing was pretty stodgy, partly because one of the Met’s other commissions, Puccini’s IL TRITTICO, was far superior.

THE LEGEND quickly closed. The score was tossed out (soprano Rosa Ponselle claimed to have burned her copy in effigy), and the whole affair was largely forgotten. Breil was crushed by the mean-spirited reviews, which led to a rapid decline in his health. He passed away only a few years later.

I became obsessed with THE LEGEND and its place in Breil’s life while working on IMPOSSIBLE SILENCE. (It’s still coming along!) Last fall I obtained a Breil-signed copy of the piano-vocal score. Yes, the vocal writing leaves much to be desired—and yes, next to Puccini, it’s very old-fashioned. That said, there are also patches of great color, vibrancy, and cinematic drama. In fact, some parts sound like grander settings of Breil’s silent film music. 

I decided to see what would happen if I attempted to recast the score as an orchestral suite. To my surprise, it kind of worked. It’s episodic and melodramatic, true, but lovers of film music are rarely put off by such things. 

The piano-vocal gave no indication of orchestration, so those were all redone from scratch. They’re probably a touch more modern than Breil’s, but hopefully he’ll forgive me that one.

Here, you can hear the suite. Be forewarned, this is not really a proper mock-up—it’s just a Finale playback using cheapo sounds. But this is likely the first time THE LEGEND has been heard in nearly 100 years—so it’s pretty interesting nonetheless. Enjoy!

Orchestral Suite From The Legend

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John Steven Lasher is a composer of music for brass and percussion, solo piano, symphony orchestra. He has also arranged the music of other composers, including Morton Gould, for small ensembles.

Orchestral Suite From The Legend

Middle D, Inc.