Specifically referring to "Rainbow"...yes, I'm tired of bad versions of it.
The local NPR station had a show with Rob Kapilow, he dissected the Mendlessohn Octet, AND Over the Rainbow.
Interesting. He describes it as nearly perfection.
some--(the daily reality...Kansas) WHERE---the high note. (octaves, actually) Searching for that ultimate goal, where we want to get to.
O (7th of the tonic)ver the (circles around the central idea) Rain (yearn for)BOW(back to that ultimate)
way UP (6th of the Tonic) HIGH (5th...almost the ultimate)(harmonies...lush)
there's A (4th) land that I've heard OF (4th)
ONCE (2nd) in a lullaBY (tonic)
Everything searches for that perfection of the tonic. But the world is contracting...every circle and yearn is a little closer to the reality of daily life.
then it repeats. still looking.
then the bridge... almost a dream sequence. The first phrase of the bridge, doesn't repeat, it goes higher, ends with the highest note of the piece.
Then the A section again. but, as a Coda...
the orchestra plays the bridge, and Dorothy thinks about the future.
it starts off like the bridge, but then it's suddenly different...and ends up back at the Ultimate Where. She makes it from Kansas to Oz, finally arriving on the last note.
http://www.kcur.org/UTDarchive.html" target="_blank" target="_blank 12/5/2008 the analysis starts about 14 minutes in...can't rewind or ff in WMP, but it's interesting all the way through.
I don't know if Mr Arlen actually had that type of analytical approach in mind, but it sure helped me appreciate the song more.
It also is better with the verse. A LOT better.
