Speak Low : Weill - A Song A Day

Day 9 - Graham requested more like ‘Paradise’. I hope this fits the bill! This song has also had a life outside of the play and film for which it was written. I’ve based my interpretation on the film version, which was arranged by Ann Ronell from Kurt Weill’s music. Ronell was also credited with writing additional lyrics for the film, but the words in this number are all by Ogden Nash, with a little help from a certain William Shakespeare.
I had to go watch this film again after making this video. It’s one of those you can watch over and over!
A song a day keeps the blues away, so during these troubling times I’ll be singing for you one of my favourite songs daily, hoping it helps keep your spirits up!
The sound quality isn’t great, because I am a singer and scholar, not a sound engineer, but I reckon it’s no worse than some of the wax or shellac that preserved the phantoms of the opera we listen to on this channel usually.
What are some of your favourite songs? Let me know in the comments!
If you are new to the channel, welcome and please make yourself at home. Usually I discuss what we can learn from the records of opera singers of the past, and I will be making and uploading more of those videos also in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

[@rainbow9007]

I was surprised to hear that beautiful voice come out of you. I’ve never heard you before, you remind me of Joe Stafford a lot. You even have the dress Ava Gardner wore in touch of Venus. You really do a nice job on this song, few do. I wish this music was in style today! People that don’t love it don’t deserve it

[@ChiaraDBrown]

Your piano playing is very enjoyable too, and I love your Venus costume and the black and white...very artistic, in the old-fashioned way, the way we need much more of in this world. Thank you so very much.

[@nanettetredoux7613]

Your voice sounds very good in this tessitura.

[@grahamrankin]

Well, you ask what I was requesting and how could anyone resist all three ! Superb and very many thanks---beguiling indeed ! I also think the black and white genre is particularly effective at adding dramatic period effect. Fabulous costume and hair-do too---eat your heart out Ava Gardner...…………….

[@novellmusicmedia6895]

Cool So artistic too

[@raffaelemenale5019]

Thank you for sharing your exquisite musicianship!!!!

[@nancyblissestes3761]

MY GOD, I adore this Weill song and all his work ----- we lost his genius too soon at 50. You, of course, must be familiar w/ the collection of Weill's German/French Art Songs that his widow , LL, gave to the great Teresa Stratas and the subsequent recording that was made about 30 yrs. ago. A real treasure!! Beautiful performance of this song, brava!!

[@octopusmime]

oh you are truly just lovely ✨🌹

[@maribelfarnsworth4565]

Beautifully acted, as well as beautifully sung and played! This song kis a great example of how Weill "softened" his style, especially his melodic and harmonic language, after migrating to the US.

[@ChiaraDBrown]

This song always makes me cry...one of my favorites to sing. I really enjoyed hearing you sing it. A lot of emotion coming through. Vulnerability and emotion. Thank you.

[@dougr.2398]

Lovely, thank you!

[@galegreyson4196]

Breathtaking.

[@rosebud3971]

A touch of Venus- thank you.

[@Fritzyritz]

JUST LOVED THIS! I haven't seen One Touch of Venus but the song is familiar, so I'm thinking perhaps it is in another classic movie. It's going to be a beautiful earworm all day. Thanks so much - gorgeous xx

[@stevejohnson1685]

My favorite arrangement / singer combo is Boz Scaggs' 2012 version. But yours is pretty darned fabulous.

[@josephalexandergemmell9979]

thank you for sharing this beautiful song. you sound great. you know, back in the day of threepenny opera, who would have thought Kurt Weill would come up with these wonderfully sophisticated yet broadway style songs, such as this one and "My Ship"? saludos de joe!

[@Tubedog8]

I think this was in the first "Parent Trap" Movie with Maureen O'hara.

[@cubessopranista8772]

Most beautiful version of this song I watched. And the look just made it perfect. 👍😍

[@BassetHoundTrio]

Wonderful - and dramatic in black and white! Love it!

[@NicolaGoodchild1]

I loved it Ziazan! So evocative. I really look forward to your informative section after your songs too. xx

[@sweetestaphrodite]

This rendition is so beautiful that I cannot listen to any other version of this song!

[@bb1111116]

All superlatives for the choice of song, the arrangement, the piano playing and singing. What struck me even more was the mood of the video; the classic black and white palate, your choice of costume and added sultry touch to your performance. Bravo!

[@markpaterson2053]

Thank you for keeping an important part of culture alive. I'm so sick of everything revolving around world politics these days; art is art and should be segragated from that side of human affairs, just as it is in your videos. There's no pretentious nod to the problems of the world, only ART, which you live for, and through, and with. Thank you for reminding us that art is possibly the only decent thing we create, aside from children.

[@dougr.2398]

Was Verdi’s work separated from politics? No, not at all. Especially Tosca and Nabucco come to mind.

[@markpaterson2053]

@@dougr.2398 ALL MUSIC is separated from politics when I listen to it; couldn't give a damn if the composer injects his/her personal agenda; I see my own images when I listen to it, whether Verdi or the crazy music of Charles Ives, who believed such things as politics did not belong in music--couldn't agree more.

[@artdanks4846]

Absolutely beautiful!!

[@wolfpaul2010]

Loving that you dress for era, song smg.x

[@mothernature5829]

Where can we get this piano arrangement 😍🤩. I have to say, I LOVE Eileen Wilson’s voice. Ava Gardner’s voice was a little more raspy and husky in my opinion. Definitely very sexy but maybe not refined enough for Venus? I play this version on repeat over and over!

[@jackthebeenstock2852]

you have a very nice voice. I like your voice more than the song.And it's kinda my favorite.

[@markhasleton6403]

What a gorgeous woman

[@user-wd3pv5zb4n]

when are you doing a video on Callas about everything she could do without all the gossip and drama?

[@benbellelogan]

That song was made for you

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

I find Jo Stafford to be an excellent interpreter using healthy technique and no over enunciation. :)

[@margicates553]

She is lovely! 😍

[@martinrogan6641]

I thought you would sound like old school singers but all I hear is nasal sound.

[@PhantomsoftheOpera]

Yes, it’s funny how on record some people hear a nasal quality in my singing. The small USB mic I was using for this fun, casual video compressed my voice a lot, but it could also be down to the quality of your speakers. Rest assured, no-one who has heard me in person has ever picked up on any nasal tone.

[@stevenburton7922]

​@@PhantomsoftheOperaTo me the recording didn't sound nasal....So I guess that is subjective. I really enjoy your rich tone while still being able to understand your words (you are not "hooty "). I have done a lot of recording in the studio and when the sound engineer gets carried away with compression it will definitely make a voice sound nasal. Steven from Ohio.

[@alvinkoh8983]

Alot of rich spectrum are definitely lost in digitalised sounds ,even CDs .and a true blue contralto 'unique timbre is difficult to record well