Mid-Week Songs: Richard Rodgers' Legacy

The contribution that Richard Rodgers, born 117 years ago last week, made to modern music (and specifically the Great American Songbook) can't be overstated. In  partnership with lyricists Lorenz Hart and then with Oscar Hammerstein, Rodgers composed some of the most enduring, iconic and beautiful music of the 20th century. He won the top award in five areas: the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Pulitzer. His 900 some songs and 43 musicals are his enormous legacy, including the music for the plays (later films) Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Our readers will know that our go-to song for Memorial Day is "Under the Southern Cross" from Rodgers' "Victory at Sea" opus. Today, we feature the wonderful Ella Fitzgerald singing two of his earlier compositions with Lorenz Hart, then music from two of his musicals with Oscar Hammerstein, the Carousel waltz, and Julie Andrews' "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music. Enjoy.