George Gershwin

by Pollack, Howard

• ISBN13: 9780520248649
• ISBN10: 0520248643
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-01-15
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

This comprehensive biography of George Gershwin (1898-1937) unravels the myths surrounding one of America's most celebrated composers and establishes the enduring value of his music. Gershwin created some of the most beloved music of the twentieth century and, along with Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter, helped make the golden age of Broadway golden. Howard Pollack draws from a wealth of sketches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, books, articles, recordings, films, and other materials--including a large cache of Gershwin scores discovered in a Warner Brothers warehouse in 1982--to create an expansive chronicle of Gershwin's meteoric rise to fame. He also traces Gershwin's powerful presence that, even today, extends from Broadway, jazz clubs, and film scores to symphony halls and opera houses. Pollack's lively narrative describes Gershwin's family, childhood, and education; his early career as a pianist; his friendships and romantic life; his relation to various musical trends; his writings on music; his working methods; and his tragic death at the age of 38. Unlike Kern, Berlin, and Porter, who mostly worked within the confines of Broadway and Hollywood, Gershwin actively sought to cross the boundaries between high and low, and wrote works that crossed over into a realm where art music, jazz, and Broadway met and merged. The author surveys Gershwin's entire oeuvre, from his first surviving compositions to the melodies that his brother and principal collaborator, Ira Gershwin, lyricized after his death. Pollack concludes with an exploration of the performances and critical reception of Gershwin's music over the years, from his time to ours.

Author Biography

Edward Pollack is John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music at the University of Houston.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Life
Gershwin and His Family	p. 3
Gershwin's Musical Education to the Rhapsody in Blue (1924)	p. 22
Gershwin and the New Popular Music	p. 41
The Popular Pianist	p. 61
Toward a Career in the Theater	p. 81
Gershwin among His Friends	p. 96
Later Studies	p. 118
Gershwin and the Great Tradition	p. 136
Gershwin and Popular Music and Jazz after 1920	p. 157
Working Methods	p. 175
Gershwin the Man	p. 193
Work
From "Ragging the Traumerei" (ca. 1913) to The Capitol Revue (1919)	p. 219
From Morris Gest's Midnight Whirl (1919) to The Perfect Fool (1921)	p. 242
From The French Doll to Our Nell (1922)	p. 263
From The Sunshine Trail to Sweet Little Devil (1923)	p. 279
The Rhapsody in Blue (1924)	p. 294
The Scandals of 1924, Primrose, and Lady, Be Good! (1924)	p. 316
Short Story, Tell Me More, and the Concerto in F (1925)	p. 337
Tip-Toes and Song of the Flame (1925)	p. 359
Oh, Kay! and Other Works (1926)	p. 377
Strike Up the Band and Funny Face (1927)	p. 395
Rosalie and Treasure Girl (1928)	p. 417
An American in Paris (1928) and East Is West (1929)	p. 431
Show Girl and The Dybbuk (1929)	p. 451
Girl Crazy (1930)	p. 465
Delicious and the Second Rhapsody (1931)	p. 482
Of Thee I Sing (1931)	p. 499
George Gershwin's Song-Book (1932)	p. 519
The Cuban Overture (1932) and Pardon My English (1933)	p. 534
Let 'Em Eat Cake (1933) and Variations on "I Got Rhythm" (1934)	p. 549
Porgy and Bess (1935)	p. 567
The First Production of Porgy and Bess	p. 592
Porgy and Bess in Revival	p. 609
Porgy and Bess on Disc, Film, and the Concert Stage	p. 641
From Swing Is King (1936) to A Damsel in Distress (1937)	p. 665
From The Goldwyn Follies (1938) to Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)	p. 684
Conclusion	p. 701
Notes	p. 707
Selected Bibliography	p. 817
Index	p. 825
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