Before Rodgers and Hammerstein there was Rodgers and
Hart. They wrote so many great standards
such as Manhattan, My Funny Valentine, The
Lady Is a Tramp, I Could Write a Book, Bewitched, to name just a few of my
favorites, but sometimes their songs became conflated with the other great
standards of the era, those by George Gershwin and Cole Porter in particular. Yet Rodgers and Hart were trailblazers in
their own right.
They met as young students at Columbia University and
they seemed destined for one another.
Rodgers of course could write a melody as us mere mortals can compose post
cards. Noël Coward once said that Rodgers just “pissed melody.” He was the
consummate composer and partner, productive and businesslike. One could always
count on Richard Rodgers. Larry Hart on
the other hand was a troubled person. Unlike the “beautiful” people he wrote
about and consorted with – first on Broadway and then in Hollywood -- he felt
himself to be an outsider, he was gay, Jewish, and diminutive (always
photographed standing while Rodgers was sitting at the piano).
His lyrics could be dark and cynical. But I’ve been so
accustomed to playing their well known pieces, and as I do not have a singing
voice, Hart’s lyrics became submerged in the deep pool of their music. Furthermore, I've played most of their music from
fake books, the melody line or verse only without the introductions. Their songs without the intros are like birds
without feet, homes without foundations.
I have a Gershwin songbook with the intros and I needed one for Rodgers
and Hart. To the rescue: Rodgers and Heart; A Musical Anthology.
Alas, my songbook arrived but I should have known that in
this profit driven world the publisher (Hal Leonard) would chose the less
expensive “perfect bound” alternative to spiral binding (such as my 40 year old
collection of Gershwin’s songs). Very
sensible for the publisher but a nightmare for the pianist as most songs with
the intros are at least 4 pages and turning the pages of a perfect bound book
is difficult while performing. Even if one is merely playing for oneself it is
frustrating to have to introduce a few bars of silence while trying to turn and
pin back a page.
One could try to break the binding but ultimately pages
would separate or one could guillotine the book and put the pages in plastic
sleeves in a three ring binder, expensive and time consuming.
Ah, for the want of a nail. I knew there would ultimately
be an iPad in my life and this was the final straw to tip the scale. I'd photograph select songs with the iPad
(still difficult to hold down certain sections of the book for photographing and
having to accept some partially distorted pages, albeit legible). Then do the
same for my Gershwin songs and other beloved standards, put them in albums, and
then play the music from my iPad, merely swiping pages to “turn” them. Voila it works! A couple of negatives
though. If your finger resides too long
on the page you are swiping, you are returned to the pervious menu of all
pages, so I’ve “perfected” the technique of quickly swiping while playing. Furthermore, the page is about half the size
of the printed book. Good reading
glasses to the rescue for that drawback.
This commitment to the iPad for my sheet music repertoire
in turn has led to a certain acceptance about my piano technique. I've gone into jazz, contemporary, some classical
even, but I find the most satisfaction from the standards, particularly the
music of the thirties and forties. I was
born too late to live in that moment, but today I find the themes to be as
relevant to today as when they were written. So I’m making my iPad music albums
all standards focused when playing in public venues, mostly local retirement
homes. To date I’ve performed at The Inn at LaPosada, the Hanley Center, The
Waterford, Mangrove Bay and most recently a monthly “gig” at Brookdale Senior
Living.
And now I can incorporate the introductions to many of
the standards which so beautifully set up the songs, sometimes acting as a counterpoint
and foreshadowing the content. Finally,
playing the Rodgers and Hart Songbook yielded a double bonus, finding songs
that are absent from my fake books, such as their hilarious To Keep my Love Alive, and some songs
I’ve rarely heard. One such song is This Funny World. Here is where you see the genius of Larry
Hart: the lyrics are so achingly cynical -- one can imagine Hart wearing his
own heart on his sleeve.
Richard Rodgers’ magnificent melody populates the
introduction with minor chords, underpinning the dark lyrics by Hart. (Although,
when working with Hart, Rodgers would normally first write the melody. When collaborating with Hammerstein, the
lyrics would normally precede Rodgers’ composition.) Rodgers writes the song in
a major key. Such sad lyrics to such a
beautiful melody and the chorus which is also the title of the song is repeated
four times just to make sure you don’t forget it!
With my imperfect equipment, in my imperfect recording
studio (our living room), I recorded the piece and posted it on YouTube so it
plays on all devices. It helps to read
the words before or during the video.
A mop! A broom! A
pail!
The stuff my dreams
are made of!
You hope, you
strive, you fail!
The world's a place
you're not afraid of.
But soon you are
brought down to earth,
And you learn what
your dream was worth.
This funny world
makes fun
of the things that
you strive for
This funny world
can laugh
at the dreams
you're alive for.
If you are beaten
conceal it!
There's no pity for
you.
For the world
cannot feel it.
Just keep to
yourself
Weep to yourself.
This funny world
can turn right around
and forget you.
It's always sure to
roll right along
when you're through.
If you are broke
you shouldn't mind.
It's all a joke for
you will find
This funny world is
making fun of you.
