George Gershwin: An American Composer Published on Metropolitan Library System (

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1 George Gershwin: An American Composer [1] Posted by: Breck McGough on Friday, September 11th, 2015 [2] On September 26, we celebrate the 117th birthday of one of the greatest figures in American music, George Gershwin. He was a virtuosic pianist and prolific composer, and his works became commercial and critical successes because of his incorporation of Jazz sounds into major classical forms. His most famous music includes Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess. Gershwin was born in Brooklyn in He showed musical promise at an early age, and began working as a pianist and songwriter in Tin Pan Alley at the age of fifteen. He wrote numerous hit songs, accompanied Vaudeville singers, and penned the scores to many successful musicals. One of his shows, Of Thee I Sing, was the first musical comedy to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 1924, Gershwin composed his first major classical work, Rhapsody in Blue. He wanted to be known as a serious classical composer, and not just a writer of hit songs and Broadway show tunes. He moved to Paris to study with the great teacher, Nadia Boulanger, who had instructed Aaron Copland and would later teach students such as Ástor Piazzolla and Philip Glass. Mme. Boulanger was afraid that her strict, classical method would ruin Gershwin s Jazz-influenced style, and rejected him as a student. He also tried to take lessons from Maurice Ravel, who loved Gershwin s music. Ravel s answer was, "Why be a second-rate Ravel, when you are a first-rate Gershwin?" He met many influential artists and musicians in Paris during the 1920s, and his time there resulted in the work, An American in Paris, which is regularly performed by American and European orchestras to this day. In 1935, he completed his most ambitious project, Porgy and Bess. This folk opera was based on the novel, Porgy, by DuBose Heyward. Now considered one of the most important operas of the 20th century, it was initially a commercial failure. In 1936, he was hired to write the music for the film, Shall We Dance?, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. His music earned him the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1937, but it Page 1 of 5

2 would be an award he would never accept. He died only two months after the film s release from complications during a surgery to remove a brain tumor. He was thirty-eight years old. For more information on the life and work of George Gershwin, check out these items: [3] George Gershwin: His Life and Work [3] by Howard Pollack This comprehensive biography of George Gershwin unravels the myths surrounding one of America's most celebrated composers and establishes the enduring value of his music. The author surveys Gershwin's entire body of work, from his first surviving compositions to the melodies that his brother and principal collaborator, Ira Gershwin, lyricized after his death. [4] The Gershwin Collection [4] by George Gershwin A sweeping collection of 39 of Gershwin's best works for piano and vocal, including: "Fascinatin' Rhythm" * "How Long Has This Been Going On" * "I Got Rhythm" * "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" * "Love Walked In" * "Nice Work If You Can Get It" * "'S Wonderful" * "Someone to Watch Over Me" * "Strike Up the Band" * "They Can't Take That Away From Me" * and more. Page 2 of 5

3 [5] 50 Gershwin Classics [5] by George Gershwin [6] Porgy and Bess [6] by George Gershwin If anyone doubted whether Gershwin had really written an opera as opposed to a jumped-up musical, this superb recording conducted by Lorin Maazel establishes the work's formidable status beyond question. This recording is one of the most vivid that even Decca has produced. (description from Amazon.com) [7] Rhapsody in Blue/An American in Paris [7] by George Gershwin Leonard Bernstein made this impressive recording with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra in 1959 a true reflection of his charismatic, flamboyant personality. Paired with his 1958 performance of An American in Paris with the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein's rendition of Rhapsody is lively, flashy, bluesy, and intensely romantic in feeling. [8] A Portrait of George Gershwin [8] by Johnny Costa For this tribute to the music of George Gershwin, pianist Costa explores a wide variety of Gershwin material, from very famous songs to relative obscurities. The closing six-minute "Jazzspeak" features Costa talking about this project, what his philosophy was behind the solo recital, and how he hoped to treat Gershwin's music. [9] Shall We Dance? [9] Page 3 of 5

4 The seventh Astaire-Rogers musical, Shall We Dance casts Astaire as a world-renowned ballet dancer and Rogers as a musical comedy headliner. Eventually, the two fall in love, but not before a cornucopia of confusion, complications and misunderstandings. Highlights include a number performed on roller skates. The Gershwin score includes "Slap That Bass," "Beginner's Luck," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "They All Laughed," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," and the title number. [10] Porgy and Bess [10] Filmed on location for the BBC, this video finds the exact style for Gershwin's marvelous score--not only such big numbers as "Summertime," "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "I Loves You, Porgy," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," "It Ain't Necessarily So," "I Hates Your Struttin' Style," and "O Lawd, I'm on My Way," but the smaller numbers as well. [11] Manhattan [11] A 42-year-old Manhattan native falls in "lust" with his best friend's sexy, intellectual mistress, and goes on a bittersweet quest for love and fulfillment. Woody Allen's homage to his hometown features all the familiar scenery which is set to the rhythm of George Gershwin's lovely melodies. Audience: All Ages [12] Library: All Libraries [13] Tags: Music [14] Classical Music [15] History [16] Blog Category: Article Source URL: Links [1] [2] gfacingleftbain.jpg?itok=vgdy1cuy [3] [4] [5] [6] d Page 4 of 5

5 [7] [8] [9] ex=1&view=fulldetailsdetailstab [10] d [11] d [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] Page 5 of 5