美国名人 作曲家 斯蒂芬·福斯特.docx

美国名人作曲家斯蒂芬福斯特StephenFoster,1826-1864:America'sFirstPopularSongwriterplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:40repeatByShelleyGollust2006-11-18VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPeopleinAmerica.Today,wetellaboutStephenFoster,America'sfirstpopularprofessionalsongwriter.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:YoumayhaveheardtheoldtraditionalAmericansongs"Oh!Susanna,""CamptownRaces"and"MyOldKentuckyHome."But,doyouknowwhowrotethem?StephenFoster.Hewrotethoseandmorethantwohundredothersongsduringtheeighteenfortiesandeighteenfifties.HisbestsongshavebecomepartofAmerica'sculturalhistory.TheyhavebecomeAmericanfolksongs.ManypeopleinAmericalearnedtosingthesesongswhentheywerechildren.MostAmericanscansingthesesongstoday.VOICETWO:StephenCollinsFosterwasbornonJulyfourth,eighteentwenty-sixinwhatisnowpartofthecityofPittsburgh,inthenortheasternstateofPennsylvania.HewastheninthchildofWilliamandElizaFoster.Hedidnothavemuchmusicaltraining.Buthehadagreatnaturalabilityformusic.Hetaughthimselftoplayseveralmusicalinstruments.Hecouldplayanymusicjustbylisteningtoit.StephenFosterbeganwritingsongswhenhewasfourteen.Ineighteenforty-seven,hewrotehisfirstsuccessfulsongz"Oh!Susanna.,KenEmersonwroteabookaboutStephenFoster.Itiscalled"Doo-dah!StephenFosterandtheRiseofAmericanPopularCulture.,MisterEmersonsays"Oh!Susanna"wasthefirstinternationallypopularsongwrittenbyanAmericanthateveryonecanstillrecognizeandsingtoday.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:StephenFostermarriedJaneMcDowellineighteenfifty.Hewrotemanynewsongs.Someofthemwereaboutlove.Oneofthebestknownis"JeanieWiththeLightBrownHair."Hewroteitforhiswifewhentheywereseparated.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:StephenFosterwrotealmostthirtysongsforminstrelshows.MinstrelshowsbecamepopularintheUnitedStatesintheeighteenforties.Whiteentertainersblackenedtheirfacesandperformedasiftheywereblackentertainers.Minstrelshowsincludedmusic,danceandcomedy.TheshowswereperformedinalmosteverymajorAmericancity,especiallyintheNortheast.OneofFoster'ssongswrittenforminstrelshowsis"CamptownRaces."Today,itisapopularsongforchildren.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:MinstrelsongsdescribedthecultureofblackAmericanslavesinthesouthernstates.YetFosterdidnotreallyknowanythingaboutthissubject.HelivedinPittsburghformostofhislife.HevisitedtheSouthonlyonce.However,someexpertssayFoster'sminstrelsongsshowedhedidunderstandhowblackpeopleintheSouthlivedbeforetheCivilWar.ThepeopleinFoster'ssongslovetheirfamiliesandworkhard.Now,however,someofhissongsarejudgedinsultingtoAfrican-Americans.So,musicpublishershavechangedsomeofthewords.Andafewofhissongsarenolongersung.VOICETWO:Ineighteenfifty,Fostermadeanagreementwiththeleaderofasuccessfulminstrelgroup,E.P.Christy.TheagreementmeantthatChristy'sMinstrelshadtherighttoperformeverynewsongFosterwrote.FosteralsopermittedChristytonamehimselfasthewriterofthesong"OldFolksatHome."ThisbecameoneofmostsuccessfulsongswrittenbyStephenFoster.ItbecametheofficialsongofthestateofFloridainnineteenthirty-five.Italsoisknownas"WayDownupontheSwaneeRiver."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:StephenFosterwroteothersongsabouthomeandmemoriesoftimespast.Inhisbook,KenEmersonsaysFosterwrotesongsabouthomeinpartbecausehealmostneverlivedinonehomeforlong.HisfatherlostallhismoneywhenStephenwasaboy.SoStephenwasforcedtolivewithmanydifferentfamilymembers.AlthoughFosterlivedintheNorth,someofhissongssuggestadesiretobebackhomeintheAmericanSouth.VOICETWO:"MyOldKentuckyHome"isanexample.MisterEmersonsaysFosterwrotethesonginhonorofHarrietBeecherStowe'santi-slaverybook,"UncleTom'sCabin.""MyOldKentuckyHome"expressesgreatsympathyforenslavedAfrican-Americans.Theblackanti-slaveryactivistFrederickDouglasspraisedthesong.ItlaterbecametheofficialsongofthestateofKentucky.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:StephenFosterwasAmerica'sfirstfull-timeprofessionalsongwriter.Hewasagoodsongwriter.Buthewasapoorbusinessman.Hesoldmanyofhismostfamoussongsforverylittlemoney.Hewasnotabletosupporthiswifeanddaughter.Ineighteensixty,hemovedtoNewYorkCity.Hissongswerenotaspopularastheyhadbeen.Hismarriagehadended.Hehadnomoney.Formostofhislife,hedranklargeamountsofalcohol.HediedonJanuarythirteenth,eighteensixty-four.Hewasonlythirty-sevenyearsold.VOICETWO:StephenFosterwashonoredinseveralwaysafterhisdeath.HewasthefirstmusiciantobenominatedtotheHallofFameforgreatAmericans.AndhewasthefirstAmericancomposerwhosecompleteworkswerepublishedtogether.Eachyear,ontheanniversaryofhisdeath,peopleinPittsburghgathertorememberStephenFoster.Theygotothechurchheattendedasachild.Theyattendashowthathonorshim.Thentheyvisithisburialplace.TheendofStephenFoster'slifewassad.Buthissongshavebroughthappinesstomanypeople.Oneofhislastsongswasoneofthemostbeautiful.Itiscalled"BeautifulDreamer."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyShelleyGollust.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.