IRA Gershwin: Selected Lyrics: (American Poets Project #29)
Ira Gershwin
(Author)
Robert Kimball
(Introduction by)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
A keepsake edition gathering the lyrics of more than 80 of Gershwin's most popular songs Ira Gershwin once remarked that he always tried to "capture the way people spoke to each other--their slang, their clichés, the catch phrases." Few people in ordinary life, of course, can muster the humor, vivacity, and emotional directness that Gershwin brought to his lyrics. His collaboration with his brother George--one of the summits of American popular music--produced masterpieces that reflect, perhaps, the way people would like to talk. "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "'S Wonderful" these have entered the culture and become part of our common language. The insouciant, improvisational air of his lyrics belies the meticulous craftsmanship that Ira brought to every syllable. Robert Kimball has gathered more than 80 examples of Ira Gershwin at his best: the comic invention of songs such as "They All Laughed" and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," the poignancy of "The Man I Love," the wry edge of "The Saga of Jenny," the sheer exuberance of "Fascinating Rhythm," and dozens more. About the American Poets ProjectElegantly designed in compact editions, printed on acid-free paper, and textually authoritative, the American Poets Project makes available the full range of the American poetic accomplishment, selected and introduced by today's most discerning poets and critics.
Product Details
Price
$20.00
$18.60
Publisher
Library of America
Publish Date
September 17, 2009
Pages
200
Dimensions
4.8 X 7.6 X 0.64 inches | 0.55 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781598530520
BISAC Categories:
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Robert Kimball is a historian of the American musical theater whose books include The Gershwins (with Alfred Simon), Reminiscing with Sissle and Blake (with William Bolcom), Reading Lyrics (with Robert Gottlieb), and volumes devoted to the complete lyrics of Lorenz Hart, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Frank Loesser. He edited Cole Porter: Selected Lyrics, also for the The Library of America's American Poets Project.
Reviews
"Chock full of genius yet compact enough to slip in a pocket." --Playbill.com