This man in America became who Isaac Dunaevsky was in the USSR. The celebration of Irwin Berlin on the day of his 100th birthday marked a big concert at Carnegie Hall, which was attended by Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, Frank Sinatra and other celebrities.
In his creative baggage - music to 19 Broadway musicals, 18 films, in total, about 1000 songs are written. Moreover, 450 of them are well-known hits, 282 were among the ten most popular, and 35 were honored to make America's immortal song heritage. And one of them - "God Bless America" - has gained the status of the unofficial US anthem.
God Bless America Land that I love ...
2001, September 11 - the day of the American tragedy. An emergency meeting with the participation of the Senate and members of the US Congress was intended to discuss the situation. After short disturbing speeches, the hall stopped for a while. All those present began to whisper the words of a mournful prayer for people whose lives were cut short by a terrible tragedy.
One of the senators louder than others said: "Lord, bless America, the land that I love ..." and hundreds of people picked up his voice. A patriotic song sounded that Irving Berlin wrote while still serving in the army.
Twenty years later, he created her new version, which was sung by American war veterans of the 2nd World War, and they sang it in the rear, it sounds today when national holidays are celebrated.
A great composer who did not know the notes ...
His real name is Israel Beilin. The father of the future celebrity was a cantor in the synagogue of Mogilev. In search of a better life, the family arrived in New York, but the father died three years later. The boy behind the school bench spent 2 years and was forced to sing on the street in Eastside to earn a living.
At the age of 19, he wrote the words to his first song, which was published. But through the composting annoying mistake, the author is named Irving Berlin. And this name later became the pseudonym of the composer until the end of his long life.
The young man did not possess musical notation, mastering music by ear. He wrote it in a peculiar way, playing the melody to his pianist assistants. Used only black keys. Since the composer has never played the notes, the Berlin scores simply do not exist.
Notes of this song for printing - HERE
Main song of life
For US citizenship followed by military service. In 1918, Irving wrote his first patriotic musical, "Yip Yip - Yaphank", for his finale and was written "God Bless America" in the format of a solemn prayer. Later its name was used in the headlines of several famous books and films.
The song lay in the archive ... twenty years. Her, slightly reworked, singer Kate Smith for the first time on the radio. And this song immediately becomes a sensation: the whole country sings it with special reverence. In 2002, the hit "God Bless America" performed Martina McBride and it became something like her business card. In the performance of this masterpiece in the large stadiums and concert halls thousands of people respectfully rise.
For this song, Irving Berlin received a military medal "For Merit" from the hands of US President Harry Truman. Another President Eisenhower awarded the author of the song the Gold Medal of Congress, and Ford, the third American President, presented the Medal of Freedom.
By the centenary of Irwin Berlin, a stamp appeared in the US Post Office, where his portrait was placed against the background of the text "God Bless America".
Caring son and loving spouse
World recognition was followed by fame and money. The first thing he bought was housing for his mother. Once she brought her to the Bronx to settle in a beautiful apartment. The son loved his mother very much and treated her with great respect until the end of her days. Above his bed all his life hung a portrait of the one that gave him life.
Irwin Berlin's first marriage was short. His wife Dorothy, during the honeymoon (his couple spent in Cuba), contracted typhus and soon died. 14 years of widowhood and new marriage. The choice of Irwin - the millionaire’s daughter Helen MacKay terminated the engagement with a famous lawyer, preferring a talented musician. 62 years this couple lived in a happy marriage. A year after the death of his dearly beloved wife, the life journey of Irwin Berlin itself was completed.
He was not an Native American, but he honored his song with his whole heart and blessed America.
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