7
Galileo
('The Story Of The Three Wise Men' / 'The Oldest Christmas
Story') along with the Christmas chapter from the Dickens
novel 'The Pickwick Papers.' When Eisler, who frequently
attended the meetings, suggested that he could write small
pieces of accompanying music to liven up the recitations,
Laughton immediately agreed.The composer opted for a
quintet line-up (just like two years before in New York for
Vierzehn Arten, den Regen zu beschreiben
), and the gramo-
phone records were recorded in September 1944 at D
ECCA
's
Hollywood studios. Here they are re-issued on CD for the
first time.
The Christmas recording sold very well, and soon the
record company was considering another Biblical release
as a follow-up: an excerpt from the Book of Genesis,
In The
Beginning
. When Laughton mentioned this, Brecht made a
suggestion which Laughton instantly agreed upon: As the
actor
“had the familiar international parson’s accent at the
ready“
he advised to do
“some exercises,”
meaning a re-
peated recitation of the lyrics with different characteriza-
tion. In early May 1945 the two went to a recording studio
in Santa Monica where Laughton, virtually under Brecht’s
supervision, narrated a total of eight different versions.
These precious private recordings survived in Brecht’s es-
tate and are released here for the first time. The D
ECCA
recordings (
In The Beginning
/
Garden Of Eden
) were not
made until February 1948; only
Garden Of Eden
was subse-
quently published.
In September 1944 Brecht spoke with Laughton
about his piece ‘Life Of Galileo,’ written in Denmark in
1938/39, and handed him a raw English translation by Elis-
abeth Hauptmann. Laughton biographer Andreas Missler:
"From the moment Laughton read it, he must have realized
that this was his play".
Immediately afterwards Laughton
instructed two MGM script writers to furnish a practicable
English translation. It was presented in late November,
serving as a basis for the following collaboration – the new
Brecht/Laughton team dedicated nearly tree years’ work to
the English version. In his 1948 essay ‘Description Of A
Part. Laughton’s Galilei’ Brecht precisely described their
working method (the corresponding passages can be found
in this booklet). As a side result it is to be noted that this
intensive working process also had its effects on Brecht’s
English. James K. Lyon: “
For the first time in four years, he
appears to have broken through the language barrier. Letters
to Berlau complain how strenuous his work with Laughton is,
