European Leaders in Berlin. Music

Berlin, Congress of, was a meeting of European leaders in 1 878 to decide the future of the Balkans, a region controlled by the Turkish-based Ottoman Empire that included present-day Albania and Bulgaria and much of what became Yugoslavia. Leaders from Germany, Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire attended the meeting. Otto von Bismarck, Germany's chancellor, served as chairman.

The problems facing the meeting grew out of the Ottoman Empire's defeat by Russia in the Russo-Turkish War, which had just ended with the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano. Under this treaty, the Ottomans would have to give up most of their land in the Balkans. The country of Bulgaria would be created, and Russia would have been chosen to protect the peace. The other important countries of Europe, however, did not want Russia to acquire a controlling influence in the region.

The decisions of the congress changed most of what Russia had put into the Treaty of San Stefano. Northern Bulgaria was made a self-governing Ottoman province. Southern Bulgaria, then called Eastern Rumelia, became a partly self-governing Ottoman province. Western Bulgaria, including much of Macedonia, went back to the Ottoman Empire. Austria gained the right to rule Bosnia-Herzegovina. Montenegro, Serbia, and Romania were made independent. Cyprus was given to Britain to protect the Suez Canal and the sea lanes to India. Russia got a strip of Bessarabia and land in the Caucasus region.

The Congress of Berlin resulted in shifts in alliances. Germany and Austria became allies in 1879, and Russia joined them in 1881. The congress also left bitterness among some nations and failed to solve the Balkan problem, which led to the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

Berlin, Irving (1888-1989), composed many of the most famous American popular songs. Berlin wrote the music and lyrics for romantic ballads, humorous songs, and patriotic anthems. He was the songwriter ablest to reflect changes in America's taste in popular song. His hits include "Easter Parade," "God Bless America," and "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody." Berlin won an Academy Award for his song "White Christmas" from Holiday Inn (1942). See God Bless America.

Berlin was born in Russia. His real name was Israel Baline. His family moved to New York City in the early 1890"s. Berlin went to school for only two years and was a self-taught musician. Berlin wrote his first successful song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band," in 1911. This song combined quotations from American folk music with a suggestion of the syncopation of ragtime. In syncopated music, normally unaccented beats are accented. Berlin thus helped popularize a musical style free of European influences that had dominated American music.

From about 1910 to the early 1930's, Berlin wrote songs for many Broadway musicals. Much of this music was written for variety shows called revues. Berlin's best-known Broadway shows included the annual Music Box Revues, presented from 1921 to 1924.

In 1935, Berlin moved to Hollywood, California, where he wrote songs for a number of motion-picture musicals, including Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), and Carefree (1938), which all starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. His hit tunes for the movies include "Cheek to Cheek" and "Let’s Face the Music and Dance." Berlin later moved back to New York City. He composed the songs for the Broadway musical Louisiana Purchase (1940). Berlins most highly praised musical was perhaps Annie Get Your Gun (1946), which features such songs as "Anything You Can Do,""Doin' What Comes Naturally," "There's No Business Like Show Business," and "They Say It’s Wonderful." Other musicals by Berlin include The Cocoanuts (1925), Face the Music (1932), As Thousands Cheer (1933), This Is the Army (1942), Miss Liberty (1949),andCall Me Madam (1950). Berlin also wrote individual compositions. Among the most popular are "All Alone," "Always," "Blue Skies," "Say It Isn’t So," "How Deep Is the Ocean?",and"Remember."