Art Deco in American Song: Holland Robinsonʼs Loose Lyrics of Lovely Ladies and Mac Harshbergerʼs Drawings

Abstract

If there is an art deco period in American music, its height probably would have been the 1920s. Art deco received much impetus from the French, as did a significant quantity of American music during the period. Into this scene stepped composer Holland Robinson (ca. 1897-1945); this is primarily about one set of Holland Robinsonʼs songs, Loose Lyrics of Lovely Ladies (1928). Robinson also wrote other sets of songs and individual songs, some with his own lyrics and some with texts by others; Appendix 1 provides a complete list of songs by Holland Robinson. Robinson was part of a collaborative artistic circle that included artist Mac Harshberger, and Harshbergerʼs sister Kay. He also received patronage from Edward G. and Gladys Robinson (no relation), among others. The songs, twelve in all, are about historic women and are humorous, witty, clever, and sometimes tongue-in-cheek, stretching the truth about their subjects. They are self-published; the original hardbound edition was limited to 150 copies. Each is two or three pages long, and is from one- to one-and-one-half minutes in duration. Most are at a moderate tempo and in regular meter, traits of the popular song at this time. Witticism and quoting often appear in Robinsonʼs score, and are described and illustrated in detail, including homage to Liszt, Chopin, Johann Strauss Jr., as well as other folk songs, madrigals, national anthems, and styles. The songs are light, and tonal in scope, and usually have an accompanying figure or two, often established in the introduction. Yet there is spice: "lucrezia borgia" begins with a major seventh/minor seventh alternation, for example. Colorful use of other seventh and ninth chords, used in jazz of the 1920s and 1930s, and liberal use of the tritone in the melody, add to the overall effect. Each song in Loose Lyrics of Lovely Ladies is preceded by a Mac Harshberger drawing/caricature of the personage, in India ink; the drawings are clearly art deco in style. Possible compositional influences on Holland Robinson include the Cocteau songs of Arthur Honegger (Six Poesies de Jean Cocteau, 1920-1923); the previously mentioned "La Diva de 'lʼEmpire'" (1919) by Erik Satie, as well as popular songs of French music halls. The light flavor of the songs is also evocative of the music of other members of Les Six besides Honegger, especially Francis Poulenc (i.e., "Violon" or "Hôtel"), as well as popular songs of French music halls, although no influence can be directly documented. If American art deco style in music could be defined on the basis of the songs of Holland Robinson (and the accompanying drawings of Mac Harshberger), it would be light, airy, and clever, full of witticism and double entendre, as one might expect.