24 May 2020

"Can You Say 'Sempre Molto Rubato'?"

by Peter Filichia

[This is a post from Masterworks Broadway, a website of  Sony Music Entertainment, from 7 April 2020.  I’ve amended Filichia’s discussion about tempo markings (that’s what the rhythm instructions are called, I learned) by inserting the year the plays or revues he names as examples  were created (not necessarily their Broadway openings) and the name of the composer (or the arranger in cases where the songs have been repurposed from another genre such as pop or rock ’n’ roll). 

[For the sake of brevity, I haven’t added the other creative artists’ names, such as book-writer or lyricist, because they aren’t responsible for the musical tempi of the songs.  (My additions and comments are enclosed in square brackets.)]

Although directors aren’t supposed to give line readings to actors, composers and lyricists seem to be allowed to “direct” their singers and orchestras.

Take a look at sheet music for various songs, and far more often than not, you’ll find a word or two at the top of Page One that says exactly what’s expected of those who’ve chosen to perform these ditties.

Most of the sheets I surveyed had “moderately” written all over them. PINS AND NEEDLES [1936 revue with music and lyrics by Harold Rome] (which you must hear – and not just for Streisand) has that word on the vast majority of its songs. [Barbra Streisand, a newcomer at the time, sang on the 1962 25th-anniversary recording of the score.  She’d done a one-performance revue in Greenwich Village the previous year and was appearing in I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962; music and lyrics by Harold Rome), her Broadway début at 19, at the time of the album’s release.]

GREASE’s [1971; music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey] “Summer Nights,” THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE’s [2000; music by Jeanine Tesori] “Forget About the Boy” and PROMISES, PROMISES’ [1968; music by Burt Bacharach] “Half as Big as Life” all use the term, too. But “moderately” for the HAIR’s [1967; music by Galt MacDermot] “The Flesh Failures” and the title song of ALL SHOOK UP [2004; songs of Elvis Presley arranged by Stephen Oremus]? Wouldn’t you assume that those songs would ask for more than that? And “moderately” for GUYS AND DOLLS’ [1950; music and lyrics by Frank Loesser] “Luck Be a Lady” and for GYPSY’s [1959; music by Jule Styne] “Rose’s Turn”? Out of the question!

Onto “The Longest Time” and “Uptown Girl” from MOVIN’ OUT [2002; songs by Billy Joel with additional arrangements and orchestrations by Stuart Malina]. Which would you think Billy Joel marked “moderate rock ’n’ roll” and which “bright rock ’n’ roll”? I’d think “Longest” would be moderate and “Uptown” bright, but it’s just the opposite.

Some songwriters embellish their “moderatelys.” SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS’ [2002; music by Marvin Hamlisch] beautiful “Don’t Know Where You Leave Off” is “moderately flowing”; SHOW BOAT’s [1927, music by Jerome Kern] “You are Love” is “moderately fast” and MARIE CHRISTINE’s [1999; music, lyrics, and book by Michael John LaChiusa] “Cincinnati” is a “moderate cakewalk.” Leaving no room for doubt is STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW’s [1976; music by David Shire] “Today Is the First Day of the Rest of My Life”: “moderately with suppressed excitement.”

Other songwriters preferred the Italian word “moderato”: Oscar Hammerstein labeled ME AND JULIET’s [1953; music by Richard Rodgers] “The Big Black Giant” as such but THE KING AND I’s [1951, composed by Rodgers] “Shall We Dance?” as “moderato brightly.” Other variations on the theme include PURLIE’s [1970; music by Gary Geld] stirring opening number “First Thing Monday Morning” (“moderato intense”) and ON YOUR FEET’s [2015; songs of Gloria Estefan arranged by Lon Hoyt] “Mi Tierra” (“moderate salsa”). RAGS’ “Blame It on the Summer Night” – one of the subtlest sexual songs ever – is “moderate bluesy.”

All this moderation would seem to bolster the arguments of those who’ve always said that musicals are middle-of-the-road entertainment.

Italian is used quite a bit. THE PIRATE QUEEN’s [2006; music by Claude-Michel Schönberg] “She Who Has All” is “adagio”: slowly. URINETOWN’s [2001; music by Mark Hollmann] “It’s a Privilege to Pee” is “agitato.” Penelope Pennywise may well be agitated, but she’s not nearly as agitato as those waiting in a long line to relieve themselves.

What song from SWEET CHARITY [1966; music by Cy Coleman] is tabbed “rhythmically”? No, you’re wrong: “The Rhythm of Life” has that designation of –here’s that word again – “moderately.” It’s “Where Am I Going?” that’s labeled “rhythmically.”

There are some notations that lend themselves to editorial comment. TICK, TICK . . . BOOM’s [1990; composed by Jonathan Larson] “Real Life” calls for “a slow pulse.” Yeah, real life is like that sometimes. Did Bernstein, Comden and Green purposely label ON THE TOWN’s [1944; music by Leonard Bernstein] “I Can Cook Too” “hot and fast” because it’s a good description of Hildy Esterhazy, who sings it?

In that musical about Jesus Christ [Jesus Christ Superstar, 1970; music by Andrew Lloyd Webber], “Superstar” is labeled “maestoso”: majestic. Little did Lloyd Webber know then that the word would also be the name of the theater where he’d have his biggest-ever hit.

Some describe their songs by the dances they inspired. BYE BYE BIRDIE’s [1960; music by Charles Strouse] title song requires “a twist beat.” WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN’s [1964; music and lyrics by Ervin Drake] “You’re No Good” asks for “beguine tempo.” ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY’s [1978; music by Cy Coleman] “Veronique” demands “French can can,” while MY FAIR LADY’s [1956; music by Frederick Loewe] goes farther south with its “tempo di habanera” for “The Rain in Spain” as does MAN OF LA MANCHA’s [1965; music by Mitch Leigh] “tempo di bolero” for “The Impossible Dream.” THE PAJAMA GAME’s [1954; music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross] “Hernando’s Hideaway” doesn’t just note “tango tempo” but also adds “with a voice of mystery.”
                                                       
[A note about the song in Bye Bye Birdie to which I think Filichia is referring: The only song that fits the description of the “title song” is, clearly, “Bye Bye Birdie.”  That song wasn’t in the original 1960-61 Broadway production.  It was added for the 1963 movie (sung over the opening credits by Ann-Margret as Kim McAfee) and then inserted into the score of the 2009-10 Broadway revival.  Strouse also wrote the “new” song for the film.  ~Rick]

It’s “Fox trot tempo” that Cole Porter heard for “All of You” in his SILK STOCKINGS [1954; music and lyrics by Cole Porter]. But it’s also what Kurt Weill stated for “Army Song” in THE THREEPENNY OPERA [1928 (German), 1933 (English)]. Could you see yourself cutting a rug to this song? (If you don’t know it, you should; it’s grimly funny.)

[It’s impossible for me to know which version of Threepenny Opera Filichia means here as there are several English versions of both the text and the songs.  While Weill’s music is the same, each translation would have somewhat different tempo markings.  The best-known English version is the 1956 translation, produced successfully Off-Broadway in 1954, by composer-lyricist Marc Blitzstein.  Another possible version that Filichia would have seen was the 1976-77 production of Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival at Lincoln Center, from a translation by Ralph Manheim and John Willett.]

Many uses “polka” in their descriptions. For HIGH BUTTON SHOES’ [1947; music by Jule Styne] “Papa, Won’t You Dance with Me?” is correct, for that’s the dance that takes place mid-song. Less easy to discern are FANNY’s [1954; music and lyrics by Harold Rome] “Be Kind to Your Parents” (“rhythmically, like a polka”), JACQUES BREL’s [formally (despite the death of Brel in 1978) Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, 1968; music and (original French) lyrics by Brel, English translation by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman; arranged by Wolfgang Knittel] “Marathon” (“tempo di polka”) and WILDCAT’s [1960; music by Cy Coleman] “Give a Little Whistle” (“polka tempo”).

Jerry Herman [composer for the shows that follow] labeled MAME’s [1966] “We Need a Little Christmas” “brightly, as a polka.” As for his title songs, we might well expect to see “with spirit” for MILK AND HONEY’s [1961] and “with a lilt” for MAME’s. We may question “moderately” for “La Cage aux Folles” [1983] and “medium strut” for “Hello, Dolly!” [1963] – a bit tame for one of Broadway’s greatest production numbers. But would you have guessed that “Dear World” [1968] would be tabbed “with dignity”?

Celebrities often say they really knew they made it when they became a crossword puzzle clue. Fine, but another way is being mentioned in sheet music. GODSPELL’s [1970; composed by Stephen Schwartz] “Turn Back, O Man” is “a la Mae West.” KINKY BOOTS’ [2012; music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper] “Take What You Got” is called “Mumford-esque,” referring to British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons. THE WEDDING SINGER’s [2006; music by Matthew Sklar] “A Note from Linda” loftily notes “a la Pachelbel’s Canon.”

And then there’s THE PROM’s [2016; music by Matthew Sklar] “It’s Not about Me,” which starts off “recitative, a la Eva Peron.” But if we get technical, what’s meant is Lloyd Webber and Rice’s Evita [from the musical of the same name, 1976; music by Lloyd Webber], and not actually the former First Lady of Argentina.

Some titles belong in the Department of Redundancy Department. ONCE’s [2011; music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová] “Falling Slowly” is marked “Slowly.” HOW TO SUCCEED [in Business Without Really Trying]’s [1961; music by Frank Loesser] “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm” offers “happily,” although it does also caution “but not too fast.”

The longest description? Probably LITTLE ME’s [1962; music by Cy Coleman] “On the Other Side of the Tracks” which has “Deliberate tempo, intense and driving (not too fast and done with a gradual build).”

The shortest? Many have no notation at all. Richard O’Brien did few for THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW [1973], probably assuming his songs would speak for themselves. And if you were looking forward to seeing how Mel Brooks described “Springtime for Hitler,” you’ll find no notation at all, which is the case for most of his songs in THE PRODUCERS [2001]. However, “Betrayed” is labeled “freely,” which is rather ironic, given that Max sings it in prison. ONCE ON THIS ISLAND’s [1990; music by Stephen Flaherty] “Ti Moune,” sung by our heroine’s foster parents, also is labeled “freely” although both mom and dad don’t want her to be free.

What are Stephen Sondheim’s [composer-lyricist for all the following, with various librettists] labels? We have COMPANY’s [1970] “Marry Me a Little” (“allegro appassionata”: fast, with passion); FOLLIES’ [1967; premièred 1971] “Losing My Mind” (“sempre molto rubato”: always very much with some feeling of time); A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC’s [1973] “Send in the Clowns” (“lento”: slowly); PACIFIC OVERTURES’ [1975] “Pretty Lady” (“andantino dolce”: slightly slowly but sweetly); SWEENEY TODD’s [1979] “My Friends” (“misterioso”); MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG’s [1981] “Our Time” (“andante”: on the slow side); SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’s [1983] “Move On” (“tranquillo”); INTO THE WOODS’ [1986] “On the Steps of the Palace” (“allegretto e grazioto”: moderately quick as well as pretty); ASSASSINS’ [1990] “The Ballad of Booth” (“larghetto”: slightly faster than largo but slower than adagio).

For a guy who doesn’t much like the musical he wrote that was set in Venice, Sondheim sure uses a lot of Italian. What’s more, he marked “Agony” in INTO THE WOODS as “a la barcarolle,” which roughly translates to “in the way gondoliers sing.” And considering his battles with Richard Rodgers, you’d think he’d even avoid “allegro.”

[Peter Filichia, who also writes a column each Monday at www.broadwayselect.com and can be heard most weeks of the year on www.broadwayradio.com, is a former theater reviewer for the Newark, New Jersey, Star-Ledger and television station News 12 New Jersey in Edison.

[When I read Filichia’s post, I immediately sent the link to my friend Kirk Woodward because I was sure it would amuse him.  Kirk e-mailed back, “As it happens, I was just looking at ‘Too Many Songs by Tom Lehrer,’ a collection that includes the songs in ‘Tomfoolery,’ and he puts great instructions on many of the songs.”  He appended a list of the Lehrer songs and their tempo markings, which I thought would make a great addition to Filichia’s comments :

“The Irish Ballad” – Authentically
“Be Prepared” – Trustworthily, loyally, helpfully, friendlily, etc
“Fight Fiercely, Harvard!” – Loyally
“The Old Dope Peddler” – Wistfully
“The Wild West Is Where I Want To Be” – Westerly
“I Wanna Go Back to Dixie” – A little too fast
“The Hunting Song” – Blithely
“I Hold Your Hand in Mine” – Tenderly
“My Home Town” – Nostalgically
“When You Are Old and Gray” – Liltingly
“The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz” – Mit Schlag
“Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” – Vernally
“The Masochism Tango” – Painstakingly
“A Christmas Carol” – Merrily
“The Elements” – As fast as possible
“Bright College Days” – Adagio, con brio
“She’s My Girl” – Torchily
“In Old Mexico” – Immoderato
“We All Will Go Together When We Go” – Eschatologically
“National Brotherhood Week” – Fraternally
“MLF Lullaby” – Wiegenleidig
“The Folk Song Army” – Earnestly
“Smut” – Pornissimo
“Send the Marines” – alla collo di pelle
“Pollution” – Calypso
“So Long, Mom” – a la Cohan
“Who’s Next” – disarmingly
“I Got It from Agnes” – infectiously
“Silent E” – With ease
“L–Y” – Rapid–L–Y
“The Vatican Rag” – Ecumenically

[My response to Kirk was simply: “The ‘L-Y’ notation sounds like part of the lyric of a song from [the musical] 1776!”  Kirk agreed, adding “certain-Lee!!!”

[Obviously, it helps to know something about Tom Lehrer (b. 1928) and his (often dark) satire.  (Both Kirk and I are longtime fans.)  I’ll let ROTters look him up themselves, but I’ll tell you that Tomfoolery was a musical revue made up of Lehrer’s songs.  It premièred in London’s West End in 1980 and ran Off-Broadway in New York City’s Greenwich Village in 1981-82.

[The tempo markings above are jokes.  Some are obvious (“The Old Dope Peddler” – Wistfully; “The Wild West Is Where I Want To Be” – Westerly; “Send the Marines” – alla collo di pelle: the tempo instruction is faux-Italian for ‘in the style of the leathernecks,’ a slangy reference to the Marines) and others are puns (“Smut” – Pornissimo; the pun is on pianissimo, which is Italian for ‘very softly” and is an actual tempo marking). 

[Some are just wonderfully silly (“Be Prepared” – Trustworthily, loyally, helpfully, friendlily, etc; “Be Prepared” is, famously, the Boy Scout motto and the Scout creed is: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”  (I was one back in the day.)

[There are also a couple of German instructions—not a language usually used for music annotation, which is partly why it’s funny.  For “The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz,” making the musical instruction  Mit Schlag: is humorous because it means ‘with whipped cream,’ which is how all German desserts are served and Germans loooove their whipped cream! 

[(The waltz is the specialty of the Viennese—Lehrer’s intro to the song names Austro-Hungarian composers Franz Lehár and Johann Straussand Wiener Schnitzel, while not a dessert, is an Austrian dish—wiener is German for ‘Viennese’—that’s on the menu of nearly every German restaurant.) 

[In “MLF Lullaby” – Wiegenleidig, wiegenleidig means ‘cradled’ in German: the song is a satirical lullaby about the “Multi-Lateral Force,” a collective nuclear deterrence for which Germany, just a scant 20 years after we had fought a world war against them, would get nuclear weapons.  The plan was never implemented.]

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