Summertime

George Gershwin's Life in Music

Richard Crawford

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Paperback

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English

Norton
31 July 2020

Music; Individual composers & musicians, bands & groups; Biography: arts & entertainment

New York City native and gifted pianist George Gershwin (1898–1937) blossomed as an accompanist before his talent as a songwriter opened the way to Broadway, where he composed a long run of musical comedies, many with his brother Ira as lyricist. But his aspirations reached beyond commercial success. Appealing to listeners on both sides of the purported popular-classical divide, his first instrumental composition, Rhapsody in Blue, was an instant classic. He pushed boundaries again a decade later with the groundbreaking folk opera, Porgy and Bess-his magnum opus. In 1936, he and Ira moved west to write songs for Hollywood, but their work was cut short when George developed a brain tumor. He died at thirty-eight, a beloved artist who had fashioned his own brand of American music. Drawing extensively from letters and contemporaneous accounts, acclaimed music historian Richard Crawford traces the arc of Gershwin's remarkable life, seamlessly blending colorful anecdotes with a celebration of his unforgettable music-making.

By: Richard Crawford
Imprint: Norton
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 211mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 43mm
Weight: 548g
ISBN: 9780393358353
ISBN 10: 0393358356
Pages: 640
Publication Date: 31 July 2020
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard Crawford, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and past president of the American Musicological Society, has published ten books on American music. He lives in Michigan.

Reviews for Summertime: George Gershwin's Life in Music

The author offers many such evocative descriptions in his scholarly account of Gershwin's tragically short life. The works are covered in exhaustive detail, with in-depth analysis, plots and character summaries... -- The Economist Summertime is a genial and enthusiastic book... -- Times Literary Supplement