George Gershwin: A New Biography

(Paperback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Hyland reveals both the man and his creations, revealing how Gershwin became the first composer to apply popular music to classical forms, how his work reflected the turmoil of America in the Jazz Age, and how, despite his fame, he never achieved the happiness and contentment a genius of his stature deserved. This is a fascinating new biography that no Gershwin fanand no music fanshould be without. George Gershwin pioneered the crossover from Broadway musicals to concert audiences, culminating in what is arguably America's greatest opera, Porgy and Bess. In William G. Hyland's new biography, Gershwin's personality and music are reexamined. Hyland illustrates how the composer's craftsmanship was criticized and his music was relegated to the status of lowbrow for decades, until the relatively recent appreciation of his achievements. Yet for all of his artistic brilliance, Gershwin was vulnerable and discontented in his personal life. Hyland reveals both the man and his creations, revealing how Gershwin became the first composer to apply popular music to classical forms, how his work reflected the turmoil of America in the Jazz Age, and how, despite his fame, he never achieved the happiness and contentment a genius of his stature deserved. This is a fascinating new biography that no Gershwin fanand no music fanshould be without.

Reviews

[H]yland brings the scholar's approach. His documentation is superb, and he probes and assesses his sources, attempting to determine what actually happened: for example, the conflicting accounts of Gershwin's final illness. Hyland furnishes details of the life--personal and professional--and does a good job placing Gershwin's achievements in the context of his time.For comprehensive collections serving upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * Choice *
Previously, Gershwin biographers have been either hagiographic or unflattering. Hyland takes the middle of the road, and the Gershwin who emerges is both more complicated and more fascinating.This fresh and well-researched biography of one of America's great composers is highly recommended for all libraries. * Library Journal, Starred Review *
[J]oins the ranks of several fine and industrious authors who have produced estimable efforts.[w]ritten in an accessible style that addresses a wide readership.[i]s a work of significant ambition * Book Reviews *
William G. Hyland's biography ofsongwriter and composer George Gershwin is a detailed and very thorough one.William G. Hyland's biography of George Gershwin is clearly meant to eclipse the early biographies of the songwriter and to be the definitive one. He corrects the myths and errors about Gershwin in the earlier biographies and replaces them with facts. * Magill Book Reviews *
[A]nyone curious about the new Gershwin scholarship will find this book to be an efficient starting point for further exploration. * The New York Times Book Review *
In this in-depth, well-researched biography, Hyland explores Gershwin's complex personality and his pioneering music.Hyland provides fresh insights on how Gershwin forged a link between jazz and the concert hall, new musical trends on Broadway in the 1920s, the composer's life and work in Hollywood, and his place in the pantheon of American music.Hyland explains how Gershwin became the first composer to apply popular music to classical forms and how his compositions reflected the restlessness of our country during the Jazz Age.a scrupulous portrait of a musical genius. * Booklist, Starred Review *

Author Bio

WILLIAM G. HYLAND served a long career with the United States Governmentat the White House, the State Department, and the NSCand for ten years was the editor of Foreign Affairs Quarterly. He is the author of many works on international politics, as well as The Song Is Ended: Songwriters and American Music, 1900-1950 and Richard Rodgers.