The George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition

FAIN: RQ-249784-16

Regents of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1382)
Mark Allan Clague (Project Director: December 2015 to September 2016)
Jessica Getman (Project Director: September 2016 to August 2022)

Preparation of a critical edition and performance scores of works by George and Ira Gershwin. See website at http://www.music.umich.edu/ami/gershwin/.

The music of George and Ira Gershwin was created in regions between—between concert hall and club, past and present, black and white, cosmopolitan and vernacular—as a direct expression of day-to-day life in 1920s Manhattan. While Ira’s words captured the changing dynamics of social life, George mixed African American and Jewish music with the models of the concert hall and Broadway to create a revelatory sonic alloy of American culture. Working under sanction of the Gershwin estates, the University of Michigan proposes a first-ever George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition, a scholarly series of all the music of the Gershwin brothers, works created together and in tandem with others. This project will make available—for the first time—accurate musical scores and performance materials for works such as Porgy and Bess, An American in Paris, and Rhapsody in Blue, redressing a longstanding bias against popular culture to preserve the legacy of two beloved and influential musical artists.

Associated Products

The George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition (Web Resource)
Title: The George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition
Author: Jessica German
Abstract: The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance has entered into a long-term partnership with the Gershwin family to undertake a two-part initiative that will bring the music of George and Ira Gershwin to students, scholars, performers and audiences across campus and worldwide. The Gershwin Initiative includes 1) a new scholarly edition of George and Ira’s creative work, plus 2) educational opportunities for U-M students to perform and learn about the Gershwins’ art.
Year: 2016
Primary URL: http://http://www.music.umich.edu/ami/gershwin/.

Gershwin / Anima Eterna Brugge (Radio/Audio Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Gershwin / Anima Eterna Brugge
Director: Jos van Immerseel
Producer: Alpha Classics
Producer: Outhere Music France
Producer: Anima Eterna Brugge
Abstract: George Gershwin composed his Rhapsody in Blue in 1924. In the same year, he launched his collaboration with his brother Ira, which produced countless songs. He never achieved his ambition of studying with Maurice Ravel, but was always enthralled by the symphonic poem and the concerto. His masterpieces, such as An American in Paris and the opera Porgy and Bess, greatly enriched the American musical heritage. Jos van Immerseel has always been fascinated by Gershwin, but it was the appearance of a new edition of the scores that prompted the pianist and conductor to record this extensive homage. Thanks to the very latest research undertaken by the University of Michigan, the Library of Congress and the Gershwin Estate, he and his companions in Anima Eterna have got closer than ever before to the composer’s intentions, making use of the appropriate instruments. This CD includes the international premiere recording of the Gershwin Critical Edition's Rhapsody in Blue (1924 Jazz) and An American in Paris.
Date: 10/13/2017
Primary URL: http://animaeterna.be/en/album/gershwin/
Primary URL Description: Anima Eterna's webpage for the CD.
Format: CD

GERSHWIN An American in Paris (Web Resource)
Title: GERSHWIN An American in Paris
Author: Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin
Abstract: Leonard Slatkin leads a newly published, completely restored version of An American in Paris during DSO French Festival.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: http://site-323590.bcvp0rtal.com/detail/videos/new-on-dso-replay/video/5738731053001/gershwin-an-american-in-paris?autoStart=true

Porgy and Bess: A Symposium (Web Resource)
Title: Porgy and Bess: A Symposium
Author: The Gershwin Initiative
Abstract: In February 2018, the Gershwin Initiative hosted an academic symposium on issues of race and representation in Gershwin's opera, Porgy and Bess. This playlist includes panels and presentations from the event.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8CFRK4E5UxIieA6nrR9Wbl4rVUKfwQz5
Primary URL Description: Gershwin Initiative - YouTube Playlist for Porgy and Bess: A Symposium

Porgy and Bess: A Symposium (Web Resource)
Title: Porgy and Bess: A Symposium
Author: Jessica Getman
Author: Mark Clague
Author: Naomi Andre
Author: Angela Dillard
Author: Elizabeth James
Author: Willie Sullivan
Author: Daniel Washington
Abstract: In February 2018, a concert test performance of our materials for Porgy and Bess was successfully presented in Ann Arbor by the University of Michigan's University Musical Society and the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. This are videos from the Gershwin Initiative's concurrent multi-day symposium on issues of race and representation in the opera, an event that brought together students, professors, and members of our community in panels, performances, and discussions.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8CFRK4E5UxIieA6nrR9Wbl4rVUKfwQz5
Primary URL Description: Performances, Panels, and Presentations from the Gershwin Initiative's Porgy and Bess: A Symposium.

Transatlantic: Gershwin/Varese/Stravinsky (Radio/Audio Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Transatlantic: Gershwin/Varese/Stravinsky
Director: Louis Langree
Producer: Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra
Producer: Naxos
Abstract: This CSO album includes performances of Gershwin's An American in Paris, in both its uncut version and the final, Gershwin-approved cut. This is the premiere recording of both versions, and it earned a 2020 Grammy nomination. This recoridng did not receive funding from the NEH, but was based on the score materials made possible by the Gershwin Initiative through NEH funding.
Date: 09/13/2019
Primary URL: http://transatlantic.cincinnatisymphony.org/
Primary URL Description: This is the CSO's primary page for the album.
Access Model: Requires purchase of album.
Format: CD
Format: Digital File
Format: Web

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