When Alec Wilders American Popular Song first appeared; it was almost universally hailed--from The New York Times to The New Yorker to Down Beat--as the definitive account of the classic era of American popular music. It has since become the standard work of the great songwriters who dominated popular music in the United States for half a century. Now Wilders classic is available again; with a new introduction by Gene Lees. Uniquely analytical yet engagingly informal; American Popular Song focuses on the melodic; harmonic; and rhythmic qualities that distinguish American popular music and have made it an authentic art form. Wilder traces the roots of the American style to the ragtime music of the 1890s; shows how it was incorporated into mainstream popular music after 1900; and then surveys the careers of every major songwriter from World War I to 1950. Wilder devotes desparate chapters to such greats as Jerome Kern; Irving Berlin; George Gershwin; Richard Rodgers; Cole Porter; and Harold Arlen. Illustrated with over seven hundred musical examples; Wilders sensitive analyses of the most distinctive; creative; and original songs of this period reveal unexpected beauties in songs long forgotten and delightful subtleties in many familiar standards. The result is a definitive treatment of a strangely unsung and uniquely American art.
#832913 in eBooks 1990-04-27 1975-03-27File Name: B000VIDT72
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Why cant I give 2 ratings?By Jacob M.I want to give this book two separate ratings. The content of the writing by Grotowski deserves five stars. His theatrical work in the twentieth century was vastly important; and this is the best book to discuss it.I also want to give the Kindle edition a single star only; because the manuscript contains many plainly stupid typographical errors. The preface is so riddle with them it was difficult to read. There are more stupid errors throughout the body of the book.Whats more; its not an inexpensive book. The Kindle edition cost more than $23. By charging that much; one would think they could pay a proofreader.24 of 26 people found the following review helpful. Beauty in Poverty and PerformanceBy Kevin L. NenstielComprehending this book is no small feat. Sure; you start with the premise that competing with the technical spectacle of movies and TV is a fruitless pursuit. Thats not difficult. Neither is the idea of embracing poverty in theatre and making the human being the only center of performance. Thats dead easy. Spare costumes; little or no makeup; no sound effects; as few light effects as possible. Who can argue with that?But this doesnt mean everybody can embrace Grotowskis vision of Poor Theatre. His is one that involves stripping away all preconceived notions of theatre from the early Modern period on. This will never fly in commercial theatre; dependent as it is on technology; nor will it satisfy many recent playwrights; who depend on technical do-funnies to make their shows work.Grotowski also takes a funny view of plays; playwrights; and theoreticians who dont agree with him. Among other things; he considers playwrights as hired talent and plays as essentially malleable. He also suggests that the only way the writings of Artaud are useful in theatre is if they are taken elementally rather than globally - a position sure not to sit well with many avant-garde directors.Because this book isnt a straight-ahead statement of principles; ideas; and practices; it yields its secrets only with difficulty. Parts of it arent even written by Grotowski; but are interviews by other authors; or even observations that dont include quotes from the man himself. It was basically compiled to provide an overview of the ideas and products of the Polish Laboratory Theatre up to that time; and it encourages experiment and development by the reader.This isnt to say that it isnt actually useful. There are exercises for actors; there are statements of theory for directors; there are even sketches; diagrams; and photos for designers. However; expect to wrestle with this book if youre going to unlock its secrets. Once you elect to start down this path; you have a long row to hoe0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One of the most enlightening pedagogies of theatreBy Christopher AronsonJerzy Grotowski was a saint; and to truly learn about him is to engage in an entirely different worldview and lifestyle from the worlds. This book is the best stepping stone one can find to begin that journey.