Early 20^th Century Popular Music

The gap between “classical” and “popular” music widened in late 19^th Century, partly because European composers were making their music much more dissonant and complex. Two major movements grew from the gap: Ragtime and Tin Pan Alley music.

Ragtime gelled as a style of piano music in 1890’s. It mixed West African and European traits

· West African roots: Rhythmic complexity is common in West African music. Ragtime has 2 layers of rhythm: one is a regular accent pattern in bass beats; the other is the melody line, which has accents in places other than beginnings of beats.

· European influence is apparent in harmonic and formal plan. Rags are usually a series of melodies using rag rhythms. Format is often AABBCCDD. Third melody (C) is often in a new key (usually IV). The piece may or may not go back to original key.

· Scott Joplin (1868-1917) is best-known rag composer. There were others, both black and white. [Eubie Blake (1883-1983), James Scott (1886-1938) and Ferdinand DeMenthe or Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941) were famous ragtime pianists.] In addition to rags, he wrote many waltzes, two steps, other dances

· Joplin wrote an etude book for studying ragtime, but also wrote in other media: other piano works, a ragtime ballet The Ragtime Dance (1899), and two operas using ragtime: The Guest of Honor (1903; score is lost) and Treemonisha (1911); Treemonisha added ragtime dances to usual opera resources, but should not be considered a “ragtime opera”

Tin Pan Alley was so called because publishers hawked their songs on out-of-tune “tinny” sounding pianos.

· Composers of Tin Pan Alley songs were the ones who became Broadway musical writers. Sometimes song came first, then was put into a vaudeville or other show, such as Broadway

· A Vaudeville was a musical revue with songs, dances, skits (descended from Minstrel Show)

· Songs had universal form of verse and chorus; gradually choruses became more popular, verses dropped out

· Length dictated somewhat by recording technology – max of about 4 minutes

· Some suggestion of ragtime – a little syncopation but not as well-defined as ragtime; example: “Hello, My Baby” (1899)

· Some songs closer to waltz; this was popular form in European operettas, popular in US (“take Me Out to the Ball Game, Sidewalks of New York)

· Irving Berlin (1888-1989) was an early Tin Pan Alley Composer. A self-taught musician; worked as a song plugger on Tin Pan Alley; eventually wrote about 1500 songs, defining of American Culture (God Bless America, There’s No Business Like Show Business). Many songs went into his musicals (Broadway and/or movie versions); his shows also culture-defining: Annie Get Your Gun, and White Christmas.

· “God Bless America” considered as replacement for Star-Spangled Banner; controversy

· Sammy Cahn (1913-1993) Mainly a lyricist

· Wrote songs for Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, many films.

· 30 Oscar nominations, 4 wins

· Jerome Kern (1885-1945) was roughly contemporary to Berlin, but much more highly-trained in music

· Songs somewhat similar to those of Berlin, but more complex harmony

· Cole Porter (1892-1964) Even more musical training than Jerome Kern; often wrote his own lyrics as well as melodies. Lyrics were clever, sometimes suggestive

· Melodies also difficult to sing due to chromaticism, e.g.

· George Gershwin (1898-1937)

· Worked as “song plugger” on Tin Pan Alley as teenager, but also played his own works there

· Excellent pianist, attracted attention of singers who wanted him to accompany them

· Wrote scores to over 30 musicals, composed over 600 songs, many still very well-known

· Brother Ira (1896-1983) often wrote his lyrics

· Gershwin also wrote for Movies like Kern, Berlin and Porter; but had strong interest in classical and Jazz as well