The witty, light-hearted, and, at times, gentle, haunting and deeply sad lyrics of Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) have often graced our work here at The Shedd. As one of the luminaries of the classic Songbook, he is an inescapable source: selections from his huge catalog with Richard Rodgers have peppered Shedd concerts and musical productions for 25 years, and to our minds Rodgers -- who was always brilliant, no matter what the project -- was at his best with Hart.
Lorenz Hart was a master, certainly, of 'society verse' -- that specific style of lyric which was dominant both on Broadway and in Hollywood during the golden age of musical comedy. Witty, playful, and oh so cool, these songs are as often love songs as any other popular genre but, as Ira Gershwin noted, do everything possible to avoid actually saying "I love you". And, other emotions? Not a chance! Light, sophisticated, erudite, and full of word-play, literary allusions, and sardonic, placid commentary on the modern condition, these songs were perfect for the 1920s-30s New York "society" frequented by the likes of Noel Coward and Cole Porter...and for everyone else who wished they were a part of it.
We've asked Siri Vik, a master and champion of so many of the great classic songwriters, to share her finely nuanced take on Hart and Rodgers for this year's celebration of the classic Songbook at its best.
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