Sigma Alpha Iota

24 Summer 2023 • sai-national.org A FINE ROMANCE: ADAPTING BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD IN THE STUDIO SYSTEM ERA By Geoffrey Block Oxford University Press, 2023 For anyone who loves musicals and is particularly interested in their translation from stage to screen, A Fine Romance is especially recommended. Even if you only have a general knowledge of the art form, as I did, Geoffrey Block's book will prove to be fascinating and entertaining. Not only did I learn useful facts, such as the definition of diegetic music (music that the characters in a musical are aware they are singing) or what a book musical is (one that has a plot, as opposed to a revue, which is primarily a presentation of songs), but I was shown the many details that need to be addressed in these adaptations, including casting, scoring, and overall cultural factors. Block's book covers the time period from 1927, when Show Boat opened on Broadway, to 1972, the year the film version of Cabaret was released. He focuses on twelve musicals and their film adaptations, with a separate chapter for each decade. Most of the musicals he chooses to highlight debuted in the 1940s to the 1960s, sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of musical theater. For each of the twelve musicals spotlighted, Block discusses and compares casts and inclusion or omission of musical numbers, as well as any changes in lyrics and scores, providing a detailed comparison between the stage and film versions. Black and white photographs of the different iterations of each work are also included. The book ends with several helpful appendices. The first provides a chart with complete information about each of the musicals discussed in the book. Appendix 2 supplies printed and recorded sources for the musicals treated. The third appendix gives a chart of selected stage musicals and their screen adaptations from 1920-2021, while the fourth appendix lists selected screen adaptions of stage musicals from 1930-2023. I found that A Fine Romance enhanced my knowledge and appreciation of the musical as an art form and was an enjoyable read besides. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to broaden their awareness of one of the many permutations of musical expression. Kathi Bower Peterson is a graduate of Indiana University, where she majored in music history and oboe, and was a member of Iota Epsilon chapter. She also has an MM (in musicology) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MLIS from San Jose State University. She has been the librarian at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla, California since 1997 and currently serves as the treasurer of the San Diego County Alumnae Chapter, as well as the Coordinator of Scholarships for SAI Philanthropies, Inc. Reviews SOUND WITHIN SOUND: RADICAL COMPOSERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY By Kate Molleson Abrams Press, 2022 K ate Molleson's aim in writing Sound Within Sound is to redress the neglect experienced by many composers of the 20 th century who were innovative and talented, but did not make it into the canon of music history because of their race or gender. This she accomplishes with success and a writing style that is erudite and witty. Molleson begins her book with an introduction addressing the lack of diversity in classical music, and the urgent need for including a variety of experiences in the music we recognize and perform. She then devotes a chapter each to ten composers who have been overlooked. These include: Mexican Julián Carrillo (1875-1965), American Ruth Crawford (1901-1953), Brazilian Walter Smetak (1913-1984), Filipino José Maceda (1917-2004), Russian Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006), Ethiopian Emahoy Tsegué-Mariam Guèbru (1923- ), Dane Else Marie Pade (1924- 2016), African American Muhal Richard Abrams (1930-2017), Frenchwoman Éliane Radigue (1932- ), and New Zealander Annea Lockwood (1939- ). For each composer, Molleson provides brief biographical background, a discussion of their musical evolution, and what makes them unique, while referencing individual works. She interviews and documents the perspectives of the composers still living, and she also speaks to close relatives of those composers who are deceased to assist in providing a closer reading of their music. A musical timeline that incorporates all her subjects, as well as other world events, ends the book. The book is a pleasure to read, and although a musical background would enhance understanding of it, the writing is not too academic for someone with little musical training. I would recommend Sound Within Sound as an important introduction to some true originals from the world of 20 th century music.

• Cover