Jerome Kern (Yale Broadway Masters) - Hardcover

Banfield, Stephen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300110472 ISBN 13: 9780300110470

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2006

Synopsis

A founding father of the modern American musical, Jerome Kern (1885-1945) was the composer of legions of popular songs, including such standards as "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "'Ol' Man River". His 1927 "Show Boat with Oscar Hammerstein II" helped to set a new standard for musical theatre. This book is the first to provide a critical overview of Kern's musical accomplishments throughout his career. Stephen Banfield ranges from Broadway, to Hollywood, and to London's West End, drawing on unpublished manuscripts and scores to assess the composer's extraordinary oeuvre. Kern's life, personality, and working methods are given due attention, as is the development of his work from the early musical comedies through the collaborations with Hammerstein and P. G. Wodehouse up to the later film scores. Banfield focuses especially on the musical and lyrical structures of Kern's compositions, illuminating beloved works and shedding light on compositions often overlooked.

About this title

Review:

'[A] beautifully written study.'
-- BBC Music Magazine, March, 2007

About the Author:

Stephen Banfield is Stanley Hugh Badock Professor of Music, University of Bristol, England.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0300110472
• ISBN 13: 9780300110470
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352