What Is This Thing Called Love? (from "Wake Up and Dream"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection captures Porter at his most inventive, with harmonies that feel both accessible and sophisticated enough to sustain repeated listening. The pairing of piano arrangements with lyrics and chord symbols makes these songs work equally well for jazz pianists exploring harmonic substitution, classical vocalists building a standards repertoire, or music theatre students understanding how melody, harmony, and language interlock. The historical context and archival images ground these masterpieces in their original performance contexts, enriching any student's understanding of mid-20th-century American music.

Sophisticated, urbane, and surprising. Porter's melodies are immediately memorable yet built on harmonies that shift beneath the surface, creating an elegant sophistication that feels both of its time and timeless. The songs carry the wit and polish of 1920s-1930s Broadway, where intelligence and charm were as essential as technical proficiency.

Pianists preparing for auditions or recitals who want to expand beyond classical sonatas into the American songbook; vocalists in jazz, classical, or music theatre programs; and music students studying harmony and twentieth-century composition through the lens of popular song. Teachers building units on American musical theatre history or the intersection of concert music and vernacular traditions will find this collection invaluable.

• Honor the written harmonies before embellishing; Porter's chord progressions are intentional and often surprising, and recognizing them strengthens harmonic literacy.
• Sing or play the lyrics rhythmically, even when reading the instrumental line; Porter's melodies are inseparable from the natural speech rhythms of his words.
• Explore the jazz voicings implied by the chord symbols; these songs invite reharmonization and modern interpretations that were central to their original appeal.
• Balance elegance with ease; Porter's sophistication comes from clarity of line and harmonic logic, not from technical strain.

Feature these songs in a recital exploring American standards, pairing them with classical repertoire to show how jazz harmonies and vernacular melody shaped twentieth-century music. In a music history unit on Broadway or the evolution of popular song, use the archival materials included in the book to contextualize these pieces within their original theatrical and cultural moments. Jazz combos and chamber ensembles can use Porter's melodies as a foundation for arrangement and improvisation studies.

• Reading and performing jazz chord symbols and implied voicings
• Harmonic analysis of songs with chromatic and unexpected chord movements
• Rhythmic interpretation of lyrics and how prosody shapes melodic phrasing
• Understanding harmonic function in vernacular music versus classical practice
• Sight-reading in a dual text format (melody line plus lyrics)