Music in the Air was the collaborative work of Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern, the creators of Showboat and Sweet Adeline. Max Gordon was initially going to produce the show, but Kern and Hammerstein decided to ask Florenz Ziegfeld to try his hand at their newest serious lyric work instead. Ziegfeld, however, was in deteriorating financial straits and worse health. A.C. Blumenthal stepped in and offered to take over. The title of the show had originally been Karl and Sieglinde, and the setting of the sentimental romance was in Germany. Under Blumenthal's direction, it opened as Music in the Air at the Garrick Theatre in Philadelphia on October 17, 1932. Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern worked so well together that their new show needed next to no revisions. Even during its tryout runs, it made a profit for the company. Critics praised every aspect of Music in the Air, hailing Kern as a successful composer of serious light opera and praising the tender romance of the libretto. The score is filled with a wealth of melodic invention and is characterized by musical unity and continuity. The numbers are beautifully integrated into the drama, answering the needs of each moment. In addition to the solo numbers and vocal ensembles, Kern made use of a 60-piece, three-part chorus and orchestra. The score for Music in the Air is considered the high point of Kern's writing for the lyric theater. His aesthetic ambition has been fully realized in each number, creating a complete gem with many facets. The centerpiece of the score is a song called "I've Told Every Little Star," which was inspired by the warbling of a Cape Cod sparrow outside Kern's window one morning. Supposedly, Kern took the melody of the bird down as it was sung to him and then transformed it first into a solo number for Karl and then into a duet for the two lovers. After several successful tryouts, the operetta moved to the Alvin Theater in New York. It immediately became a major hit and ran for 342 performances. Elated by their success, Kern and Hammerstein promised more shows for the season to come.

© Rita Laurance, All Music Guide