The White House, America's oldest showcase for the performing arts, has offered a uniquely private yet highly public setting for ballads, instrumental music, opera, musical theater, jazz, and dance. In this eminently readable book, the author tells the story of the mansion's richly diverse ceremonial traditions and festive guest performances, as well as the cultural interests of our presidents and their first ladies from George Washington to George Bush. Entertaining and enlightening, Kirk's study provides fresh insights into the presidency, the performing arts, and the gradual emergence of America's unique national character. It is a must for anyone interested in American culture.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very entertaining and thoroughly researched.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Musical Highlights from the White House (Paperback)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and discovered a wealth of fascinating information about our US presidents and their connections to music. Abraham Lincoln loved opera, Woodrow Wilson played the violin, Franklin Roosevelt liked to sing and Jimmy Carter was a Wagner enthusiast. One usually thinks of the Kennedys as the first to bring the arts to the White House, but the Coolidges and Hoovers were just as active in inviting famous guest performers to entertain, most notably Paderewski and Rachmaninoff. What I especially loved about this book was its wide-ranging views of the role of music in American life. It is a wonderful cultural history, extremely well researched but easy to read with many humorous anecdotes. Teachers should find it a useful tool for classroom and interdisciplinary studies. I recommend this book highly to anyone who wants to learn more about the presidency and the musical history of our country.
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