Ferrante & Teicher were a duo of American pianists, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes as well as their signature style of florid, intricate, and fast-paced piano playing performances.

Career

Arthur Ferrante (September 7, 1921, New York City – September 19, 2009), and Louis Teicher (August 24, 1924,

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...

– August 3, 2008,

Highlands, North Carolina Highlands is an incorporated town in Macon County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located on a plateau in the southern Appalachian Mountains, within the Nantahala National Forest, it lies mostly in southeastern Macon County and slightly i ...

) met while studying at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

of Music in New York in 1930. Musical prodigies, they began performing as a piano duo while still in school. After graduating, they joined the Juilliard faculty. In 1947, they launched a full-time concert career, at first playing nightclubs, then quickly moving up to playing classical music with orchestral backing.

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

relates the story that in the 1950s the two students practiced in the home of his grandmother Constance Neidhart Tallarico. Between 1950 and 1980, they were a major American "

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

" act and scored four big U.S. hits: " Theme from ''The Apartment''" (Pop #10), " Theme from ''Exodus''" (Pop #2), "

Tonight Tonight may refer to: Television * ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC * ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...

" (Pop #8), and "

Midnight Cowboy ''Midnight Cowboy'' is a 1969 American drama (film and television), drama film, based on the 1965 Midnight Cowboy (novel), novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars ...

" (Pop #10). They performed and recorded regularly with pops orchestras popular standards by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...

, the

Sherman Brothers The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) and Richard M. Sherman (born June 12, 1928). Together they received various accolades in ...

and others. In 1973, they did the Hollywood Radio Theater theme for the Rod Serling radio drama series, '' The Zero Hour''. The duo also experimented with

prepared piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Bacchanale' ...

s, adding paper, sticks, rubber, wood blocks, metal bars, chains, glass, mallets, and other found objects to piano string beds. In this way they were able to produce a variety of bizarre sounds that sometimes resembled percussion instruments and at other times resulted in special effects that sounded as if they were electronically synthesized. Both men were initiated as honorary members of

Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as or Teke, is a social college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899, at Illinois Wesleyan University. The organization has chapters throughout the United States and Canada, making the Fraternity an internat ...

at Central State University (now

University of Central Oklahoma The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...

) while on tour. Ferrante and Teicher ceased performing in 1989 and retired to

Longboat Key A longboat is a type of ship's boat that was in use from ''circa'' 1500 or before. Though the Royal Navy replaced longboats with launches from 1780, examples can be found in merchant ships after that date. The longboat was usually the largest boat ...

and

Siesta Key A ''siesta'' (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The ...

, respectively, close to each other on the west coast of Florida. They continued to play together occasionally at a local piano store. CDs of their music, some of it not previously released, have continued to appear. Louis Teicher died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

in August 2008, three weeks before his 84th birthday. Arthur Ferrante died of

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinct ...

on September 19, 2009, twelve days after his 88th birthday; he had once said he wanted to live one year for each piano key. Arthur was survived by his wife, Jena; his daughter, Brenda Eberhardt; and two granddaughters.

Discography

Albums

1950s

* ''Mississippi Boogie/African Echoes'' (1952) Joe Davis Records * ''Piano Playhouse'' (1952) MGM E209 * ''Hi-Fireworks'' (1953) Columbia CL-573 * ''Can-Can & Me & Juliet'' (1954) Columbia CL-6264 * ''Continental Holiday'' (1954) Columbia CL-6291 * ''Xmas Hi-Fivories'' (1954) Westminster WL-3044 * ''Rhapsody'' (1955) Urania URA-78011 * ''

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

Two-Piano Suites'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18059 * ''Original Variations for Two Pianos'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18169 * ''

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18219 * ''Encores!'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18786 * ''Postcards from Paris'' (1955) Westminster WP-6001 * ''Adventure in Carols'' (1955) Westminster WP-6021 * ''Soundblast'' (1956) Westminster WP-6041 (Re-released as ''Soundproof'' WPS-107 using the 1958 ''Soundproof'' cover) * ''Heavenly Sounds in Hi-Fi'' (1957) ABC ABCS-221 (Re-released in 1966 under the title ''Heavenly Sounds of Ferrante & Teicher'', ABCS-555) * ''Soundproof'' (1958) Westminster WP-6014 * ''Ferrante & Teicher with Percussion'' (1958) ABCS-248 (Re-released in 1966 under the title ''Temptation'', ABCS-561) * ''Blast Off'' (1959) ABCS-285 (Overdubbed with strings and re-released in 1966 under the title ''We've Got Rhythm'', ABCS-556) * ''Play Light Classics'' (1959) ABCS-313 * ''Themes from Broadway Shows'' (1959) ABCS-336

1960s

* ''Dream Concerto'' (1960) UAS-6103 * ''Dynamic Twin Pianos'' (1960) WWS-8504 * ''The World's Greatest Themes'' (1960) UAS-6121 * ''Latin Pianos'' (1960) UAS-6135 * ''Golden Piano Hits'' (1961) WWS-8505 * ''Broadway to Hollywood'' (1961) Columbia CS 8407 * ''Goodbye Again'' OST (1961) UAS-5091 * ''Love Themes'' (1961) WWS-8514 * ''West Side Story'' (1961) UAS-6166 * ''Tonight!'' (1961) UAS-6171 * ''Golden Themes from Motion Pictures'' (1962) UAS-6210 * ''Pianos in Paradise'' (1962) UAS-6230 * ''Snowbound'' (1962) UAS-6233 * ''The Keys to Her Apartment'' (1962) UAS-6247 * ''Love Themes From Cleopatra'' (1963) UAS-6290 * ''Holiday for Pianos'' (1963) UAS-6298 * ''Concert for Lovers'' (1963) UAS-6315 * ''Exotic Love themes'' (1963) UAS-6340 * ''Fifty Fabulous Favorites'' (1964)UAS-6343 * ''My Fair Lady'' (1964) UAS-6361 * ''The Enchanted World of Ferrante & Teicher'' (1964) UAS-6375 * ''The People's Choice'' (1964) UAS-6385 * ''Springtime'' (1964) UAS-6406 * ''By Popular Demand'' (1965) UAS-6416 * ''Only the Best'' (1965) UAS-6434 * ''A Rage to Live'' OST (1965) UAS-5130 * ''The Ferrante & Teicher Concert—Part 1'' (1965) UAS-6444 * ''The Ferrante & Teicher Concert—Part 2'' (1965) UAS-6475 * ''For Lovers of All Ages'' (1966) UAS-6483 * ''You Asked For It!''(1966) UAS-6526 * ''We Wish You a Merry Christmas'' (1966) UAS-6536 * ''The Twin Piano Magic Volume 2'' (1966) ABC-Paramount 559 * ''The Piano Artistry'' (1967) S 21004 - Unart (Canada) * ''Our Golden Favorites'' (1967) UAS-6556 * ''A Man & a Woman'' (1967) UAS-6572 * ''In the Heat of the Night'' (1967) UAS-6624 * ''Live for Life'' (1967) UAS-6632 * ''The Painted Desert'' (1968) UAS-6636 * ''A Bouquet of Hits'' (1968) UAS-6659 * ''Love in the Generation Gap'' (1968) UAS-6671 * ''Listen to the Movies with Ferrante & Teicher'' (1969) UAS-6701 * ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969) UAS-6725

1970s

* ''Getting Together'' (1970) UAS-5501 * ''Love Is a Soft Touch'' (1970) UAS-6771 * ''The Best of Ferrante & Teicher'' (1970) UAS-73 * ''The Music Lovers'' (1971) UAS-6792 * ''It's Too Late'' (1971) UAS-5531 * ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (1972) UAS-5552 * ''Play the Hit Themes'' (1972) UAS-5588 * ''Salute Nashville'' (1972) UAS-5645 * ''Hear and Now'' (1973) UA-LA018F * ''The Roaring Twenties'' (1973) UA-LA072F * ''Killing Me Softly'' (1974) UA-LA118F * ''Dial "M" for Music'' (1974) UA-LA195F * ''The Very Best of Ferrante & Teicher'' (1974) UA-LA379E * ''Greatest Love Themes of the 20th Century'' (1975) UA-LA101-G2 * ''In a Soulful Mood'' (1975) UA-LA227G * ''Beautiful, Beautiful'' (1975) UA-LA316G * ''Body & Soul'' (1975) UA-LA360G * ''The Carpenters Songbook'' (1976) UA-LA490G * ''Fill the World With Love'' (1976) UA-LA547G * ''Spirit of 76"'' (1976) UA-LA573G * ''Piano Portraits'' (1977) UA-LA585G * ''Feelings'' (1977) UA-LA662G * ''Rocky & Other Knockouts'' (1977) UA-LA782G * ''Star Wars'' (1978) UA-LA855G * ''You Light Up My Life'' (1978) UA-LA908G * ''Supermen'' (1979) UA-LA941G * ''Classical Disco'' (1979) UA-LA980G

1980s

* ''30th Anniversary—On Stage'' (1984) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1001 * ''A Few of Our Favorites—On Stage'' (1985) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1002 * ''American Fantasy—On Stage'' (1986) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1003 * ''Dos Amigos'' (1988) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1004

1990s

* ''40th Anniversary—On Stage'' (1992) Avant-Garde (Intersound) AVG-1005 * ''All-Time Great Motion Picture Themes'' (1993) 0777-7-98823-2 * ''The Ernie Kovacs Record Collection'' (1997) Varèse Sarabande – VSD-5789 * ''The Ferrante & Teicher Collection'' (1998) Avant-Garde (Varèse Sarabande Vintage) AVG-1006

2000s

* ''The Sound of Music'' (2000) Avant-Garde/Varèse Sarabande Records AVG-1007 * ''Denizens of the Deep'' (2001) Avant-Garde /Varèse Sarabande Records 302 066 261 2 * ''Can-Can and Me & Juliet/Continental Holiday'' (2001) Sony/Collectables Records CDL-CD-6692 * ''Christmas Is So Special'' (2000) 724352905720 * ''Great 1970's Motion Picture Themes'' (2001) 72435-30518-2 * ''America Forever'' (2002) Avant-Garde/Varèse Sarabande Records 302 066 312 2

Singles

Track appearances

* ''Filme, Die Man Nicht Vergisst'', United Artists Records * ''Great Motion Picture Themes'', United Artists Records, 1960 * ''Music to Read James Bond By'', United Artists Records, 1965 * ''Music to Read James Bond By Vol. 2'', United Artists Records, 1965 * '' Dusty Fingers Volume One'', "Lady Love", Strictly Breaks Records, 1997 * ''Ultra-Lounge—Christmas Cocktails Part Two'', Capitol Records, 1997 * ''Ultra-Lounge Vol. 16—Mondo Hollywood'', Capitol Records, 1997 * ''The Best of Blue Juice'', Blue Note, 2001 * ''Hard to Find Orchestral Instrumentals II'', Eric Records, 2003

References

External links

Official site

Ferrante & Teicher
discography with album covers and track details * Ferrante & Teicher biography at AllMusic.com
Ferrante & Teicher discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrante and Teicher Easy listening musicians Classical piano duos American classical pianists Entertainer duos American musical duos ABC Records artists United Artists Records artists Musical groups established in 1947 1947 establishments in New York (state)