Cole Porter

科爾·波特(Cole Porter 1891.6.9--1964.10.15),美國著名男音樂家 1891年6月9日，科爾·波特生于美國印第安納州的秘魯。6歲時的科爾就在母親的輔助下猹始了音樂學習。10歲時，其完成了處女作“Song of the Birds”，后又發(fā)表了多部音樂作品。童少年時代科爾所展示出的音樂天賦已使人不容小視。 高中時代與耶魯大學的求學生涯意味著科爾·波特的音樂創(chuàng)作又步入一個嶄新的階段。為各種學生組織及團體創(chuàng)作的超過300首音樂作品是這一階段最有據(jù)的創(chuàng)作歷程。
 
在百老匯的音樂創(chuàng)作巨星中，科爾·波特是獨一無二的：他并不像同時代的人們那樣模仿科恩；他也不像羅杰斯那樣高產(chǎn)；既不像格什溫那樣雄心勃勃，也不像柏林那樣簡單樸素。波特就是波特，沒有人的音樂能像他的那樣特點鮮明，易于辨認。
 
波特在旋律創(chuàng)作方面的天賦可能不如和他同時代的大師們，如羅杰斯，柏林，但他對于音樂的感覺，對于音樂技巧的把握確實是同時代的其他人所無法比擬的。聽波特的作曲，與其說它是靈光乍顯，不如說它是極富創(chuàng)作力和想像力的佳作；與其說它溫暖和富有感情，不如說它能夠敏銳地抓住觀眾的心。波特的音樂是非常適合劇院的那種音樂形式：栩栩如生的氛圍、微妙敏感的情緒和變幻無常的旋律。
 
by Ron Wynn
 
Many arguments could be generated over whether Cole Porter or Irving Berlin should be considered America's greatest tunesmith. Both wrote music and lyrics; it's clearly a pick 'em situation. Porter had violin and piano lessons as a child, pursued undergraduate studies at Yale (where he penned fight songs that endure to this day such as &Bulldog&), and studied law and music at Harvard, all courtesy of a rich grandfather. His grandfather was appalled Porter would consider music as a career and never forgave him. Porter was in the French army during World War I, and spent the '20s in Paris as the husband of a wealthy woman. He began scoring hits in that decade, though &I'm in Love Again,& didn't click until 1929, though Porter wrote it in 1924. The list of Porter shows and films is immense; his lyrics were literate, sophisticated, yet could be charming, suggestive, even naughty. His first show was Paris in 1928; it included &Let's Do It.& That was followed by Frenchmen in 1929 containing &You Do Something to Me.& Porter returned to New York in 1930, but was a lifelong Parisian in his heart. Wake Up and Dream, The New Yorkers, The Gay Divorcee, Jubilee, Leave It to Me, and Kiss Me Kate are only a few of his marvelous shows. The song list is just as impressive; &What Is This Thing Called Love,& &Love for Sale,& &Anything Goes,& &You're the Top,& &Begin the Beguine,& and &Count Your Blessings,& for starters. There were also such films as Silk Stockings, Born to Dance, Broadway Melody of 1940, High Society, and Night and Day. Porter's legs were crushed by a horse in 1937, he endured numerous operations the rest of his life, as well as being a semi-invalid. He finally lost his right leg in 1958, only four years after his wife died. But his songs live on; numerous anthologies and songbooks devoted to his music have been issued and are available on CD, including the Smithsonian four-disc set issued in 1993.