Alan and Marilyn Bergman
"Alan and Marilyn were among the first people to read the short story, 'Yentl The Yeshiva Boy' when it was sent to me in 1968 as an idea for a film. They loved it and thought it should be made into a musical," recalls Barbra Streisand. Twelve years later, when the decision was made to interpret Yentl with music, it seemed inevitable for the Bergmans to write the lyrics.
"The idea of working on material to which we felt so close, with people to whom we felt so close (Streisand and Legrand), was irresistible," says Marilyn Bergman. "And from the start, we felt that music was the best way to heighten the emotions of the short story and to explore the rich inner life of the character. It was very exciting," says Marilyn, "more involving than anything we'd ever done in the past. We began to evolve this style in the writing of Queen of the Stardust Ballroom -- where the inner thoughts and the subtext are revealed through songs."
According to Alan, "For the most part, Yentl came easily, perhaps because we lived with it for so long that it became part of us. Or perhaps, because we had that greatest of inspirations, Barbra's voice! Yentl stretched all of us as musicians and dramatists, taking us to places we had never been before."
Michel Legrand
It took no time at all for Barbra Streisand and her close friends, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, to select Michel Legrand as the composer for Yentl. "We had all worked so well together on so many occasions in the past," explains Alan, "that Michel seemed to be the natural choice. He has the uncanny ability to write many melodies for each particular spot that requires music. And we can sense words on the tips of his notes that say exactly what we want to say in our lyrics. Over the years a chemistry, a unique closeness, has developed between us."
Since Yentl was a very personal film for Streisand, Michel sought to produce a score that as he says, "matched her soul." Legrand recalls, "I soon learned that the music had to reflect Yentl's inner life -- her secret longings and emotions. And since our emotions do not belong to a particular century - happiness, sadness, whatever, are timeless experiences - the style fo the music needed to be timeless, romantic, personal. I loved working on Yentl! The Bergmans and I have long been exploring new ways to 'musicalize' drama. In Yentl we found the vehicle. And writing for Barbra," he continues, "enables you to fly as high as you can. We all met at the same altitude on Yentl.
Other Recommended Interpretations
- "Yentl Suite For Harp and Orchestra" - Michel Legrand (conductor), Catherine Michel (harp), CD: Evergreen: Music From The Films Of Barbra Streisand (Sonic Images #828-278-909-2, 1999)
- "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" - Itzhak Perlman (violin), John Williams (conductor), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, CD: Cinema Serenade (Sony Classical #SK 63005, 1997)
Yentl: 15 Years © 1998-2009 and bjsmusic.com
Introduction | Chronology | Film Credits | From The Director | Slide Show | The Story