Both the definitive biography of the Gershwin brothers and a lavishly illustrated chronicle of the American era their music and lyrics embodied, The Gershwin Years celebrates the musical achievements of George (1898–1937) and Ira (1896–1983) while offering a revealing inside look at their lives. The brothers drew inspiration from its varied faces—black culture from Porgie and Bess, the frantic sophistication of the 1920s for such musical comedies as Funny Face and Girl Crazy, the tumult of American politics for the satirical Of Thee I Sing. From George's Tin Pan Alley days as a song plugger and Ira's first attempts at lyric writing to their conquest of Broadway and Hollywood, from their collaborations and George's solo compositions (Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, and An American in Paris) to George’s death from a brain tumor and Ira's later work with Kern, Weill, and Arlen, The Gershwin Years presents an authoritative, visually stunning, and altogether delightful account of the "Wright Brothers" of American music.
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About the Author
Edward Jablonski is the author of The Gershwin Years: George and Ira (with Lawrence D. Stewart—available from Da Capo/ Perseus Books Group), Arlen: Happy with the Blues, Alan Jay Lerner, and many others. He lives in New York City. For fourteen years Lawrence D. Stewart worked with Ira Gershwin organizing the Gershwin Archives; the author of the first critical study of composer-author Paul Bowles, Mr. Stewart lives in Beverly Hills, California.
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7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
informative but not especially analytic,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Gershwin Years - George and Ira (Paperback)
Jablonski and Stewart have done diligent research and this is a very useful compendium of data, but they are too much invested in a kind of sycophantic worship to present a truly incisive or analytic sense of this immensely creative duo. Stewart's contribution as Ira Gershwin's one-time assistant is especially problematic for its lack of objectivity. And the writing throughout is quite pedestrian.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
When Morris Gershovitz, St. Petersburg citizen im to the New World, rushed to the rail of his ship that day in the early 1890s to see the Statue of Liberty, his American troubles began. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
charming war, second rhapsody, piano pounder, serious composition, concert works, operatic version Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, Strike Up the Band, The Pastimes, Beverly Hills, Shall We Dance, Jerome Kern, Eat Cake, Harold Arlen, Bill Daly, Irving Berlin, Kay Swift, Lou Paley, Second Rhapsody, Tin Pan Alley, Fred Astaire, Los Angeles, New World, Max Dreyfus, Folly Beach, Isaac Goldberg, Louise Dresser, Funny Face, Gertrude Lawrence New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When Morris Gershovitz, St. Petersburg citizen im to the New World, rushed to the rail of his ship that day in the early 1890s to see the Statue of Liberty, his American troubles began. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
charming war, second rhapsody, piano pounder, serious composition, concert works, operatic version Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, Strike Up the Band, The Pastimes, Beverly Hills, Shall We Dance, Jerome Kern, Eat Cake, Harold Arlen, Bill Daly, Irving Berlin, Kay Swift, Lou Paley, Second Rhapsody, Tin Pan Alley, Fred Astaire, Los Angeles, New World, Max Dreyfus, Folly Beach, Isaac Goldberg, Louise Dresser, Funny Face, Gertrude Lawrence New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 69
books:
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- Rhapsody in Blue: Solo Piano (Original) by George Gershwin on 23 pages
- An American in Paris by Gershwin on 21 pages
- Second Rhapsody by Gershwin on 11 pages
- Lady in the Dark (Vocal Score) by Kurt Weill on 7 pages
- Cuban Overture (Sheet) by George Gershwin on 7 pages
See all 69 books this book cites
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