The Broadway Sound (Eastman Studies in Music) [Paperback]

Robert Russell Bennett (Author), George Ferencz (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002 | Series: Eastman Studies in Music (Book 12)

The remarkable career of composer-orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981) encompassed a wide variety of both "legitimate" and popular music-making in Hollywood, on Broadway, and for television. Bennett is principally responsible for what is known worldwide as the "Broadway sound" and for greatly elevating the status of the theater orchestrator. He worked alongside Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, and Frederick Loewe on much of the Broadway canon, eventually providing orchestrations for all or part of more than 300 musicals between 1920 and 1975. This work is the first publication of Bennett's autobiography, which was written in the late 1970s. It also includes eight of his most important essays on the art of orchestration.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981) orchestrated all or part of more than 300 Broadway musicals between 1920 and 1975, but this impressive statistic only hints at his importance. Collaborating with the likes of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Frederick Loewe, and Richard Rodgers, he often worked from single melody lines and sketchy harmonies, and although his name is not well known, he produced much of what defined the style of American musical theater. His output was enormous; after hearing a song once, he could produce an arrangement. His career brought him wealth and prominence, but what he really wanted was to be taken seriously as a composer (he produced 175 original works). His writing has an old-fashioned charm and elegance, revealing both the genius and the gentleman. Included are eight essays on aspects of orchestral arranging, published between 1933 and 1967. Carefully edited and annotated, with a complete discography and lists of compositions, arrangements, and stage and film credits, this book succeeds both as biography and musical theater history. Highly recommended for academic libraries and large music collections.AKate McCaffrey, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A warm, witty man emerges from every page of this marvellous autobiography...a remarkable portrait of musical life in the United States during most of last century. --Classical Music

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Product Details

• Paperback: 375 pages
• Publisher: University of Rochester Press (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580460828
• ISBN-13: 978-1580460828
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,752,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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This review is from: The Broadway Sound (Eastman Studies in Music) (Paperback)

As a musician I have always admired Robert Russell Bennett's arrangements. Arrangements contribute more to the success of a musical composition than most listeners realize, and I often wondered about Bennett's role in the success of Richard Rogers musicals. And I wondered about his work. The Broadway Sound is a fascinating read, every bit as interesting as Bennett arrangements.