Open Site - Arts: Music: Composition: Composers: Gershwin, George

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[ history ]

General Information

Between his birth on September 26 1898 and his death from on July 11 1937 George Gershwin achieved success in three genres of music - popular, jazz and classical. He composed tunes that will remain popular for many years to come, and therefore he has achieved musical immortality. George Gershwin was an important and influencial composer and how his music was very unique.

From his birth just before the turn of the century, to his death from brain tumour under thirty nine years later, George Gershwin found success without a comprehensive musical education. While the world was overcome by war and economic crisis, Gershwin excelled to such an extent that leads many to believe he was the greatest American composer that has ever lived. The amazing aspect of his success was, of course, his lack of muscial education. Some people consider it impossible to recodnise a composer in such a way as many do when he did not spend time learning musical theory and musical performance. Despite this he remains popular and his music continues to be remembered and listened to by Americans and non-Americans alike.

[ history ]

Biography

On September 26, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York, George Gerswhin was born to immigrant parents. It soon became obvious that he had more talent in skating than in schoolwork, unlike his brother Ira. He first took interest in music when Ira took up music and the family bought a piano. His greatest composition work was Rhapsody in Blue, an emotional masterpiece who prepared in three weeks for a performance in 1924.

In the following years George Gershwin worked with Ira to prepare Lady Be Good with the popular ballad The Man I Love. They went on to prepare Funny Face and Girl Crazy, and along the way wrote songs like Someone to Watch Over Me and I’ve Got Rhythm.

Gershwin succeeded in classical, jazz and popular music, and his classical pieces are often controversially compared with Mozart and Beethoven, while his jazz and popular music pieces continue to be performed and admired.

[ history ]

based

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