Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
Transcribed by Jascha Heifetz
Daniel Ziesemer, violin
Jacob T. Bernhardt, piano
Jascha Heifetz, renowned Russian-American violinist of the 20th century (and child prodigy from two years old). He gave the world his famous transcription of the piece, especially for violin and piano, in 1944, but never wrote the score down. The Decca record company loved the arrangement, and recorded it as a violin solo with a small orchestral accompaniment. Arranger Nate Sabat from New York in 2015, and Darwin Shen and Barbara Mayer in 2016 painstakingly wrote down the notes for the violin and piano. Still, today, Heifetz’s arrangement is obviously well-loved, observed from the measures devoted musicians have taken to preserve it for future generations.
The arrangement begins with the intro played by the piano, and joined by the sweet notes of the violin playing the melody of the opening verse. Then begins the familiar chorus of “White Christmas”, its strains sung by the violin, and accompanied by the piano, even the familiar glissando that Bing Crosby made famous being heard in the violin. Midway, the violin plays double stops very pleasantly, drifting back into single string legato. The piano then takes up the melody, skillfully adding notes like that of a harp, being replaced as the violin once again takes the melody, adding variations along with the tune, then switching into the chorus’ melody alone, and finally drifting off to end the song.
History and Description of Song
With beautiful, heart-warming lyrics about the simple joys of Christmastime, and the longing to have those again, this lovely song was written in 1940 by Irving Berlin, and was sung for the first time by Bing Crosby on Kraft’s Music Hall radio program in December of 1941; only a few weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
It was later used for the wonderful film, Holiday Inn, in which Bing sings it for the first time on screen- his second time being that in the musical White Christmas. Originally, Marjorie Reynolds, the lead actress of Holiday Inn, was to sing it, but the song was given instead to Bing. Bing’s name was to be linked with “White Christmas” throughout the rest of his career, its poignant verses splendidly voiced by him, and his whistling adding his famous touch. The lyrics and melody cheers millions of people to this day, still topping many charts worldwide in popularity.
History of Composer and Lyricist
Irving Berlin, born Israel Isidore Beilin to Jewish parents in Russia in 1888, was a prolific music composer and lyricist of show tunes, movie songs, and popular hits in his day. He immigrated to Ellis Island in the United States at five years old with his parents and seven siblings to escape persecution of the Jews, and started out his musical journey by singing the songs he heard from the windows of nearby restaurants as he sold newspapers on the streets of New York City. At nineteen, in 1907, he published his first lyrical composition in collaboration with composer Nick Nicholson - “Marie from Sunny Italy” for thirty-three cents, while he was working as a singing waiter. His name was misspelled on the song as I. Berlin, but he decided to keep Berlin as his new name. Interestingly enough, he never learned to read sheet music, and wrote his musical compositions as very simple melodies, only being able to play the piano in the F-sharp key. He was a devoted husband to his first wife, who died within the first months of their marriage, and to his second wife, to whom he was married for sixty-two years until her death in 1988, with whom he had four children. He died at the ripe old age of 101 - having penned the words and/or music over 1,000 songs - “White Christmas” being one of his most famous.
Notes by Brieanna Savard
Original Opening Verse:
The sun is shining, the grass is green,
The orange and palm trees sway.
There's never been such a day
in Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it's December the twenty-fourth,—
And I am longing to be up North—
Lyrics:
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.
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