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Fall 2007 Courses Fall Art Series: Collecting Contemporary Reading More Edith Wharton A Song of Houston Power of the Presidency Architecture, History, and Art of the Hudson River Valley Crazy for You: George Gershwin and His Music Two Americas, Two Educations Autumn in the Hudson River Valley: A Study Tour Houston's Hidden Treasures: A Study Tour

Crazy for You: George Gershwin and His Music (Class Full) Two Wednesdays, October 17 and 24, 6:00–7:30 p.m. Private residence; address will be given to subscribers; limited enrollment A reception will follow each session. Seventy years after his death, George Gershwin remains a vivid presence both at home and abroad. Embodied in his music are blues, jazz, and classical traditions combined in unique, memorable ways. Author-pianist Howard Pollack will lead a two-session course, with piano performance, which will begin by following Gershwin from his childhood on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, to his apprenticeship on Tin Pan Alley and Broadway, to his hit song “Swanee” (1919), to the premiere of the ever-popular Rhapsody in Blue and his first Broadway smash, Lady Be Good (both 1924). The second session will continue with explorations of An American in Paris (1926), Porgy and Bess (1935), and his Hollywood film scores, all of which ended with an untimely death in 1937 at the age of 38. Howard Pollack is the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music and chair of the musicology department at the University of Houston, where he has taught since 1987. He is the author of five books, including an award-winning biography of Aaron Copland. His most recent book, George Gershwin: His Life and Work (2006), has been deemed “endlessly fascinating” (New York Times) and “a gripping read” (Charleston News and Courier), with “some of the best musical analysis you’re likely to find anywhere” (Toronto Globe and Mail). Links to sites outside of The Houston Seminar are not under their control and The Houston Seminar is not responsible for the information or links you may find there.  The presence of the link is not intended to imply The Houston Seminar endorsement.

Rhapsody in Blue - Bar 49 to 53