Life and Music of George Gershwin

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Music 129-3
GEORGE GERSHWIN
George Gershwin was one of the contributors to American music history. Being of Russian origin, Gershwin was a pianist and composer who did not receive any formal education in music. He started piano lessons when he was 14 years from Hambitzer, a music teacher. He later started learning harmony and composition. Gershwin became a name to reckon with in the music industry, with "Ladies, please," "Crazy," and "Funny Face" being some of his famous works. Gershwin's fame was due to "Rhapsody in blue," which he composed for a piano and Orchestra; the work was performed in 1924 by Gershwin with the Orchestra where P. Whiteman was the conductor. This paper explores the life of George Gershwin and his music career.
Gershwin was born on September 26, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York, and was named Jacob Gershowitz. His parents had emigrated from Russia and were teachers (Biography.com). Gershwin's family was of music because his father was a local jazz band leader. Music lovers say that Gershwin first heard jazz music when he was six years old and loved jazz concerts. At 12, Gershwin began learning the piano by himself, and the famous music teacher began to offer him lessons when he was 14. From that time, Gershwin continued learning to improve his technique. Through teacher Hambitzer's guidance, Gershwin learned about famous composers, including Henry Cowell and Joseph Schillinger, a Russian professor who approached music from a mathematical perspective.
Gershwin started professional music in 1914 as an accompanist for Jerome Remick. In 1916, he presented his first work to the audience. Although the work did not receive much success, famous producers and directors noticed his talent. This recognition saw the inclusion of his work by Sigmund Romberg in "The Passing Show of 1916". During that time, Gershwin earned his living by playing piano in different hotels and continued to master harmony. In the following years, 1918-1919, Gershwin gained fame and success, especially in the performance of Al Jonson and "La, La, Lucille," based on his works. Between 1920 and 1924, Gershwin created various works for "George White's Scandals," including "Blue Monday," which was a real opera; people also referred to it as "135th Street". Through this work, Whiteman invited him to his band as a composer, where he created one of his famous works, "Rhapsody in Blue," in 1924 (VOA). In the same year, he wrote "Lady, Be Good!" which brought him more fame and success on Broadway. Gershwin's brother, Ira Gershwin, wrote the lyrics for the work and performed it with him (Biography.com). For the next decade, the Gershwin brothers' union became productive and famous, with "Of Thee, I Sing" of 1931 being the most successful one. The show gave them a Pulitzer Prize.
Gershwin was among the most talented and famous American composers of the 19th century. He combined various phenomena, including pop and European romantic music. His talent was unique, and no one could come close to his mark. His approach to music proved to be successive and led to a new phenomenon in American music. Gershwin's melodic, harmonic and rhythmic works distinguished his works from others.
WILLIAM G...