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Songs of the Ziegfeld Follies

Ommen, Ann Elizabeth
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179334149

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Music.
Enormously popular in their own time, the Ziegfeld Follies have become an icon of American popular culture. Produced annually by Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. between 1907 and 1931, these revues were and still are best-known for their lavish production numbers which brought unprecedented attention to members of the chorus. They have served as inspiration for generations of filmmakers, playwrights, and popular authors, but have only been studied by a small number of scholars, primarily those working in cultural studies. For the first time, this dissertation brings a musicological identity to the Follies by examining their songs. It addresses the legends surrounding certain songs so that their performance history can be better understood. It discusses representations of gender, race, and national identity in songs of the Follies, revealing the cultural beliefs Ziegfeld thought would be most acceptable to his largely white, middle-class audiences. It dissects comic song performances to show a specifically musical component to the humor of the Follies. Finally, it analyzes compositional techniques in the lyrics of Gene Buck and in the songs written by Irving Berlin for the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927, the only Follies production to have been written by a single songwriter.
Graeme Boone (Advisor)
174 p.
Music; Theater
Ziegfeld Follies

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ommen, A. E. (2007). Songs of the Ziegfeld Follies [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179334149

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ommen, Ann. Songs of the Ziegfeld Follies. 2007. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179334149.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ommen, Ann. "Songs of the Ziegfeld Follies." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179334149

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1179334149
6,221
© 2007, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.