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Yes, Regie, the story was in the Fordin book; I'm sorry if I wasn't clear about that, but this is why I led off by mentioning the book before relating the story -- which I hope was new perhaps to some of the other correspondents on this thread...
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I've found this interesting arrangement and presentation of Kern/Hammerstein's marvellous "All the Things you Are". Doesn't this version betray its roots in Viennese operetta!! I just cannot get enough of Kern and John McGlinn has done wonderful work with the great Tin Pan Alley composers!! He obviously loves every bar of this music. I have quite a few of his recordings. And this music isn't easy to sing!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf80ntbCLCc
This a wonderful song. "The Way You Look Tonight" is also a favorite and I love how, in the bridge of "Smoke gets In Your Eyes", he modulates from E flat major to B major then back to E flat. Very clever.
So many great songs by this man.
As to why there are no Kerns, Berlins, etc. is that the industry doesn't encourage this sort of behavior:
Notes that move and words that make sense.
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Posted: |
Jul 12, 2013 - 12:38 PM
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By: |
Regie
(Member)
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Before I comment about your observations, may I say what a total pleasure - total - it is to talk to you about all this. People like yourself are thin on the ground in my world in Australia. Everyone talks about "The X Factor" and other such tripe on television. Do they know how significantly impoverished they are, really? I used to tell my school students, when they complained about black and white movies (yes!), "you can ignore them if you want but it's like going into the Red centre of Australia and choosing not to look at Ayre's Rock at sunset: your life won't end if you don't look but it will be enriched immeasurably if you DO".
"Notes that move and words that make sense". Apposite. And they do far more than "make sense", miraculously.
Your comments about Kern's modulations are 'key' to my love of his (and this genre of) music. I yearn for that melodic and harmonic interest and they are no lesser works than those of Schubert, IMO. So sue me, folks, if you disagree - but I strongly am of the view that these were latter-day counterparts of the great Viennese lieder komponist. (My piano teacher nearly DID sue me for saying so years ago.)
Michael Feinstein!! What an artist. My sisters saw him in NY 18 months ago and both were dissolved into tears by the end.
Irene Dunne. Such class, such style, such "I don't know what" (French phrase forgotten!). Am I betraying my age? I hope so!!
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Before I comment about your observations, may I say what a total pleasure - total - it is to talk to you about all this. People like yourself are thin on the ground in my world in Australia. Everyone talks about "The X Factor" and other such tripe on television. Do they know how significantly impoverished they are, really? I used to tell my school students, when they complained about black and white movies (yes!), "you can ignore them if you want but it's like going into the Red centre of Australia and choosing not to look at Ayre's Rock at sunset: your life won't end if you don't look but it will be enriched immeasurably if you DO".
"Notes that move and words that make sense". Apposite. And they do far more than "make sense", miraculously.
Your comments about Kern's modulations are 'key' to my love of his (and this genre of) music. I yearn for that melodic and harmonic interest and they are no lesser works than those of Schubert, IMO. So sue me, folks, if you disagree - but I strongly am of the view that these were latter-day counterparts of the great Viennese lieder komponist. (My piano teacher nearly DID sue me for saying so years ago.)
Michael Feinstein!! What an artist. My sisters saw him in NY 18 months ago and both were dissolved into tears by the end.
Irene Dunne. Such class, such style, such "I don't know what" (French phrase forgotten!). Am I betraying my age? I hope so!!
Michael Feinstein is now the conductor of the Pasadena Pops since Hamlisch died.
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Jerome Kern invented the love song. When THE GIRL FROM UTAH opened in 1914 his THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME was referred to as a "dance ballad". It was so much more ... it was the template for love songs for decades to come.
There are many records from that era that were described on the label as "fox trot", "waltz", "vocal with orchestra" or some such thing.
Probably to help dancers find the style they were looking for.
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