Cole Porter: The Definitive Biography - Hardcover

McBrien, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0002154951 ISBN 13: 9780002154956

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1998

Synopsis

The definitive biography of Cole Porter – the urbane American composer of musical comedies and of over 1000 songs – which reveals the darker side of the star whose life and work epitomizes the romance of Café Society.

Cole Porter – composer of Night and Day, Easy to Love and I’ve Got You Under My Skin – is familiar to three generations. His tunes conjure up romance, glamour and cultivated sensuality.

This biography charts Porter’s life, beginning on a fruit farm in Indiana and moving on to Yale, where his social charm and musical gifts earned him leadership of the Glee Club. From Yale he moved to Harvard, where he roomed with Dean Acheson, and on to the School of Music and the Paris Conservatoire to study music theory, history, harmony and counterpoint.

In 1919, Porter married the rich and beautiful Linda Thomas. The pair spent a decade roaming glamorous, bohemian Europe and Porter, sponsored by Irving Berlin among others, experienced the beginnings of success with his songs before making his name in the 1930s with hit shows like Anything Goes. A riding accident left him in constant pain, but he still continued to write shows like Kiss Me Kate and Silk Stockings until his death in 1964.

William McBrien contrasts Porter’s refined, elegant music with the stoicism, pain and passion of a life which mixed devotion to his wife with numerous homosexual love affairs.

Talking to friends and colleagues (for example, Bob Hope, Diana Vreeland, Stephen Sondheim) who have never spoken about him before, McBrien paints a picture of Porter’s sophisticated and unstable world in Europe and America.

Researching Porter’s lyrics and correspondence, McBrien makes new links between his work and life and reveals how Porter’s particular brand of hedonism – nonchalance, lovely pals, glamorous venues, splendid tailoring, good hotels, and love – was his protection against encroaching darkness.

About this title

Review:

"The definitive biography of the bon vivant who was the supreme master of sophisticated popular song." --The New York Times Book Review

"A fine biography. . . . It brings to our understanding . . . the ways that the contradictions and compulsions of [Porter's] life explain the emotional force and timelessness [of] the music." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Thorough . . . fascinating. . . . Loaded with juicy gossip. [It] succeeds in evoking Porter's white-tie-and-orchids set [and] his active, if closeted, gay life in Manhattan and Hollywood." --People

"Read this book. . . . You will spend time with, and get to know, one of the great creative figures of the twentieth century." --Betty Comden, The New York Observer

Synopsis:

Cole Porter, composer of more than 1000 songs - "Night and Day, "Easy to Love", "I've Got You Under My Skin" - is familiar to three generations. His tunes conjure up romance, glamour and cultivated sensuality, and epitomize Cafe Society. This biography charts Porter's life from a fruit farm in Indiana to Yale, where his social charm and musical gifts earned him membership of two exclusive clubs, Deke and Keys, and leadership of the Glee Club. From Yale, Porter moved to Harvard, where he roomed with Dean Acheson, and on to the School of Music and the Paris Conservatoire to study music theory, history, harmony and counterpoint. In 1919, Porter married Linda Thomas and they spent a decade roaming glamorous, Bohemian Europe. In the 1920s, Porter experienced the beginnings of success with his songs sponsored by, among others, Irving Berlin and in the 1930s he made his name with hit shows such as "Anything Goes". A riding accident in 1937 left him in constant pain, but he continued to write shows such as "Kiss Me Kate" and "Silk Stockings" until his death in 1964.

William McBrien contrasts Porter's sophisticated, cool music with the stoicism, pain and passion of a life which mixed devotion to his wife with numerous homosexual love affairs. Having spoken friends and colleagues (for example, Bob Hope, Diane Vreeland, Stephen Sondheim), he paints a picture of Porter's refined but unstable world in Europe and America. Researching Porter's lyrics and correspondence, McBrien makes new links between his work and life and reveals how Porter's particular brand of hedonism - nonchalance, lovely pals, glamorous venues, splendid tailoring, good hotels, and love - was his protection against encroaching darkness.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0002154951
• ISBN 13: 9780002154956
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288