George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, while an important part of the orchestral concert repertory, has not traditionally been associated with a two-piano version. Only since the two-piano publication in 1986 has a score been available. Although the published two-piano score was adapted from the holograph two-piano manuscript, a number of questions and problems become evident when the piece is being studied for performance.
The main purpose of this paper is to give pianists wishing to perform the two-piano version of An American in Paris a resource they can use to better understand the work. This is done by offering a background study of the piece, a structural analysis, a critical score study to identify and correct errors in the two-piano score, and also by providing some performance suggestions. A secondary purpose is to offer others who may be studying An American in Paris a way of understanding exactly what is in the two-piano holograph manuscript if they are unable to go to the Library of Congress, where the unpublished document is located.
The research method used in this paper involves an examination of the published two-piano score in comparison with the original unpublished two-piano manuscript and other published versions in order to make critical score recommendations. Scores that were in the composer’s own hand or had his sanction are given more credibility.