Irving Berlin: Broadway Composers

How was Irving Berlin impactful? Many of Broadway composers or lyricists have changed and made musicals that became famous because of their own unique style of work. Irving Berlin was one of the most popular composers and lyricists throughout the 1900s and still known for his impact on people and musicals that still resonates throughout America. Either known for his unique style of how he played the piano (only in black keys), how his music in theater translated to the people during times of war, he lived a long and fulfilling life.

No one knows when and where exactly was Irvin Berlin born, though he was presumably born in Tyumen, Russia. “There is controversy over both the date and location of his birth” (Hill 23). It became known that Berlin

He wrote many patriotic songs for the revue and he “had originally written “God Bless American” (considered as the national anthem) for Yip, Yip, Yaphank, but he laid it aside when it seemed there were already enough patriotic numbers in the show” (Hill 27). When WWII took place, he also composed another musical revue that had songs of patriotism and were a tribute to the service men and the United States. The show known as “This Is the Army”, became famous because of its time where the people in American had feelings of uncertainty, and concern with what the future might hold. The show’s cast was actually real service personnel and celebrating the military, furthermore became into a popular

Harris, and started making annual revues at the theater from 1921 to 1924. Berlin grew into a well-known composer, lyricist, and producer that “the average United States citizen [is] perfectly epitomized in Irving Berlin’s music” (Woollcott). In his private life, Berlin met a woman that would later become the mother of his four children, Mary Ellin Barrett. They married in 1926, and sooner enough Berlin started making music of his life, such as “Blue Skies” (1926), “Russian Lullaby” (1927), and “I Can’t Do without You” (1928). The type of styles that Berlin had in composing and writing songs were diverse. According to Cengage, He wrote music in the style as ragtime, and songs that culture or ethnicity such as Italian (Sweet Marie, Make-a Rag-a Time Dance Wid Me”), German (“Oh How That German Could Love”), Arab (“In My Harem”) and many