Summertime (George Gershwin song): Difference between revisions
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==Popularity== |
==Popularity== |
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It is widely believed that "Summertime" ties with the [[Beatles]]' "[[Yesterday (song)|Yesterday]]" as one of the most often [[cover version|covered]] songs in popular music, with an estimated 2,600 different versions recorded. However, a far greater number of recordings of the former exist: as of [[16 April]] [[2008]], 09:51 GMT, an international group of collectors of recordings of Summertime known as "The Summertime Connection," knows of at least 22,700 public performances, of which 16,086 have been recorded. Of those, the group has 10,514 full recordings and about 1,100 samples and incomplete recordings in its collection. |
It is widely believed that "Summertime" ties with the [[Beatles]]' "[[Yesterday (song)|Yesterday]]" as one of the most often [[cover version|covered]] songs in popular music, with an estimated 2,600 different versions recorded. However, a far greater number of recordings of the former exist: as of [[16 April]] [[2008]], 09:51 GMT, an international group of collectors of recordings of Summertime known as "[http://members.home.nl/summertime/about.htm The Summertime Connection]," knows of at least 22,700 public performances, of which 16,086 have been recorded. Of those, the group has 10,514 full recordings and about 1,100 samples and incomplete recordings in its collection. [[Sublime]] recorded a (radically reworked) version, as well. |
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==Languages== |
==Languages== |
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Revision as of 14:48, 21 April 2008
"Summertime" is the name of an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin, and has become a popular jazz standard. Gershwin is said to have based this song on a Ukrainian lullaby, Oi Khodyt Son Kolo Vikon (A Dream Passes By The Windows), which he heard in a New York City performance by Oleksander Koshetz’s Ukrainian National Chorus.
Gershwin began composing the song in December 1933, attempting to create his own spiritual in the style of the African American folk music of the period. It is sung multiple times throughout Porgy and Bess, first by Clara in Act I as a lullaby and soon after as counterpoint to the craps game scene, in Act II in a reprise by Clara, and in Act III by Bess, singing to Clara's baby.
Popularity
It is widely believed that "Summertime" ties with the Beatles' "Yesterday" as one of the most often covered songs in popular music, with an estimated 2,600 different versions recorded. However, a far greater number of recordings of the former exist: as of 16 April 2008, 09:51 GMT, an international group of collectors of recordings of Summertime known as "The Summertime Connection," knows of at least 22,700 public performances, of which 16,086 have been recorded. Of those, the group has 10,514 full recordings and about 1,100 samples and incomplete recordings in its collection. Sublime recorded a (radically reworked) version, as well.
Languages
Summertime was composed in English, but nowadays it has been sung in many languages (we mention at random one artist in the language). The Summertime Connection knows of performances in : Bulgarian (Slavi Trifonov), Catalan (The Mimisikous Band), Czech (Hana Hegerová), Dutch (Wilfred Klaver), Esperanto (Nicolin'), Estonian (Optimistid), Finnish (Topi Sorsakoski), Fon (Angélique Kidjo), French (Joe Dassin), Frisian (De Kast), German (Peter Kraus), Hohenloher (Annâweech), Italian (I Dalton), Japanese (The Dixie Saints), Lithuanian (Skamp), Maori (Wirimako Black), Papiamento (Tropical Taste), Polish (Petra Janů), Portuguese (Nara Leão), Ukrainian (Oleh Skrypka), Serbian (Basa), Spanish (Cubismo), Welsh (Sara Glyn-Jones), Yiddish (Lee Colbert), Yugoslavian (Henda) and Zulu (Amanda Strydom). Kwartet Okazjonalny from Poland has performed a humorous tri-lingual version, underlining the stereotypes of the different languages.
Instruments
The original song is an opera-aria, sung by a soprano with a symphonic orchestra. The Summertime Connection has renditions in such different styles as ska, South American (all rhythms), rock, house mixes in various forms, all jazz styles from dixieland to bop and so called 'improvised music'.
Every conceivable instrument has been used: from garden hose (Noguru Hata on Dutch TV), cow horn (Bengt Jonsson) and singing saw: (both Natalia Paruz and Matthew Beckman) to traditional Korean flute (Lee Sang Gang), theremin (Lydia Kavina), carillon (Piet van den Broek), xaphoon (Arthur Mary on June 4, 2007 in Budapest), hydraulophone (water-pipe-organ-flute) (the inventor of this instrument Steve Mann on June 24, 2007 on Loch Ness) and handbells (Raphsody).
Very peculiar is the performance of Stone Jazz (a South Korean emsemble). They combine the haegm (korean violin); the piri (korean oboe) and the gayagm (korean harp) with a traditional jazz trio of piano, bass and drums.
About 25 electric cello's exist in this world. Mrs.Jennifer Adams recorded Summertime in 2006 together with her husband as the Montana Skies.
The dulzaina is a traditional Castillian instrument, which can be seen as an ancestor of the oboe. Samuel Brogeras performed in january 2008 Summertime on his dulzaina.
Ram Deepak just has published a cd Steps (2008) with Summertime played on the bansuri (Indian bamboo flute)as track 4.
Every style and mode of singing has been recorded: from a cappella via karaoke and doo-wop to large mixed choirs, and also a rendition in a swimming pool (for the extra resonance).
References
- Pierpoint, Claudia Roth. "Jazzbo: Why we still listen to Gershwin." The New Yorker, January 10 2005.[1]