A virtual lecture-concert with the Newberry Library…

The interwar period, specifically 1920-1930, featured an energetic interplay of European classical music with an emerging American sound. 

Coined the “American accent,” this combination of jazz and the American musical proved an irresistible formula for utilizing the new technologies of the time, storytelling and political theatre, and enjoying an unprecedented commercial success and popularity among the public. 

This class will highlight the work and artistic exchange between three interwar composers: George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, and William Grant Still.