Jerry Bock's Demos of Fiddler

[dreside]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 1:13pm

You can now hear Jerry Bock's demos of Fiddler streaming from New York Public Library.
Fiddler Demos @ NYPL

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 4:19pm

These are really fascinating heirlooms to get to share. I've listened to the first 2 demo reels (which is about 74 tracks!), and the abundance of tunes Bock created from which Harnick could pluck out the plums is staggering. There's even a track or two that ended up in SHE LOVES ME, which makes me wonder when exactly these demos were recorded. Head spinning to think of those two scores being created practically on top of each other.

Also fascinating to hear the formality and timidity with which Bock addresses Harnick about the appropriateness (or lack thereof) of each track to the Tevye stories. What a window into their process.

[Alan Henry]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 5:08pm

This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing!