I was challenged to write music for a somewhat irregularly metered hymn text based on Ecclesiastes. (Okay, not directly challenged, but I accepted it as such.) Since the text talked about stretching and striving, I thought this rising melodic figure (with a chromatically descending bass) fit the them quite well.
The author commented that he could hear the cast of Fiddler on the Roof singing it. I’m unsure whether I should take that as a compliment or not…
If you want to revel in the nitty gritty of the musical details, see this PDF.
Oh, certainly a compliment! (I think the almost-klezmer midi rendering might have influenced the comment as well, though…)
Whew! That’s good to hear, Adam. I didn’t know whether I should interpret the comment as “music good enough to be on Broadway for a half century,” or “a caricature of a caricature.” The composer’s ego is a fragile thing.