Chapter 77 Tin Pan Alley and the Broadway Musical
Lecture Overview The American popular song in the 19th and early 20th centuries George Gershwin: –life and works –song “The Man I Love” The Broadway musical Rodgers and Hammerstein –Oklahoma!, “I Cain’t Say No” Leonard Bernstein: –life and works –West Side Story Musicals of the 1960s and later Review
The Life of George Gershwin (1898–1937) 1898 born in Brooklyn, NY 1914 drops out of high school to work as song plugger 1919 first Broadway show, La La Lucille 1924 increased attention to concert compositions following Rhapsody in Blue continued compositional studies with Joseph Schillinger 1937 dies in Hollywood at age 38
Principal Compositions by George Gershwin Shows and opera: about 30, including –Porgy and Bess (opera) –Lady, Be Good –Strike Up the Band –Funny Face Orchestra: works include –Rhapsody in Blue –Piano Concerto –An American in Paris –Cuban Overture Piano: works include three piano Preludes, and song arrangements in the George Gershwin Song- Book
George Gershwin, “The Man I Love,” 1924 Verse-and-refrain form
The Life of Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) 1902 born near New York on Long Island attends Columbia University 1919 first collaboration with writer Lorenz Hart (Fly with Me) 1943 first collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein II (Oklahoma!) 1952 composes incidental music to the TV documentary Victory at Sea 1979 dies in New York
Principal Compositions by Richard Rodgers Shows: 44, including –Pal Joey –Oklahoma! –Carousel –South Pacific –The King and I –The Sound of Music –No Strings Incidental music: Victory at Sea (TV documentary)
Richard Rodgers, Oklahoma!, 1943, “I Cain’t Say No” Modified verse-and-refrain form
The Life of Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) 1918 born in Lawrence, MA attends Harvard College (studies with Walter Piston among others) 1940 assists Serge Kussevitsky as conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra 1990 dies in New York
Principal Compositions by Leonard Bernstein Operas, ballets, and Broadway shows: works include –Fancy Free (ballet) –Mass (theater piece) –Candide –West Side Story Orchestra: symphonies (3, all with voices), suites from stage works Chorus: pieces include Chichester Psalms
Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story, 1957, “Cool” Multiple forms
Review Key Terms player piano vaudeville show musical play Tin Pan Alley song plugger ballad chorus (refrain) song “release” musical (Broadway musical) operetta Jerome Kern Oscar Hammerstein II lyricist Agnes De Mille Jerome Robbins Stephen Sondheim megamusical Andrew Lloyd Webber