One of our greatest composers of popular music is Richard Rodgers, whose music I’ve been playing on the piano for over 75 years. Unlike other prominent composers, such as Irving Berlin (who wrote his own words) and George Gershwin, (whose brother Ira was his sole lyricist), Rodgers had two terrific lyricists – first, Lorenz Hart in the 20’s and 30’s, and then Oscar Hammerstein III in the 40’s and 50’s. And although each pairing produced wonderful songs, the music Rodgers composed for Hart was notably different from what he scored for Hammerstein.

            I’ve picked out a dozen Rodgers tunes I recorded on piano (without vocals), half Hart and half Hammerstein, and combined them into a single medley. The two styles I play here are a bit different, to match the distinctive lyric stylings of the two lyricists which Rodgers accommodated so well.

             I’ve mixed the order of songs throughout this medley and encourage you to guess which ones accompanied Hart lyrics and which Hammerstein lyrics. Also, see if you can recall the titles of the tunes; and since the six Hammerstein songs are one each from six Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musicals, see if you remember in which show each of them appeared. The correct information is contained in the liner notes below.

  To listen to the medley, click on the play button below.

LINER NOTES