The pieces this week included songs that, to this day, are considered to be "standards." It was very interesting to dive into these pieces and explore what contributes to their endurance.
James Reese Europe's "Castle House Rag" is a typical example of the ragtime form, though a bit more complex. While typical ragtime form might be AABBACCDD, this goes a bit farther with Intro-AABBACCDEEF. It could have been the quality of the recording distorting my interpretation, but I did feel as though the drum did not have a significantly interesting part to play. Many times (especially in the A sections), it sounded as though the drums were simply beating eighth notes. I thought the bells in the C section (also without drums) added a sweetness that was a nice contrast to the more energetic sections. The most fascinating aspect of this recording was actually the recording itself. Since it was recorded in 1914, it did not have the advantage of electronic microphones for sound mixing. The performers were most likely performing in front of a large cone or horn, which would carve the grooves into the record. This would, obviously, lead to some instruments being louder than others and (in the case of percussion) distortion of the sound.
Donadlson and Whiting's "My Blue Heaven" is a good example of the Tin Pan Alley form, with the refrains following the AABA format. The lyrics are written to appeal to the public at large, evoking scenes of calm and peace. The recording itself is simple, with only piano, cello, and voice, which reflects the tranquility of the lyrics. Unlike the previous recording, Gene Austin recorded this with an electronic microphone, which allowed a subtlety of performance not yet considered "normal" and was therefore quite effective.
I thought it was very interesting to have two recordings of the same song by the same artist, so many years apart, as in Silvers and DeSylvia's "April Showers." For his recording in 1921, Al Jolson was singing a brand new tune. By 1932, it was already well known, and he had an opportunity to make the performance more "his own" by then, also giving fans a reason to buy a song they no doubt already owned. Musically, the refrain is a less used, but still common Tin Pan Alley ABA'C form. The 1932 performance is particularly dramatic, in a way that was often parodied by the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes (if I recall correctly). Nowadays, it seems almost silly, but back then it was quite effective. Another striking difference between the two is the quality of the recordings. Even though only 11 years had passed, the advances in microphone technology are evident in that the 1932 recording is much clearer and crisper.
The songs I downloaded did not seem to include Ethel Merman's performance of George and Ira Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm." A quick YouTube search revealed this recording which appears to match the listening guide in the text: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJTsKhool5g
This piece is probably the most well known tune of the bunch, and has been performed thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of times in the 84 years since its publication. The change in tempo from the introduction to the verse, then to the refrain is extraordinarily striking and exciting. The band is really rolling along with Merman throughout and the excitement never lets up. Having been written at the beginning of the Great Depression, it appears the lyrics have a "keep your head up" quality to them.
I have enjoyed the music of this week's listening activities and am looking forward to exploring Swing and The Blues next week!
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