Customer Reviews

Music of Victor Young

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I have to thank Keith Ingham and his quartet for coming out with a tribute to one of the least known American musicwriters but whose musical creativity is of the level of the Gershwins, Porter et al. You might label him as another Harry Warren who is one of America's leading songwriters when songwriters rule Broadway and Hollywood but whose legacy has been least appreciated.

Although his songs are staples in the American Popular song repertoire with the likes of My Foolish Heart, Stella by Starlight, When I Fall in Love, very few would identify him as the composer. His works are immortal but his name is just relegated to the archives of musical obscurity (just like Mr. Warren). I can only make a conjecture of what caused this and what may have been had he opted to concentrate on music writing rather than film scoring. Money beckoned and he answered to that call. From 1935 to 1940, he was active in doing musical scores for Hollywood and accompanying popular singers of the period. Just imagine the songs that he could have written during that period had he concentrated on it. Of course, he came out with this immortal melodies included in this album but my point is, we could have more. We lost them in exchange with those lush orchestration we heard in the movies. Hollywood's gain is world's loss!

The dearth of musical tributes to this great composer is quite obvious - only Mr. Ingham has so far came out. His rendering is just right for a quartet - lovely and intimate!