Harpo Speaks! The Riverside Symphony Concert Featuring “Peter and the Wolf”
Harpo Marx
Indeed…Harpo Speaks! The legendarily silent Marx Brother is heard on this surprising new release from Ramseur Records. On March 20, 1964, the semi-retired Harpo joined Southern California’s Riverside Symphony for a benefit performance. But this time, Harpo wasn’t mute. Instead, he narrated Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. The enchanting performance took place just six months before his death at the age of 75. The evening was recorded but the tapes disappeared…until now. Marx Brothers archivist John Tefteller and biographer Robert Bader have spearheaded this restored release. Bader explains, “The fact that we have a recording is a miracle. It was not the most professionally recorded thing. It was very haphazard. The work that was done to rehabilitate it is stunning. It’s as if you’ve found something covered with layers of mold and dirt, got it all cleaned off, and now are able to see something brand new underneath it.” In addition to Peter and the Wolf, the recording includes the spirited “Toy Symphony,” romantic “Moon Medley” (including Harpo’s own “Moon Tune”) and Harpo’s “Guardian Angels.” Harpo’s son Bill shares, “To have this recording be released and let people hear it is an honor. Dad didn’t really want people to know what he sounded like because it would have destroyed the character of Harpo that he created. But I think, now, he would accept this graciously and gratefully because it goes beyond just seeing a guy being funny. It goes to the heart of what life is about: Doing what you love and doing it the best you can.” Available on CD and LP. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
