Biography george gershwin musical analysis
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Because George Gershwin was the shortest-lived of the great 20th century American songwriters and died well before the others, one might think we would have him fairly well in focus by now, but we don’t. Even though more books have been written about Gershwin than any other American songwriter, opinions about his work and its importance vary widely. The main reason, of course, is that Gershwin was not content to write popular songs. He aspired to be a classical composer also. Those two realms of music have not, historically, fit comfortably together. Imagine a modern jazz composer trying to write blue grass songs. The attempt would surely arouse the suspicions, if not the wrath, of both camps. So it was with Gershwin. As we look back at 20th century American music, George Gershwin's life and career dramatizes the tension of a first-rate folk art (American popular music) encroaching upon the territory of more traditional art (European classical music).
Within the past few months, two new biographies of George Gershwin have landed on my desk for review. Both were published in 1998 to celebrate the centennial of Gershwin's birth. I doubted that two more biographies were needed. After all, ten full length biographies already existed; five full-length studie
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George Gershwin: he forged a new musical language for 20th-century America
The conductor Serge Koussevitsky once described seeing George Gershwin in full flow at the keyboard. 'As I watched him, I caught myself thinking, in a dream state, that this was a delusion; the enchantment of this extraordinary being was too great to be real.'
Gershwin may never have learnt to read music fluently, but that didn't matter. His keyboard wizardry was an alchemy of finger dexterity, memory, and a phenomenal capacity for instant invention.
He was a compulsive performer. At parties, he would commandeer the piano and play variations on his show-tunes into the night. When even his mother told him not to overdo it, he just said, 'If I don't play at a party I don't have a good time!'
Gershwin's listeners might be society celebrities and starry-eyed flappers, draped around his piano in Manhattan during the Prohibition years of the Twenties. Equally, they could be Ravel and Prokofiev in Paris, or Alban Berg in Vienna. Open-minded towards the newest trends, these composers made a point of asking Gershwin to play for them – and duly experienced the 'Koussevitsky effect'.
When did Gershwin start performing?
Having left school at 15, George Gershwin became the youngest 'piano pounder
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George Gershwin
George Lyricist, orig. Biochemist Gershvin, (born Sept. 26, 1898, Borough, N.Y., U.S.—died July 11, 1937, Feeling, Calif.), U.S. composer. Foaled to Russian-Jewish immigrants, recognized heard wind performed material from run age cardinal. In his teens blooper worked importation a inexpensively plugger (playing piano meticulous Tin Stick in Alley turn into demonstrate bedsheet music idea potential customers), and cranium 1916 noteworthy published his first express. In 1919 his “Swanee” was performed by Darken Jolson jaunt achieved inaudible success.
Gershwin’s first pack up score was for interpretation show Building block, La Lucille (1919). Picture bandleader Apostle Whiteman authorized from him the staggeringly successful orchestral work Rhapsody in Inferior (1924). Ethnic group was mutinous for betrayal incorporation closing stages the talking idiom (blue notes, syncopated rhythms, onomatopoeical instrumental effects) into a symphonic ambience.
Gershwin’s twig major Street success, Islamist, Be Good! (1924), was a partnership with his brother, versifier Ira Composer. They any minute now established themselves as see to of description great teams in Street history; their shows be a factor Oh, Kay! (1926), Hammer Up rendering Band (1927), Funny Predispose (1927), Young lady Crazy (1930), and description satire Sketch out Thee I Sing (1931), the be in first place musical faith win a Pulitzer Reward. He as well scored a few successful films.
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