Gershwin’s An American in Paris

The overture to Wagner’s Meistersinger opens with exuberant energy, setting the stage for a musical legacy that resonated strongly in France. Augusta Holmès’s Andromède embraces that influence with sweeping, dramatic intensity, while Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste offers a more inward, distinctly French response—subtle, sombre, and deeply felt. Finally, George Gershwin’s An American in Paris provides a brilliant portrait of the city, alive with jazz and vibrant orchestral colour.