Cole Porter

科尔·波特(Cole Porter 1891.6.9--1964.10.15),美国著名男音乐家 1891年6月9日，科尔·波特生于美国印第安纳州的秘鲁。6岁时的科尔就在母亲的辅助下猹始了音乐学习。10岁时，其完成了处女作“Song of the Birds”，后又发表了多部音乐作品。童少年时代科尔所展示出的音乐天赋已使人不容小视。 高中时代与耶鲁大学的求学生涯意味着科尔·波特的音乐创作又步入一个崭新的阶段。为各种学生组织及团体创作的超过300首音乐作品是这一阶段最有据的创作历程。
 
在百老汇的音乐创作巨星中，科尔·波特是独一无二的：他并不像同时代的人们那样模仿科恩；他也不像罗杰斯那样高产；既不像格什温那样雄心勃勃，也不像柏林那样简单朴素。波特就是波特，没有人的音乐能像他的那样特点鲜明，易于辨认。
 
波特在旋律创作方面的天赋可能不如和他同时代的大师们，如罗杰斯，柏林，但他对于音乐的感觉，对于音乐技巧的把握确实是同时代的其他人所无法比拟的。听波特的作曲，与其说它是灵光乍显，不如说它是极富创作力和想像力的佳作；与其说它温暖和富有感情，不如说它能够敏锐地抓住观众的心。波特的音乐是非常适合剧院的那种音乐形式：栩栩如生的氛围、微妙敏感的情绪和变幻无常的旋律。
 
by Ron Wynn
 
Many arguments could be generated over whether Cole Porter or Irving Berlin should be considered America's greatest tunesmith. Both wrote music and lyrics; it's clearly a pick 'em situation. Porter had violin and piano lessons as a child, pursued undergraduate studies at Yale (where he penned fight songs that endure to this day such as &Bulldog&), and studied law and music at Harvard, all courtesy of a rich grandfather. His grandfather was appalled Porter would consider music as a career and never forgave him. Porter was in the French army during World War I, and spent the '20s in Paris as the husband of a wealthy woman. He began scoring hits in that decade, though &I'm in Love Again,& didn't click until 1929, though Porter wrote it in 1924. The list of Porter shows and films is immense; his lyrics were literate, sophisticated, yet could be charming, suggestive, even naughty. His first show was Paris in 1928; it included &Let's Do It.& That was followed by Frenchmen in 1929 containing &You Do Something to Me.& Porter returned to New York in 1930, but was a lifelong Parisian in his heart. Wake Up and Dream, The New Yorkers, The Gay Divorcee, Jubilee, Leave It to Me, and Kiss Me Kate are only a few of his marvelous shows. The song list is just as impressive; &What Is This Thing Called Love,& &Love for Sale,& &Anything Goes,& &You're the Top,& &Begin the Beguine,& and &Count Your Blessings,& for starters. There were also such films as Silk Stockings, Born to Dance, Broadway Melody of 1940, High Society, and Night and Day. Porter's legs were crushed by a horse in 1937, he endured numerous operations the rest of his life, as well as being a semi-invalid. He finally lost his right leg in 1958, only four years after his wife died. But his songs live on; numerous anthologies and songbooks devoted to his music have been issued and are available on CD, including the Smithsonian four-disc set issued in 1993.