No classical composition has had as many followers in popular music as 'Summertime' from Gershwin's opera 'Porgy and Bess'. The success of this aria can be measured by the many arrangements it elicited from jazz, blues and pop musicians. This song should therefore not be missing from 'American Beauty', a selection that Claron McFadden and Ernst Munneke make from the most beautiful American songs. They do not allow themselves to be limited in their choice by one musical genre and simply place classical song cycles, musical hits and even African-American work songs next to each other. It is a unique opportunity to become acquainted with Samuel Barber's 'Hermit Songs', as well as with the 'Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson', with which Aaron Copland delivered one of the most beautiful post-war song cycles. Finally, the American song composer par excellence is Richard Rodgers, the man who provided Broadway with music and was best known for the score for 'The Sound of Music'.
