HAROLD ARLEN

BIOGRAPHY:

Harold Arlen was born Chaim Arluck, in Buffalo, New York. He was born a twin, although his brother died the next day. He learned the piano while he was young and later played in a jazz band when he was older. In his early 20s, he worked as an accompanist in vaudeville. It was at this point that he changed his name to Harold Arlen.

In 1929, Arlen composed his first well-known song: "Get Happy" (with lyrics by Ted Koehler). Throughout the early and mid-1930s, they worked together to write shows for a popular Harlem nightclub, as well as for Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. Their partnership resulted in a number of hit songs including;

-       “Lets fall in Love”, and

-       “Stormy Weather”

Arlen continued to perform as a pianist and vocalist with some success, most notably on records with Leo Reisman's society dance orchestra.

Arlen's compositions have always been popular with jazz musicians because of his facility at incorporating a blues feeling into the conventional American popular song.

In the mid-1930s he spent increasing time in California, writing for movie musicals. It was at this time that he began working with lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg and was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to compose songs for the popular movie The Wizard of Oz. The most famous of these is the song "Over the Rainbow”.

In the 1940s, he teamed up with lyricist Johnny Mercer, and continued to write hit songs like;

-       “Blues in the Night”

-       “That Old Black Magic”

-       “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”

-       “Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home” and

-       “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)”

Arlen was an amazing composer and he made the movie ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ inspiring with his score.

SONG ANALYSIS:

“OVER THE RAINBOW” - The Wizard of Oz (performed by Judy Garland)

1.   Tone Colour

2.   Duration

3.   Pitch

4.   Dynamic and Expressive Techniques

5.   Structure

6.   Texture

“GET HAPPY” – Summer Stock, 1950 (performed by Judy Garland)

1.  Tone Colour

2.   Duration

3.   Pitch

4.   Dynamic and Expressive Techniques

5.   Structure

6.   Texture

“AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE” – Original song (performed by The Pied Pipers & Johnny Mercer)

1.   Tone Colour

2.   Duration

3.   Pitch

4.   Dynamic and Expressive Techniques

5.   Structure

6.   Texture