Harold Arlen and Robert Rauschenberg

Saturday morning, I read an article in The New Yorker about Harold Arlen. The author lamented Arlen's apparent anonimity even as his songs have weaved their way into the public psyche. Having written the music to such classic songs as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "One for My Baby (and one more for the road)," he still seemed easily forgotten. I found my copy of Ella Fitzgerald's Harold Arlen Songbook to listen to.

That afternoon, I went to the Robert Rauschenberg exhibit at the Met. The galleries were not crowded, but a large tour group congregated around one combine and then another. The docent's voice cut through the rooms.

I wanted to be left alone with the work. While there are times I like listening to the voices and opinions around me, something about Rauschenberg's combines struck me so that I wanted to discover them on my own. I put my headphones and soon Arlen's music filled my ears. The songs seemed oddly suited to the work.

I spent a few hours in the galleries; I didn't want to leave. And after the exhibit I didn't want to look at anything else in the museum.
Posted by eku at March 6, 2006 10:46 AM