Circle City Clarinerd

What little girl didn't prance around her living room belting "Sixteen Going on Seventeen?" What teenager didn't experience some kind of adolescent romantic longing as the stars of the high school musical crooned "Some Enchanted Evening?" What music appreciation teacher didn't at least reference "Do-Re-Mi" in a lesson on Solfege syllables? 

Although I am a self-proclaimed "orchestra dork" and will exalt the unparalleled power of classical music until my dying day, I cannot deny that the works of songwriting duo Rodgers and Hammerstein, which the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will perform in the "Rodgers and Hammerstein At the Movies" concert this weekend, represent peerless hallmarks of American music. Although the first movement of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet will bring me to tears each time I hear it, the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein has affected me just as much - if not, at times, a little more - as the great classical masterworks I laud each week on this blog. I was definitely the little girl who donned my mother's party dresses and pretended I was Liesl, wooing Rolf in the gazebo. I was certainly soothed as my mother played the cassette track of "My Favorite Things" to lull me back to sleep after nightmares. I completely teared up when my friend played me a recording of her singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" at her high school graduation. I clearly remember having "I Have Confidence" stuck in my head the whole first week of college. And I must admit that I was a bit more excited to see "The Sound of Music" house than the Mozartplatz and Mozart Statue on my trip to Salzburg this past spring.

To assure that my fondness for Rodgers and Hammerstein reflects the duo's universal appeal and timeless charm rather than simply my weakness for swoonworthy songs, I texted a few of my friends asking about their favorite R+H hits. The group I contacted included both my musical and non-musical cohorts, but everyone replied within minutes. What truly surprised me, however, was that each person responded with a different musical number. Rachel, a History major, said that although she could "go for pretty much any song from 'The Sound of Music,'" "The Hills Are Alive" is her favorite. Gwen, a Bassoon Performance major, cited "Hello, Young Lovers" from "The King and I" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" from "Cinderella" as her choice R+H ballads.  Lindsey, a Psychology major, revealed that she is particularly fond of "Impossible: It's Possible" from "Cinderella," particularly the version sung by Brandy and Whitney Houston in the 1997 film adaptation. Matt H., a Computer Science major, replied that he had a particular fondness for "My Favorite Things." As the text messages flowed in, I mused at the widespread appeal of Rodgers and Hammerstein and began to anticipate even more eagerly this weekend's ISO concert. (I must admit that I did inevitably receive a couple of music-nerdy answer: Matt B., a Math and Music double major, disclosed that he loves "Bali Ha'i" from "South Pacific" because it helped him learn the sound of the major seventh interval. His similarly musically-minded brother Mike emphasized the beauty of the opera aria-like "Soliloquy" from "Carousel").

This weekend, Rodgers and Hammerstein fans - of which, as I have discovered, there are many - will convene at the Hilbert Circle Theatre to celebrate the duo that made a lasting mark on Broadway, Hollywood and the world. I am looking forward to putting aside my obsession with Mahler, Brahms and Tchaikovsky for a couple of days - don't worry, next week I will be extolling the many musical virtues of Richard Strauss's "Ein Heldenleben" - and allowing myself to be captivated by the music of perhaps the most legendary songwriters in American history.

To end this post, I have posted a few of my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein hits below. Please comment to share your favorite R+H songs, scenes and musicals!