Song of the Barefoot Contessa by Winterhalter

Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra performed the hit theme, The Song of the Barefoot Contessa. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania native son Winterhalter was known for evocative albeit crisp orchestration. He frequently collaborated with the late legendary Eddie Heywood, whose tone poems descriptive of natural vistas sprang to life under Winterhalter's gently precise direction. Their sonic synergisms are often likened to the brilliance of pianist Walter Gieseking, another Teuton savant who left us prematurely albeit wealthier, having endowed music lovers with crisp yet ethereal performances of Debussy and other impressionists.
You'll immediately recognize Winterhalter and Heywood's Canadian Sunset. Hugo and his orchestra augmented composer Heywood's piano artistry on Sunset, creating an immediately popular hit which endures to this day.
Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
01 April, 2006

Mssrs. Joseph Lenza and Francis H. Loughran, good friends to
Mr. Winterhalter, generously contributed to this report. - pvz