Philip J. Lang
Encyclopedia
Philip J. Lang was an American musical arranger, orchestrator and composer
of band
music, as well as a musical educator. He is credited for writing the orchestral arrangements (orchestrations) for over 50 Broadway theatre
shows, including many landmark productions, such as Li'l Abner
(1956), Hello, Dolly!
(1964), Mame (1966), George M
(1968), Annie
(1977) and 42nd Street
(1980). Together with Robert Russell Bennett
, he orchestrated the record-breaking productions of Lerner and Loewe
's My Fair Lady
(1956) and Camelot
(1960). The dean of musical orchestrators, Russell Bennett remarked that the original arrangements Lang had prepared for Annie Get Your Gun
(1946), which utilized a modern technique of orchestral scoring, were beautifully done.
, which later awarded him an honorary doctorate for his career. He pursued further musical studies at Columbia University
and the Juilliard School
. By 1934 Lang had signed with the busy theatrical orchestration department at Chappell
Music run by Max Dreyfus. There he was expected to be the principal orchestral arranger (orchestrator) for about five musical shows a year being produced on Broadway
and also be expected to collaborate with his colleagues on shows assigned to them as needed. During the war years, Lang along with Robert Russell Bennett
, Don Walker
, Jonathan Tunick
, and Ted Royal
were recognized as the busiest orchestrators on Broadway.
's Annie Get Your Gun, in which Lang employed the new so-called "microphone technique" where the singer would carry the melody line without much support or competition from the orchestra. He would later use this to excellent effect for Rex Harrison
's speaking-singing on My Fair Lady
, but belters like Ethel Merman
expected full-bodied orchestral underpinnings. Producer Richard Rodgers
and the musical director Jay Blackton wanted the more traditional "live theater" sound and asked Russell Bennett to redo it during the tryouts.
In his autobiography Bennett suggests that he merely adjusted Lang's work without unbalancing it; but others have claimed that Bennett rewrote practically everything and saved the show. Steven Suskin has confirmed that at least Lang's version of Anything You Can Do survived and was used in the final show, to which many other orchestrators eventually contributed. Nevertheless, Bennett apparently appreciated Lang's work and happily collaborated with him on a number of other successful scores.
's March of the Slide Trombones.
He would also compose himself, such as the hoe-down toned The Country Bumpkin, prefiguring his hillbilly phase on Li'l Abner. Lang also served as a partner and editor at Lawson-Gould Music, Inc.
, and Abner, Lang did little else for the movies. He was, however, a frequent musical arranger for prestige television programing, such as Hallmark Productions, David Susskind
, Omnibus, Radio City Music Hall
shows and The Tonight Show
.
Starting in 1949, Lang became an associate professor of orchestration, often lecturing during the summer sessions. He mainly taught at the University of Michigan
and the University of Colorado at Boulder
. In 1950 he wrote the college textbook, Scoring for the Band, which was published by Mills Music, New York.
Later in his career Lang became popular as an orchestrator for ballet and opera, including the Metropolitan Opera
and Ballet de Marseille, as well as the Boston Pops Orchestra
.
In 1978, he supplied the music for Places, Please! a full-length musical-within-a-musical with a book and lyrics by Herb Martin. In 1979, he wrote the orchestrations for the stage adaption
of the 1937 animated musical film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
. Lang's other significant orchestration credits include: Take Me Along
(1959), Carnival!
(1961), Dear World
(1969), Applause
(1970), Mack and Mabel (1974), Goldilocks (with Leroy Anderson
) (1958) and Norman Lear
's 1968 film The Night They Raided Minsky's
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
music, as well as a musical educator. He is credited for writing the orchestral arrangements (orchestrations) for over 50 Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows, including many landmark productions, such as Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner (musical)
Li'l Abner is a musical with a book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, music by Gene De Paul, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.Based on the comic strip Li'l Abner by Al Capp, the show is, on the surface, a broad spoof of hillbillies but is also a pointed satire taking on any number of topics, ranging...
(1956), Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
(1964), Mame (1966), George M
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
(1968), Annie
Annie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
(1977) and 42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
(1980). Together with Robert Russell Bennett
Robert Russell Bennett
Robert Russell Bennett was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. In 1957 and 2008, Bennett received Tony Awards...
, he orchestrated the record-breaking productions of Lerner and Loewe
Lerner and Loewe
Lerner and Loewe are the duo of lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe, known primarily for the music and lyrics of some of Broadway's most successful musical shows, including My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Brigadoon....
's My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
(1956) and Camelot
Camelot (musical)
Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King....
(1960). The dean of musical orchestrators, Russell Bennett remarked that the original arrangements Lang had prepared for Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
(1946), which utilized a modern technique of orchestral scoring, were beautifully done.
Musical education
In 1933 Lang graduated from Ithaca CollegeIthaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
, which later awarded him an honorary doctorate for his career. He pursued further musical studies at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
. By 1934 Lang had signed with the busy theatrical orchestration department at Chappell
Chappell
Chappell may refer to:Places:* Chappell, Nebraska* Chappell on the moon* Mount Chappell Island, Tasmania, Australia* North West Mount Chappell Islet, Tasmania, AustraliaPeople:* The Chappell family of Australian cricketers:...
Music run by Max Dreyfus. There he was expected to be the principal orchestral arranger (orchestrator) for about five musical shows a year being produced on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and also be expected to collaborate with his colleagues on shows assigned to them as needed. During the war years, Lang along with Robert Russell Bennett
Robert Russell Bennett
Robert Russell Bennett was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. In 1957 and 2008, Bennett received Tony Awards...
, Don Walker
Don Walker
Don Walker may refer to:*Don Walker , Australian musician*Don Walker , American orchestrator*Don Walker...
, Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer, one of twelve people to have won all four major American show business awards: the Tony, Oscar, Emmy and Grammy. He has also worked with all of the other eleven people. His principal instrument is the clarinet...
, and Ted Royal
Ted Royal
Ted Royal [Dewar] was an American orchestrator, conductor and composer for Broadway theatre. He was most active in the 1940s and 50s, being associated with the very successful original productions of Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon...
were recognized as the busiest orchestrators on Broadway.
Annie Get Your Score
An early assignment were the original orchestrations for Irving BerlinIrving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's Annie Get Your Gun, in which Lang employed the new so-called "microphone technique" where the singer would carry the melody line without much support or competition from the orchestra. He would later use this to excellent effect for Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards.-Youth and stage career:...
's speaking-singing on My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, but belters like Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
expected full-bodied orchestral underpinnings. Producer Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and the musical director Jay Blackton wanted the more traditional "live theater" sound and asked Russell Bennett to redo it during the tryouts.
In his autobiography Bennett suggests that he merely adjusted Lang's work without unbalancing it; but others have claimed that Bennett rewrote practically everything and saved the show. Steven Suskin has confirmed that at least Lang's version of Anything You Can Do survived and was used in the final show, to which many other orchestrators eventually contributed. Nevertheless, Bennett apparently appreciated Lang's work and happily collaborated with him on a number of other successful scores.
Band music
Throughout his career Lang was a prolific arranger for bands and would often serve as a guest conductor and adjudicator for school festivals and clinics. Representative of his transcriptions was the 1952 arrangement of Raymond ScottRaymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
's March of the Slide Trombones.
He would also compose himself, such as the hoe-down toned The Country Bumpkin, prefiguring his hillbilly phase on Li'l Abner. Lang also served as a partner and editor at Lawson-Gould Music, Inc.
Other credits
Apart from helping out on the film versions of Hello Dolly!Hello Dolly! (film)
Hello, Dolly! is a 1969 romantic comedy musical film, based on the Broadway production of the same name; the film follows the story of Dolly Levi, a strong-willed matchmaker who travels to Yonkers, New York, in an attempt to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire,"...
, and Abner, Lang did little else for the movies. He was, however, a frequent musical arranger for prestige television programing, such as Hallmark Productions, David Susskind
David Susskind
David Susskind was a producer of TV, movies, and stage plays and also a pioneer TV talk show host.-Personal:...
, Omnibus, Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
shows and The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
.
Starting in 1949, Lang became an associate professor of orchestration, often lecturing during the summer sessions. He mainly taught at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. In 1950 he wrote the college textbook, Scoring for the Band, which was published by Mills Music, New York.
Later in his career Lang became popular as an orchestrator for ballet and opera, including the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
and Ballet de Marseille, as well as the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
.
In 1978, he supplied the music for Places, Please! a full-length musical-within-a-musical with a book and lyrics by Herb Martin. In 1979, he wrote the orchestrations for the stage adaption
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (musical)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a musical with music by Frank Churchill and Jay Blackton, lyrics by Larry Morey and Joe Cook, book by Joe Cook, based on the 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs....
of the 1937 animated musical film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated film based on Snow White, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full...
. Lang's other significant orchestration credits include: Take Me Along
Take Me Along
Take Me Along is a musical based on the Eugene O'Neill play Ah, Wilderness, with music and lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Joseph Stein and Robert Russell.-Background:...
(1959), Carnival!
Carnival!
Carnival is a 1961 musical with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film Lili.-Background:...
(1961), Dear World
Dear World
Dear World is a Broadway musical with a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. With its opening, Herman became the only composer-lyricist in history to have three productions running simultaneously on Broadway...
(1969), Applause
Applause
Applause is primarily the expression of approval by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences are usually expected to applaud after a performance, such as a musical concert, speech, or play...
(1970), Mack and Mabel (1974), Goldilocks (with Leroy Anderson
Leroy Anderson
Leroy Anderson was an American composer of short, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler...
) (1958) and Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
's 1968 film The Night They Raided Minsky's
The Night They Raided Minsky's
The Night They Raided Minsky's is a 1968 musical comedy film directed by William Friedkin and produced by Norman Lear. It is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Minsky's Burlesque in 1925...
.