Customer Reviews

The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A great book and a wonderful Christmas gift for those who love music and theatre. Massive amount of research into every lyric he ever wrote, not only the Rodgers but also with other composers including Jerome Kern. Story behind every show, including some unproduced, and details on the original singers and includes cut material. A great book that sets the standard very high for these collections. There was also a rave review in the NY Times last week in the Arts and Leisure section. Highly recommended. Could not be a better gift!

The previous review by Joe Regan states that a review appeared in The New York Times (in print on Dec. 25, 2008). What he neglects to point out is the following criticism from The New York Times' review by John Steele Gordon:

" If there is anything missing from this collection, it is Hammerstein's "Notes on Lyrics," written for the 1949 book. While frequently quoted here, it should have been included in its entirety. It contains more wisdom about how to go about this most exacting of all literary forms than anything I have ever read. No one with even the slightest interest in how words are married to music should fail to read it."

Would that those editing and publishing this current book had included it in its entirety, I would not now have to try to find a copy of the earlier book.

...Oscar just wrote way-too-many execrable operetta lyrics in the '20s and '30s. There's a strange tension that builds thru the book as you work your way from one forgotten song (or show) to the next: you're waiting for 1943, getting together with Dick Rodgers, and The Real Hammerstein shining through. There's certainly much gold before that (Show Boat, some other stray Kern pieces), but a heck of a lot of dreck.

Really. Hold this (hefty) book in your hand and put your finger at 1943, which is where he "starts" for most Americans, and you're 4/5 of the way through the pages. I suppose that's the point of this series, to give us an exhaustive compilation of how Major Genius Lyricist plugged away for so many years, but it's curious, compared to Hart and Porter and Gershwin, how Hammerstein had to go through so much, so many tedious tales about far-off kingdoms and fair maidens, to finally arrive, ata mature age, to Oklahoma! and everything after. This guy put in one heck of an apprenticeship.

I'd say this book is only for the crazily devoted, who want to track down lyrics even Hammerstein himself probably forgot six weeks after he wrote them. But, like all others in this series, this title is lovely to look at, delightful to hold.

Oscar Hammerstein II's lyrics are among the most beloved in the world and his collaborations with composers such as Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers were among the most successful in theatre history. People will be singing "Ol' Man River", "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'!", "If I Loved You", "Getting to Know You" and so many more for years and years to come. This tome includes every lyric Hammerstein wrote- nearly 450! The author, Amy Asch, has done a mervelous job compiling the lyrics and has writen insightful commentary on the man and the words he so brilliantly crafted.
Hammerstein was a supreme craftsman, not only as a lyric writer, but as a librettist, influencing and mentoring many theatre writers, most notably Stephen Sondheim. This book is a testiment to his greatness.