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Gershwin's Summertime: The Song That Conquered the World
An investigation into Gershwin's classic composition, Summertime, which has been recorded in almost every style of music - from jazz to opera, rock to reggae, soul to samba.
An intriguing investigation into the extraordinary life of Gershwin's classic composition, Summertime. One of the most covered songs in the world, it has been recorded in almost every style of music - from jazz to opera, rock to reggae, soul to samba. Its musical adaptability is breathtaking, but Summertime also resonates on a deep emotional level. This visually and sonically engaging film explores the composition's magical properties, examining how this song has, with stealth, captured the imagination of the world.
From its complex birth in 1935 as a lullaby in Gershwin's all-black opera Porgy and Bess, this film traces the hidden history of Summertime, focusing on key recordings, including those by Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald. It reveals how musicians have projected their own dreams and desires onto the song, reimagining Summertime throughout the 20th century as a civil rights prayer, a hippie lullaby, an ode to seduction and a modern freedom song.
Back in the 1930s, Gershwin never dreamt of the global impact Summertime would have. But as this film shows, it has magically tapped into something deep inside us all - nostalgia and innocence, sadness and joy, and our intrinsic desire for freedom. Full of evocative archive footage as well as a myriad versions of Summertime - from the celebrated to the obscure - the film tells the surprising and illuminating tale behind this world-famous song.
Last on
Clips
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Summertime medley
Duration: 00:54
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The story of Summertime
Duration: 01:45
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Summertime surfing
Duration: 00:42
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:04
George Gershwin And The Paul Whiteman Orchestra
Rhapsody In Blue
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Narrator | Pauline Black |
Producer | James Maycock |
Director | James Maycock |
Executive Producer | Jonty Claypole |
Writer | James Maycock |
Broadcasts
- Wed 23 Nov 2011 21:00
- Thu 24 Nov 2011 03:25
- Fri 25 Nov 2011 01:15
- Sun 27 Nov 2011 00:25
- Fri 6 Jan 2012 20:00
- Sat 7 Jan 2012 03:05
- Mon 9 Jan 2012 02:00
- Fri 1 Jun 2012 20:00
- Sat 29 Sep 2012 02:30
- Fri 16 Jan 2015 20:00
- Fri 5 Jun 2015 20:00
- Sun 24 Jul 2016 00:35
- Sun 29 Jul 2018 00:00
- Fri 31 Jul 2020 19:00
- Sun 2 Aug 2020 02:15
- Fri 3 Jun 2022 19:00
- Sat 4 Jun 2022 01:30
- Sun 4 Aug 2024 22:20
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