Gershwin: They Can't Take That Away From Me

Broadway musicals and jazz belong to the cultural heritage of America. But people thought differently in George Gershwin's day - the 1920s and 30s. Broadway shows were immensely popular, but were rarely considered as art. Jazz was a subculture secretly appreciated by many white Americans, but in the same way as they liked to see wild animals at the circus - at a safe distance. It had yet to be realised that amusement music was a unique and characteristic part of American culture. “American music is not jazz, and jazz is not music”, wrote the influential music critic Paul Rosenfeld in 1929. Precisely what, then, was American music? George Gershwin (1898-1937) was one of the first to show the world. (from: liner notes)

After recordings of English Renaissance and German romantic music, and twentieth- century works from France, The Gents venture across the ocean to the new world, with a CD that takes them to Broadway. Jetse Bremer has specially arranged the last compositions by George Gershwin for this combination of soloist, choir and instruments and the flexibility and homogeneous sound of The Gents matches these songs so well. For the singers of The Gents and soprano Johannette Zomer, with their classical background, this repertoire is a special challenge, raising the question where classical stops or changes into something else....

An unparalleled collection of many of Gershwin's most popular pieces from Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris to a collection of songs and overtures and a complete recording of Gershwin's only full-length opera Porgy and Bess.

Many of the orchestras and artists in this set are internationallyacclaimed names whne it comes to the music of Gershwin - from Katia and Marielle Labèque and Barbara Hendricks, to Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops; Lorin Maazel's complete recording of Porgy and Bess from Cleveland has been a classic of the gramophone since it was released in 1976.

"This superb recording with Cleveland forces conducted by Maazel establishes the work's formidable status beyond question ... the recording is one of the most vivid that even Decca has produced" The Penguin Guide