Spring is here, I hear.
Part of the artistry of Rodgers & Hart – alongside Lorenz Hart’s clever, wry, heartfelt lyrics and Richard Rodgers’ beautifully crafted melodies – stems from the fact that their songs are endlessly malleable. Tempo, mood, feel, form, harmony – all can be stretched in service of the arranger’s art. Consider the song, apropos today, “Spring is Here.”
A few versions, with various degrees of stretching:
Rodgers’ later songs with Oscar Hammerstein, more celebrated for their integration in the story, are less reliable in their malleability. But an arranger can count on Rodgers & Hart to be open to a musical dialogue across the decades.
Happy Spring.