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George Gershwin

George Gershwin in 1937
Born Jacob Gershowitz
September 26, 1898(1898-09-26)
Brooklyn, New York
Died July 11, 1937 (aged 38)
Hollywood, California
Burial place Westchester Hills Cemetery
Nationality American
Occupation Composer
Partner Kay Swift
Children none
Relatives Frances and Ira

George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Westchester Hills Cemetery, approximately 20 miles north of New York City, was established at 400 Saw Mill River Road in Hastings-on-Hudson, Westchester The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Kay Swift ( 19 April 1897 &ndash 28 January 1993) was an American composer of popular and classical music the first woman to score Frances "Frankie" Gershwin ( December 26, 1906, Manhattan New York - January 18, 1999) was the younger sister of George Ira Gershwin ( 6 December 1896 &ndash 17 August 1983) was an American Lyricist who collaborated with his younger Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance He wrote most of his vocal and theatrical works in collaboration with his elder brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin. A lyricist is a Writer who specializes in Song Lyrics, usually paid for by a band to write a custom song(s Ira Gershwin ( 6 December 1896 &ndash 17 August 1983) was an American Lyricist who collaborated with his younger George Gershwin composed songs both for Broadway and for the classical concert hall. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music He also wrote popular songs with success. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more

Many of his compositions have been used on television and in numerous films, and many became jazz standards. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald recorded many of the Gershwins' songs on her 1959 Gershwin Songbook (arranged by Nelson Riddle). Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25 1917 &ndash June 15 1996 also known as " Lady Ella " and the "First Lady of Song" is considered one of the most influential The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook is a 1959 (see 1959 in music) album by the American Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald Nelson Smock Riddle Jr ( June 1, 1921 &ndash October 6, 1985) was a well-known American bandleader arranger and Countless singers and musicians have recorded Gershwin songs, including Louis Armstrong, Al Jolson, Bobby Darin, Art Tatum, Bing Crosby, Janis Joplin, John Coltrane, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Madonna, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Marni Nixon, Natalie Cole, Nina Simone, Maureen McGovern, John Fahey, The Residents, Sublime, and Sting. Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter Al Jolson (May 26 1886 October 23 1950 born in Lithuania, Russian Empire, was a highly acclaimed American singer comedian and actor and the first openly Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert "Bobby" Cassotto, May 14 1936 &ndash December 20, 1973) was one of the most popular Arthur Tatum Jr ( October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American Jazz Pianist and Virtuoso. Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Janis Lyn Joplin ( January 19, 1943  – October 4, 1970) was an American singer songwriter and music arranger from Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7 1915 – July 17 1959 was an American Jazz singer and songwriter Sam Cooke ( January 22, 1931 &ndash December 11, 1964) was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26 1926 &ndash September 28 1991 was an American Jazz Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer. Herbert Jeffrey Hancock ("Herbie" born April 12 1940 is a Jazz Pianist and Composer. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10 1922 – June 22 1969 was an American actress and singer Dame Julie Elizabeth Andrews, DBE (born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1 1935) is an award-winning English Actress Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress Marni Nixon (born February 22 1930) is an American Soprano whose renown for dubbing the singing voices of featured actresses in well known Movie Natalie Cole (born Natalie Maria Cole on February 6 1950) is an influential American Singer-songwriter and performer who has Eunice Kathleen Waymon, better known by her Stage name Nina Simone ( IPA: ninɐ sʌmɞnɑ (February 21 1933 – April 21 2003 was a fifteen-time Maureen Therese McGovern (born July 27, 1949) is an American Singer and Broadway actress, widely known for her premier John Fahey (February 28 1939 – February 22 2001 was an American Fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string guitar as a solo The Residents is an American Avant-garde music and Visual arts collective who have created over sixty albums created numerous musical short films Sublime was a hip-hop influenced American Ska-punk and Reggae band that originated in Long Beach California. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born October 2, 1951) better known by his Stage name Sting, is a three time Academy Award

Contents

Biography

Early life

Gershwin was born as Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn, New York to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ His father, Morris (Moishe) Gershowitz, changed the family name to Gershwin sometime after immigrating from St. Petersburg, Russia. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Gershwin's mother, Rosa Bruskin, also immigrated from Russia; she married Gershowitz four years later.

George Gershwin was the second of four children. He first displayed interest in music at the age of ten, when he was intrigued by what he heard at his boyfriend's, Max Rosen's, violin recital. The sound and the way his friend played captured him. His parents had bought a piano for his older brother Ira Gershwin, but to his parents' surprise and Ira's relief, it was George who played it. Ira Gershwin ( 6 December 1896 &ndash 17 August 1983) was an American Lyricist who collaborated with his younger Although his younger sister Frances Gershwin was the first in the family to make money from her musical talents, she married young and became a housewife and mother, giving up her own singing and dance career—settling into painting, a hobby of George Gershwin's. Frances "Frankie" Gershwin ( December 26, 1906, Manhattan New York - January 18, 1999) was the younger sister of George

Gershwin tried various piano teachers for two years, and then was introduced to Charles Hambitzer by Jack Miller, the pianist in the Beethoven Symphony Orchestra. Hambitzer acted as George's mentor until his death, in 1918. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Hambitzer taught George conventional piano technique, introduced him to music of the European classical tradition, and encouraged him to attend orchestral concerts. (At home following such concerts, young George would attempt to reproduce at the piano the music he had heard. ) He later studied with classical composer Rubin Goldmark and avant-garde composer-theorist Henry Cowell. Rubin Goldmark ( August 15, 1872, New York City - March 6, 1936, New York City) was an American Composer Henry Cowell ( March 11, 1897 – December 10, 1965) was an American Composer, musical theorist, Pianist

Tin Pan Alley

At the age of fifteen, George quit school and found his first job as a performer was as a "song plugger" for Jerome H. Remick and Company, a publishing firm on New York City's Tin Pan Alley earning $15 a week. Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City -centered music publishers and Songwriters who dominated the popular His 1917 novelty rag "Rialto Ripples" was a commercial success, and in 1919 he scored his first big national hit with his song "Swanee. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common " Swanee " is an American popular Song written in 1919 by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Irving Caesar. " In 1916, he started working for Aeolian Company and Standard Music Rolls in New York, recording and arranging piano rolls. A piano roll is the music Storage medium used to operate the Player piano, pianola or a Reproducing piano. He produced dozens, if not hundreds, of rolls under his own and assumed names. (Pseudonyms attributed to Gershwin include Fred Murtha and Bert Wynn. ) He also recorded rolls of his own compositions for the Duo-Art and Welte-Mignon reproducing pianos. M Welte & Sons Freiburg and New York was a manufacturer of Orchestrions organs and Reproducing pianos From 1832 until 1932 the firm produced mechanical The player piano is a self-playing Piano, containing a pneumatic mechanism that plays on the piano action pre-programmed Music via perforated paper rolls As well as recording piano rolls, Gershwin made a brief foray into vaudeville, accompanying both Nora Bayes and Louise Dresser on the piano. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Nora Bayes ( 1880 - 19 June 1928) was a popular United States entertainer of the early 20th century Louise Dresser (born October 5, 1878; died April 24, 1965) was an American actress. [1]

In 1924, George and Ira collaborated on a musical comedy, Lady Be Good which included such future standards as "Fascinating Rhythm" and "Lady Be Good. Lady Be Good (title sometimes presented with an Exclamation point) is the title of a Broadway musical play that was written by Guy Bolton, A jazz standard is a Jazz tune that is held in continuing esteem and which is widely known performed and recorded among jazz musicians as part of the jazz musical repertoire "Fascinating Rhythm" is a popular Song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. "[2]

This was followed by Oh, Kay! (1926),[3] Funny Face in (1927),[4] Strike Up the Band (1927 and 1930),[5] Show Girl (1929),[6] Girl Crazy (1930),[7] which introduced the standard "I Got Rhythm," and Of Thee I Sing (1931),[8] the first musical comedy to win a Pulitzer Prize. Oh Kay! is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P Funny Face is a 1927 musical composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by Fred Thompson and Paul Show Girl is a musical with a book by William Anthony McGuire, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn, and music by George Gershwin This article is about the stage musical For other uses see Girl Crazy (disambiguation. " I Got Rhythm " is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, published in 1930 which became a widely-known Jazz standard Of Thee I Sing is a musical with a score by George and Ira Gershwin and a book by George S The Pulitzer Prize, ˈpʊlɨtsɚ PULL-it-sər is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in Newspaper journalism,

Classical Music, Opera, and European Influences

In 1924, Gershwin composed his first major classical work, Rhapsody in Blue for orchestra and piano, which was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé and premièred with Paul Whiteman's concert band in New York. Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924 which combines elements of classical music with Ferde Grofé ( March 27 1892 &ndash April 3 1972) was an American Pianist, arranger and Composer. Paul Whiteman ( March 28, 1890 &ndash December 29, 1967) was an American orchestral It proved to be his most popular work.

Gershwin stayed in Paris for a short period, where he applied to study composition with Nadia Boulanger. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Nadia Boulanger (September 16 1887 &ndash October 22 1979 was an influential French Composer, conductor, and Music professor Boulanger, along with several other prospective tutors like Maurice Ravel, rejected him, however, afraid rigorous study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. [9] While there, he wrote An American in Paris. This article is about the Gershwin composition For the 1951 musical starring Gene Kelly see An American in Paris (film. This work received mixed reviews upon its first performance at Carnegie Hall on December 13, 1928 but quickly became part of the standard repertoire in Europe and the United States. [10] Eventually he found the music scene in Paris supercilious, and returned to America.

His most ambitious composition was Porgy and Bess (1935). Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and Called by Gershwin himself a "folk opera," the piece premièred in a Broadway theater and is now widely regarded as the most important American opera of the twentieth century. Based on the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward, the action takes place in a black neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina, and with the exception of several minor speaking roles, all of the characters are black. Porgy is a novel written by DuBose Heyward in 1925 as well as a play Dorothy Heyward helped him to write which debuted in 1927 DuBose Heyward ( August 31, 1885 – June 16, 1940) was an American author best known for his 1924 Novel Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. The music combines elements of popular music of the day, which was strongly influenced by black music, with techniques found in opera, such as recitative and leitmotifs. A leitmotif (ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf (also leitmotiv; lit "leading motif" is a recurring Musical theme, associated with a particular person place It also includes a fugue and "advanced" techniques such as polytonality and even a tone row.

Hollywood and Early Death

Gershwin received only one Oscar nomination, for "They Can't Take That Away From Me" written with his brother Ira for the 1937 film Shall We Dance. " They Can't Take That Away From Me " is a 1937 Song (see 1937 in music) written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced Shall We Dance is the seventh of the ten Astaire - Rogers Musical comedy Films. [11]

Early in 1937, Gershwin began to complain of blinding headaches and a recurring impression that he was smelling burned rubber. He had developed a type of cystic malignant brain tumor known as glioblastoma multiforme[12]. Glioblastoma multiforme ( GBM) is the most common and most aggressive type of primary Brain Tumor, accounting for 52% of all primary brain tumor In June, he performed in a special concert of his music with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under the direction of French maestro Pierre Monteux. The San Francisco Symphony ( SFS) is a leading Orchestra based in San Francisco California. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Pierre Monteux ( April 4, 1875 &ndash July It was in Hollywood, while working on the score of The Goldwyn Follies, that he collapsed and, on July 11, 1937, died at the age of 38 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital following surgery for the tumor. The Goldwyn Follies is a 1938 movie written by Ben Hecht, Sam Perrin and Arthur Phillips with music by George Gershwin, Vernon Duke Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Coincidentally, just a few months later in 1937, Gershwin's idol Ravel also died following brain surgery.

Gershwin had a 10-year affair with composer Kay Swift and frequently consulted her about his music. Kay Swift ( 19 April 1897 &ndash 28 January 1993) was an American composer of popular and classical music the first woman to score Oh, Kay was named for her. [13] After Gershwin died, Swift arranged some of his music, transcribed some of his recordings, and collaborated with Ira on several projects. [14] Gershwin also had an affair with actress Paulette Goddard. Paulette Goddard ( June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an Oscar -nominated American Film and Theatre [15]

George Gershwin's mausoleum in Westchester Hills Cemetery
George Gershwin's mausoleum in Westchester Hills Cemetery

Gershwin died intestate, and all his property passed to his mother. The Westchester Hills Cemetery, approximately 20 miles north of New York City, was established at 400 Saw Mill River Road in Hastings-on-Hudson, Westchester Intestacy is the condition of the estate of a person who dies owning property greater than the sum of his or her enforceable debts and funeral expenses without having made a He is buried in the Westchester Hills Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. The Westchester Hills Cemetery, approximately 20 miles north of New York City, was established at 400 Saw Mill River Road in Hastings-on-Hudson, Westchester [16] The Gershwin estate continues to bring in significant royalties from licensing the copyrights on Gershwin's work. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for The estate supported the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act because its 1923 cutoff date was shortly before Gershwin had begun to create his most popular works. The Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA of 1998 &ndash alternatively known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, Sonny Bono Act, or Pejoratively Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The copyrights on those works were expired at the end of 2007 in the European Union and will expire between 2019 and 2027 in the United States of America. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

According to Fred Astaire's letters to Adele Astaire, Gershwin whispered Astaire's name before passing away. Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award Lady Charles Cavendish ( September 10, 1896 &ndash January 25, 1981) better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer [17]

In 2005, The Guardian determined using "estimates of earnings accrued in a composer's lifetime" that George Gershwin was the richest composer of all time. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. [18] George Gershwin was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006. The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is an organization located in Lake Grove New York. The George Gershwin Theatre on Broadway is named after him. The George Gershwin Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 222 West 51st Street in midtown- Manhattan in the Paramount Plaza [19]

Musical style and influence

Gershwin was influenced very much by French composers of the early twentieth century. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Maurice Ravel was quite impressed with the Gershwins' abilities, commenting, "Personally I find jazz most interesting: the rhythms, the way the melodies are handled, the melodies themselves. I have heard of George Gershwin's works and I find them intriguing. "[20] The orchestrations in Gershwin's symphonic works often seem similar to those of Ravel; likewise, Ravel's two piano concertos evince an influence of Gershwin. Orchestration is the study or practice of writing Music for Orchestra (or more loosely for any Musical ensemble) or of adapting for orchestra music composed He also asked Ravel for lessons. When Ravel heard how much Gershwin earned, Ravel replied "How about you give me some lessons?" (some versions of this story feature Igor Stravinsky rather than Ravel as the composer; however Stravinsky himself confirmed that he originally heard the story from Ravel). Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский) ( &ndash 6 April 1971 was a Russian born Composer, considered by many to [21]

Gershwin's own Concerto in F was criticized as being strongly rooted in the work of Claude Debussy, more so than in the jazz style which was expected. Concerto in F is a composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and orchestra which is closer in form to a traditional Concerto than the earlier Achille-Claude Debussy (aʃil klod dəbysi (August 22 1862 &ndash March 25 1918 was a French Composer. The comparison didn't deter Gershwin from continuing to explore French styles. The title of An American in Paris reflects the very journey that he had consciously taken as a composer: "The opening part will be developed in typical French style, in the manner of Debussy and the Six, though the tunes are original. This article is about the Gershwin composition For the 1951 musical starring Gene Kelly see An American in Paris (film. Les Six is a name inspired by The Five, given in 1923 by critic Henri Collet in an article titled ‘Les cinq Russes les "[22]

Aside from the French influence, Gershwin was intrigued by the works of Alban Berg, Dmitri Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, and Arnold Schoenberg. Alban Maria Johannes Berg (February 9 1885 &ndash December 24 1935 was an Austrian Composer. Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский) ( &ndash 6 April 1971 was a Russian born Composer, considered by many to Darius Milhaud (darjys mijo (September 4 1892 &ndash June 22 1974 was a French Composer and teacher Arnold Schoenberg ( pronounced ˈʃøːnbɛrk (13 September 1874 &ndash 13 July 1951 was an Austrian and later American Composer, associated with He also asked Schoenberg for composition lessons. Schoenberg refused, saying "I would only make you a bad Schoenberg, and you're such a good Gershwin already". [23] (This quote is similar to one credited to Maurice Ravel during Gershwin's 1928 visit to France -- "Why be a second-rate Ravel, when you are a first-rate Gershwin?" See the Wikipedia article for Maurice Ravel. )

Russian Joseph Schillinger's influence as his teacher of composition (1932-1936) was substantial in providing him with a method to his composition. Joseph Schillinger ( August 31, 1895 &ndash March 23, 1943) was a composer music theorist and composition teacher There has been some disagreement about the nature of Schillinger's influence on Gershwin. After the posthumous success of Porgy and Bess, Schillinger claimed he had a large and direct influence in overseeing the creation of the opera; Ira completely denied that his brother had any such assistance for this work. Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and A third account of Gershwin's musical relationship with his teacher was written by Gershwin's close friend and another Schillinger student, Vernon Duke, in an article for the Musical Quarterly in 1947. Vernon Duke ( — January 16, 1969) was a Russian American Composer / Songwriter, who also wrote under his original name [24]

What set Gershwin apart was his ability to manipulate forms of music into his own unique voice. He took the jazz he discovered on Tin Pan Alley into the mainstream by splicing its rhythms and tonality with that of the popular songs of his era. Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City -centered music publishers and Songwriters who dominated the popular

George Gershwin's first published song was "When You Want 'Em You Can't Get 'Em, When You've Got 'Em, You Don't Want 'Em. " It was published in 1916 when Gershwin was only 17 years old and earned him a sum total of $5, although he was promised much more.

In 2007, the Library of Congress named their Prize for Popular Song after George and Ira Gershwin. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is an award given annually to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to Popular music. Recognizing the profound and positive effect of popular music on culture, the prize is given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. On March 1st, 2007, the first Gershwin Prize was awarded to Paul Simon. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13 1941 is an American Songwriter, Musician, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Recordings

Early in his career Gershwin made dozens of player piano piano roll recordings and these were a main source of income for him. The player piano is a self-playing Piano, containing a pneumatic mechanism that plays on the piano action pre-programmed Music via perforated paper rolls Many of these are of popular music of the period and many other are of his own works. Once his theatre-writing career took precedence his regular roll recording sessions dwindled as he was otherwise occupied. He did however record further rolls throughout the 1920s including a complete version of his Rhapsody in Blue.

In comparison to the piano rolls, there are few accessible audio recordings of his playing. A piano roll is the music Storage medium used to operate the Player piano, pianola or a Reproducing piano. His very first recording was his own Swanee with the Fred Van Eps Trio in 1919. The recorded balance highlights the banjo playing of Van Eps, and the piano is overshadowed. The recording took place before Swanee became famous as an Al Jolson specialty in early 1920.

Gershwin did record an abridged version of Rhapsody in Blue with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1924, soon after the world premiere. Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924 which combines elements of classical music with Paul Whiteman ( March 28, 1890 &ndash December 29, 1967) was an American orchestral Victrola redirects here For other uses see Victrola (disambiguation The Victor Talking Machine Company ( 1901 – 1929 Gershwin and the same orchestra made an electrical recording of the same abridged version for Victor in 1927. However, a dispute in the studio over interpretation angered Paul Whiteman and he left. The conductor's baton was taken over by Victor's staff conductor Nathaniel Shilkret. Nathaniel Shilkret (b 25 December, 1889 - d 18 February, 1982) in New York, to an Austrian immigrant family Gershwin made a number of solo piano recordings of tunes from his musicals, some including the vocals of Fred and Adele Astaire, as well as his Three Preludes for piano. Three Preludes are short Piano pieces by George Gershwin and were first performed by the Composer at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York

In 1929, Gershwin "supervised" the world premiere recording of An American in Paris with Nathaniel Shilkret and the Victor Symphony Orchestra. Gershwin's role in the recording was rather limited, particularly because Shilkret was conducting and had his own ideas about the music. Then it was realized no one had been hired to play the brief celeste solo, so Gershwin was asked if he could and would play the instrument, and he agreed. The celesta (pronounced /səˈlɛstə/ or celeste (pronounced /səˈlɛst/ is a struck Idiophone operated by a keyboard. Gershwin can be heard, rather briefly, on the recording during the slow section.

He appeared on several radio programs, including Rudy Vallee's program, and played some of his compositions, including the third movement of the Concerto in F with Vallee conducting the studio orchestra. Rudy Vallée ( July 28, 1901 - July 3, 1986) was an American Singer, Actor, Bandleader, and entertainer Some of these performances were preserved on transcription discs and have been released on LP and CD. Transcription discs are recordings of live performances generally referring to Radio broadcast transcriptions on 10 12 and 16 inch discs made before the advent of Audiotape

In 1934, in an effort to earn money to finance his planned folk opera, he hosted his own radio program titled "Music by Gershwin" in which he presented his own work as well as the work of other composers. Recordings from this and other radio broadcasts include his Variations on I Got Rhythm, portions of the Concerto in F, and numerous songs from his musical comedies. He also recorded a run-through of his Second Rhapsody, conducting the orchestra and playing the piano solos. RCA Victor asked him to supervise recordings of highlights from Porgy and Bess in 1935, which were his last recordings. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment.

A 33-second film clip of Gershwin playing I've Got Rhythm has survived, possibly taken from an early 1930s newsreel. There are also silent home movies, some in Kodachrome, of Gershwin that have been featured in tributes to the composer.

In 1975, Columbia Records released an album featuring Gershwin's piano rolls playing the Rhapsody In Blue, accompanied by the Columbia Jazz Band playing the original jazz-band accompaniment of conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Michael Tilson Thomas (b December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and Composer. The flip side of the Columbia Masterworks release features Tilson Thomas leading the New York Philharmonic in An American In Paris. Columbia Masterworks Records was a Record label started in 1927 by Columbia Records. The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842

In 1993, a selection of piano rolls originally produced by Gershwin for the Standard Music Roll Company[25] were issued by Nonesuch Records through the efforts of Artis Woodhouse and is entitled Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls[26]. Nonesuch Records is an American Record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through WEA International with business affairs handled

Compositions

Main article: List of compositions by George Gershwin

Orchestral

Solo Piano

London Musicals

Broadway Musicals

Opera

Films for which Gershwin wrote original scores

Videos

See also

References

  1. ^ Slide, Anthony. This is a list of compositions by George Gershwin. During his short life of thirty-nine years George Gershwin was both a Songwriter for Broadway and a Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924 which combines elements of classical music with Concerto in F is a composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and orchestra which is closer in form to a traditional Concerto than the earlier This article is about the Gershwin composition For the 1951 musical starring Gene Kelly see An American in Paris (film. Second Rhapsody is a concert piece for Orchestra with Piano by American composer George Gershwin in 1931. Cuban Overture is a symphonic overture for Orchestra composed by American composer George Gershwin. Variations on " I Got Rhythm " is a set of variations for Orchestra and Piano solo composed by George Gershwin "Catfish Row", originally entitled "A Suite from Porgy and Bess " is an orchestral work by George Gershwin based upon music from his opera Three Preludes are short Piano pieces by George Gershwin and were first performed by the Composer at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York Primrose is a musical in three acts with a book by Guy Bolton and George Grossmith Jr George White's Scandals were a long-running string of Broadway Revues produced by George White that ran from 1919-1939 modelled after the Ziegfeld Blue Monday (Opera a la Afro-American was the original name of a one-act "jazz Opera " by George Gershwin, renamed 135th Street during a later Lady Be Good (title sometimes presented with an Exclamation point) is the title of a Broadway musical play that was written by Guy Bolton, Tip-Toes is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Song of the Flame is a 1930 musical operetta film photographed entirely in Technicolor. Oh Kay! is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P Funny Face is a 1927 musical composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by Fred Thompson and Paul Rosalie is an American musical play first produced in 1928 It was later adapted as a musical film by MGM in 1937 Show Girl is a musical with a book by William Anthony McGuire, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn, and music by George Gershwin This article is about the stage musical For other uses see Girl Crazy (disambiguation. Of Thee I Sing is a musical with a score by George and Ira Gershwin and a book by George S Pardon My English is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Let 'Em Eat Cake is a Broadway musical that opened October 21, 1933 at the Imperial Theatre, New York, USA and ran for 89 performances My One and Only is a musical with a book by Peter Stone and Timothy S Crazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. This article is about the stage musical For other uses see Girl Crazy (disambiguation. Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and Shall We Dance is the seventh of the ten Astaire - Rogers Musical comedy Films. A Damsel in Distress ( RKO) is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy Film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine The Goldwyn Follies is a 1938 movie written by Ben Hecht, Sam Perrin and Arthur Phillips with music by George Gershwin, Vernon Duke Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This article provides a list of notable people who had a primary or The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. Westport, Connecticut, Greenwood Press, 1994. p. 111.
  2. ^ Lady, Be Good at the Internet Broadway Database
  3. ^ Oh, Kay! at the Internet Broadway Database
  4. ^ Funny Face at the Internet Broadway Database
  5. ^ Strike Up the Band at the Internet Broadway Database
  6. ^ Show Girl at the Internet Broadway Database
  7. ^ Girl Crazy at the Internet Broadway Database
  8. ^ Of Thee I Sing at the Internet Broadway Database
  9. ^ Jablonski, Edward,Gershwin: A Biography. The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel Double Day: New York, 1987. 155-170
  10. ^ Jablonski, Edward, Gershwin, A Biography. Double Day: New York, 1987. pp. 178-180
  11. ^ Shall We Dance (1937) - Awards
  12. ^ George Gershwin-illustrious American composer: his fatal glioblastoma. PMID: 231388
  13. ^ Hyland pp 108
  14. ^ Kay Swift biography (Kay Swift Memorial Trust) accessed 28 Dec 2007
  15. ^ Paulette Goddard, 78, Is Dead; Film Star of 1930's Through 50's Peter B Flint 24 April 1990 The New York Times accessed 28 Dec 2007
  16. ^ George Gershwin (Find-A-Grave) accessed 28 Dec 2007
  17. ^ The featurette: They Can't Take That Away from Me: The Music of Shall We Dance, on the Shall We Dance DVD released August 16, 2005 DVD link
  18. ^ Gershwin leads composer rich list Kirsty Scott 29 August 2005, The Guardian accessed 28 Dec 2007
  19. ^ The Gershwin Theater (Theater History) accessed 28 Dec 2007
  20. ^ Mawer pp 42
  21. ^ Arthur Rubinstein, My Many Years; Merle Armitage, George Gershwin; Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft, Dialogues and a Diary, all quoted in Norman Lebrecht, The Book of Musical Anecdotes
  22. ^ (Hyland pp 126)
  23. ^ Norman Lebrecht, The Book of Musical Anecdotes
  24. ^ Dukelsky, Vladimir (Vernon Duke), Gershwin, Schillinger and Dukelsky: Some Reminiscences Musical Quarterly Volume 33, 1947, 102-115
  25. ^ George Gershwin and the player piano 1915-1927 accessed 28 Dec 2007
  26. ^ (ASIN: B000005J1I)

External links

Persondata
NAME Gershwin, George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American composer
DATE OF BIRTH September 26, 1898(1898-09-26)
PLACE OF BIRTH Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH July 11, 1937
PLACE OF DEATH Hollywood, California, U.S.
Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center is a Library and Archive at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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