Class 10 - Modern Times in New York

At the turn of the century, New York was the preeminent American city. The great waves of European immigrants coming to New York, the consolidation of the five boroughs into one vast city, the development of the city's infrastructure, and the unprecedented construction boom of the next thirty years all contributed to the city's prominence. After World War I, New York would also become the center of the art world.

Max Weber was a Russian emigre who studied art in New York City and Paris. He introduced the American art world to his own version of cubism and abstract art. Click on the image below to learn about one of his early cubist works:

Precisionism was an American art movement of the 20's and early 30's. The Precisionist artists reduced subjects to their essential geometric shapes, eliminated detail, and used planes of light to create a sense of crisp focus. New York City was a favorite subject of these artists. Click on the Precisionist painting (by Charles Demuth) below to learn more about the Precisionists.

Joseph Stella was an Italian-born painter who combined two modern styles, Fururism and Precisionism, in his paintings - many of them of New York City. Click on his painting of the Brooklyn Bridge (below) to learn more about this significant artist:

Artist Edward Hopper lived in New York for six decades. It was, he later said, "the American city I know the best and like the most." In painting the city, he avoided the famous landmarks and sought out the unsung ordinary structures and out of the way corners that told their own stories. Click on the image below of Hopper's Nighthawks, to learn more about his views of New York:

The Cotton Club was a New York nightclub from 1923-1940. Located in Harlem, it thrived during the periods of Prohibition and Jim Crow segregation. It provided black entertainment to a whites-only audience. Apart from the obvious negative aspects, the nightclub provided a venue for some of the greatest African-American performers of the time. It was played a major role in the history of jazz. View the following video to learn a bit more:

Now enjoy the music of one of jazz's greatest musicians, Duke Ellington - star of the Cotton Club:

‘Paris is old, is many centuries. You feel, in Paris, all the time gone by. That isn’t what you feel in New York… you feel all the time to come. There’s such power there, everything is in such movement. You can’t help wondering—I can’t help wondering—what it will all be like—many years from now…

James Baldwin, c. 1950

Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman and written by George Gershwin, the work premiered in a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music" on February 12, 1924. It has been interpreted as a musical portrait of early-20th-century New York City - the syncopation, the blue notes, the ragtime and jazz rhythms combine to make it the composition that defined the Jazz Age. Below is the cover of the original sheet music. Click on it to hear the original performance, with Gershwin at the piano. For a higher quality of sound, there is a video of Leonard Bernstein playing and conducting the piece in the late 1970's (click on second image, below). But do start with Gershwin! As you listen to it, try to pick out the sounds and rhythms that define New York in the 20's. Think about the influence this piece would have had upon Gerschwin's 1928 composition, An American in Paris. And, of course, enjoy the historic photographs on the screen:

Here's Bernstein's version. What differences do you pick up? (apart from the obvious technical improvements...)

On the Town is a musical film (Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens) made in 1949. It was directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly, who also played a starring role. The following clip shows the three Navy sailors about to start their 24-hour leave in New York. As they sing and dance, you'll catch a glance of some of the city's iconic landmarks as they appeared at that time. Enjoy!

Richard Estes is an American artist best known for his photo-realist paintings, mostly of New York City. He was a great admirer of Edgar Degas, Edward Hopper, and Thomas Eakins. Click on the Estes painting below to learn more about his art:

Take a closer look at Helene's Florist by Estes. Click the image of it below (be sure to zoom in on different areas):

Listen to the opening sequence of Woody Allen's Manhattan (read by himself). View the images of the modern city. And savor, once again, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue:

The song “New York, New York” was composed for the 1977 Martin Scorsese film of the same name. It as originally performed by Liza Minnelli, but it didn't gain popularity until Frank Sinatra cut a version in his "classic croon" in 1978. I can't think of a better way to conclude our study of The Big Apple than listening to "old blue eyes" himself, singing about New York's inimitable charm: