"Oh, So Nice!" is a song composed by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

, with lyrics by

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

. George Gershwin described the song as an effort "to get the effect of a Viennese waltz in foxtrot time" with Ira relating that the lyric took "days and days" to write due to its many internal rhymes. Ira felt the song was a "waltz effect in foxtrot" with "short and definite" musical phrases. The song was introduced by

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born in 1 ...

and Paul Frawley as the characters Ann Wainwright and Neil Forrester in the 1928 musical '' Treasure Girl'', where it was featured as a duet in the first act. It is sung when the characters encounter each other for the first time in the musical, the pair having formerly been lovers. Lawrence Delbert Stewart, writing in ''The Gershwins: Words Upon Music'', wrote that "Oh, So Nice!" was "so lovely...that one finds it difficult to believe that Miss Lawrence's role portrayed her as a malicious liar and a spoiled young woman". Walter Rimler, in his ''A Gershwin Companion: A Critical Inventory & Discography'' describes the verse as "evocative and beautiful". ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' magazine described it as "effortlessly lovely" in 1959.

Howard Pollack Howard Pollack (born March 17, 1952) is an American pianist and musicologist, known for his biographies of American composers. Biography Pollack was born in Brooklyn and studied piano while attending James Madison High School. He continued his p ...

felt the song was reminiscent of the Gershwin's earlier songs "

Clap Yo' Hands "Clap Yo' Hands" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced in the musical '' Oh, Kay!'' (1926), and was featured by Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson in a song and dance routine in ''Funny Face'' (1957). ...

" and " Let's Kiss and Make Up" through its attempt to capture a

Viennese waltz Viennese waltz () is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, dance ...

in to a

foxtrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a time ...

tempo. Pollock praised the song's "unprecedented suavity" with its "subtle metrical shifts throughout its main theme". Pollock felt the melody of "Oh, So Nice!" was reminiscent of "Ohne mich" from

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

's ''

Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...

''.

Edward Jablonski Edward Jablonski (March 1, 1922 – February 10, 2004) was the author of several biographies on American cultural personalities, such as George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Alan Jay Lerner, and Irving Berlin, as well as books on aviation history. ...

felt that it was one of the "outstanding songs" from ''Treasure Girl'' along with "

I've Got a Crush on You "I've Got a Crush on You" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It is unique among Gershwin compositions in that it was used for two different Broadway productions: ''Treasure Girl'' (1928), when it was introduced by ...

", "I Don't Think I'll Fall in Love Today" and "Where's the Boy?".

Notable recordings

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

- ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book'' is a box set by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald that contains songs by George and Ira Gershwin with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. It was produced by Norman Granz, Fitzgerald ...

'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 1959) *

Betty Comden Betty Comden (May 3, 1917 – November 23, 2006) was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter who contributed to numerous Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green spann ...

(with pianist

Richard Lewine Richard Lewine (July 28, 1910 – May 19, 2005) was an American composer and songwriter on Broadway as well as television producer. Biography Career Born in New York City, Lewine attended Columbia College before beginning his career as a compo ...

) - ''Remember These: Songs from Treasure Girl and Chee-Chee'' ( Ava, 1963)

References

{{Authority control Songs with music by George Gershwin Songs with lyrics by Ira Gershwin 1928 songs