Prelude to a Kiss (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Tcxspears (talk | contribs) at 14:51, 10 April 2015 (→‎Reception). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Prelude to a Kiss" is a 1938 song composed by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills.[1]

Background and Composition

This composition is in the key of C Major, but makes extensive use of the secondary dominant chords, secondary ii–V–I progressions, and deceptive cadences.[2] The song extremely chromatic and complex, employing sophisticated mathematics that were rare at this time in jazz[3]: Most notably, Ellington uses a set of rising semitones (G-G#-A-A#-B) at the end of the bridge, and then uses an exact mirror going back into the A section (B-A#-A-G#-G).

By the late 1930s, Swing music was at the height of its popularity. Using his fame and artistic freedom, Ellington became more ambitious and experimental, writing "Prelude to a Kiss" which abandoned the Tin Pan Alley style hooks and dance tempo, for melodic lines and harmonies found more often in classical music.[4] Ellington originally recorded this piece as an instrumental in August of 1938, before returning to the studio a few week later to record it as a vocal number, using lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills, with a young and relatively unknown Mary McHugh.[5]

Reception

Outside of jazz musicians and historians, Prelude to a Kiss remains one of the lesser known Ellington songs. Prominent jazz historian,Gunther Schuller, described Prelude to a Kiss as "One of Ellington's finest ballads, although too sophisticated in its weaving melody and chromatic harmonies to gain wide public acceptance."[6]

Notable recordings

For the 2008 Alicia Keys song "Prelude to a Kiss" — not the Duke Ellington composition — see As I Am.

Notes

  1. ^ "Prelude to a Kiss" at Jazz Standards - retrieved on 8 June 2009
  2. ^ Hellmer, Jeffrey. Jazz Theory and Practice. Alfred Music. p. 107. ISBN 9780882847221.
  3. ^ Greeen, Edward (2015). The Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521881197. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ Gioia, Ted (July 2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199937394. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ Greeen, Edward (2015). The Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521881197. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ Schuller, Gunther (December 1991). The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195071405. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

See also

Stub icon

This jazz standard or composition-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This pop standards-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prelude_to_a_Kiss_(song)&oldid=655838887"