Irving Berlin: Songs from the Melting Pot: The Formative Years, 1907-1914: Songs from the Melting Pot - The Formative Years, 1907-14

Irving Berlin Remains A Central Figure In American Music, A Lyricist/composer Whose Songs Are Loved All Over The World. His First Piece, Marie From Sunny Italy, Was Written In 1907, And His Alexander's Ragtime Band Attracted More Public And Media Attention Than Any Other Song Of Its Decade. In Later Years Berlin Wrote Such Classics As God Bless America, Blue Skies, Always, Cheek To Cheek, And The Holiday Favorites White Christmas And Easter Parade. Jerome Kern, His Fellow Songwriter, Commented That Irving Berlin Is American Music. In Irving Berlin: The Formative Years, Charles Hamm Traces The Early Years Of This Most Famous And Distinctive American Songwriter. Beginning With Berlin's Immigrant Roots--he Came To New York In 1893 From Russia--hamm Shows How The Young Berlin Quickly Revealed The Talent For Music And Lyrics That Was To Mark His Entire Career.^ Berlin First Wrote For The Vaudeville Stage, Turning Out Songs That Drew On The Various Ethnic Cultures Of The City. These Pieces, With Their Jewish, Italian, German, Irish, And Black Protagonists Singing In Appropriate Dialects, Reflected The Urban Mix Of New York's Melting Pot. Berlin Drew On Various Musical Styles, Especially Ragtime, For Such Songs As Alexander's Ragtime Band, And Hamm Devotes An Entire Chapter To The Song And Its Success. The Book Also Details Berlin's Early Efforts To Write For The Broadway Musical Stage, Culminating In 1914 With His First Musical Comedy, Watch Your Step, Featuring The Popular Dance Team, Vernon And Irene Castle. A Great Hit On Broadway And In London, The Show Was A Key Piece In The Americanization Of The Musical Comedy. Blessed With Prodigious Ambition And Energy, Berlin Wrote At Least 4 Or 5 New Songs A Week, Many Of Which Were Discarded.^ He Nevertheless Published 190 Songs Between 1907 And 1914, An Astonishing Number Considering That When Berlin Arrived In America, He Knew Not A Single Word Of English. As One Writer Reported, There Is Scarcely A Waking Moment When Berlin Is Not Engaged Either In Teaching His Songs To A Vaudeville Player, Or Composing New Ones. Early In His Career, Irving Berlin Brilliantly Exploited The Musical Trends And Influences Of The Day. Hamm Shows How Berlin Emerged From The Vital And Complex Social And Cultural Scene Of New York To Begin His Rise As America's Foremost Songwriter [publisher Description] Preface : Irving Berlin And The Crucible Of God -- Introduction : Irving Berlin And The Nature Of Tin Pan Alley Song -- Berlin's Songs For The Vaudeville Stage -- Berlin And Blackface -- Alexander And His Band -- Berlin's Early Songs For The Musical Stage -- Epilogue -- Appendix 1 : Published Songs Of Irvin Berlin, 1907-1914 -- Appendix 2 : Unpublished Songs By Irving Berlin, Before 1915 -- Appendix 3 : Period Recordings Of Early Songs By Irving Berlin / Compiled By Paul Charosh. Charles Hamm. Includes Bibliography And Discography Of Berlin's Early Songs (p. 225-272), Bibliographical References (p. 273-286), And Index. In Irving Berlin: The Formative Years, Charles Hamm traces the early years of this most famous and distinctive American songwriter. His first piece, "Marie from Sunny Italy," was written in 1907, and his first great success, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1914), attracted more public and media attention than any other song of its decade. Beginning with Berlin's immigrant roots - he came to New York in 1893 from Russia - Hamm shows how the young Berlin quickly revealed the talent for music and lyrics that was to mark his entire career. Berlin first wrote for the vaudeville stage, turning out songs that drew on the various ethnic cultures of the city. These pieces, with their Jewish, Italian, German, Irish, and black protagonists singing in appropriate dialects, reflected the urban mix of New York's melting pot. Berlin drew on various musical styles, especially ragtime, for such songs as "Alexander's Ragtime Band," and Hamm devotes an entire chapter to the song and its success. The book also details Berlin's early efforts to write for the Broadway musical stage, culminating in 1914 with his first musical comedy, Watch Your Step, featuring the popular dance team, Vernon and Irene Castle. A great hit on Broadway and in London, the show was a key piece in the Americanization of the musical comedy. Blessed with prodigious ambition and energy, Berlin wrote at least 4 or 5 new songs a week, many of which were discarded. He nevertheless published 190 songs between 1907 and 1914, an astonishing number considering that when Berlin arrived in America, he knew not a single word of English. Irving Berlin remains a central figure in American music, a lyricist/composer whose songs are loved all over the world. His first piece, 'Marie from Sunny Italy', was written in 1907, and his 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' attracted more public and media attention than any other song of its decade. In later years Berlin wrote such classics as 'God Bless America', 'Blue Skies', 'Always', 'Cheek to Cheek', and the holiday favourites 'White Christmas' and 'Easter Parade'. Jerome Kern, his fellow songwriter, commented that 'Irving Berlin is American music.' In Irving Berlin: The Formative Years, Charles Hamm traces the early years of this most famous and distinctive American songwriter. Beginning with Berlin's immigrant roots - he came to New York in 1893 from Russia - Hamm shows how the young Berlin quickly revealed the talent for music and lyrics that was to mark his entire career. Berlin first wrote for the vaudeville stage, turning out songs that drew on the various ethnic cultures of the city. These pieces, with their Jewish, Italian, German, Irish, and Black protagonists singing in appropriate dialects, reflected the urban mix of New York's melting pot. Berlin drew on various musical; Early in his career, Irving Berlin brilliantly exploited the musical trends and influences of the day. Hamm shows how Berlin emerged from the vital and complex social and cultural scene of New York to begin his rise as America's foremost songwriter PREFACE: Irving Berlin and the Crucible of God......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 14 INTRODUCTION: Irving Berlin and the Nature of Tin Pan Alley Song......Page 16 1. Berlin's Songs for the Vaudeville Stage......Page 35 2. Berlin and Blackface......Page 81 3. Alexander and His Band......Page 115 4. Berlin and the Ballad......Page 150 5. Berlin's Early Songs for the Musical Stage......Page 186 EPILOGUE......Page 230 APPENDIX 1. Published Songs of Irving Berlin, 1907–1914......Page 238 APPENDIX 2. Unpublished Songs by Irving Berlin, Before 1915......Page 250 APPENDIX 3. Period Recordings of Early Songs by Irving Berlin, Compiled by Paul Charosh......Page 254 NOTES......Page 286 B......Page 300 C......Page 302 L......Page 303 S......Page 304 Z......Page 305 Irving Berlin remains a central figure in American music, a lyricist/composer whose songs are still loved today. His first piece, ""Marie from Sunny Italy"", was written in 1907 and was followed by classics such as ""God Bless America"", ""Blue Skies"", ""Always"", ""White Christmas"" and ""Easter Parade""