This is the first single-volume publication of both the out-of-print original and revised versions of KrazyKat, a unique "jazz pantomime" for piano. Based on George Herriman's hugely influential newspaper comic strip that chronicled the adventures of a lovelorn feline, this comic production represents a landmark in American music. The seldom-staged work debuted in 1922 at New York City's Town Hall, and a 1940 revival employed the revised edition.
John Alden Carpenter's score abounds in lyric warmth, harmonic charm, and rhythmic vitality. He created this unusual theatrical work for a ballet company headed by a former Ballets Russes performer. Cartoonist Herriman designed the production's scenery and costumes, and he drew a series of madcap illustrations that are reproduced in this edition. Jazz lovers, collectors of rare music, and intermediate- to advanced-level pianists will want a copy of this facsimile publication, which features the composer's original Program Notes and an illuminating Introduction.