George Gershwin

One of the most influential

composers of the 1920's was George Gershwin.

Gershwin was the most celebrated and wealthiest American composers of the 1920's. In

this paper I will discuss Gershwin's life as a child and his upbringing and how his music

expressed the dreams of every American Citizen by mixing different styles of music like

Jewish, black, jazz, classical, blues and put them into one genre and created absolute

music.

George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 26, 1898. As the

son of immigrant parents, Georges father had many jobs, so they were forced to live in

many locations. George had two brothers, Arthur and Ira, and one sister, Francis.

Although, George was the most well known of the family, his brother Ira was also a

successful lyricist. Also, it was Ira's interest in music that made their parents purchase the

first family piano. However, it was George that took the immediate interest in playing the

piano. George played by ear before his parents purchased piano lessons for him. George

began to study music seriously at the age of twelve.

After studying and perfecting his talent, under the guidance of Charles Hambutze,

Gershwin was taught proper techniques, lyricism, and harmony. This opened up a the

worlds of Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and Schoenberg (Ewen 58-60). Gershwin was offered a

job at Remick's Music Publishing House in Tin Pan Alley. Gershwin jumped at the

opportunity to become the youngest pianist ever employed at the popular music capital of

the world. Gershwin , at the young age of fifteen, quit school and became a song plugger.

(Schwartz 21). The purpose of a song plugger was to make a song become a hit.

Everyday hundreds of singers and actors came to Tin Pan Alley looking for fresh new

materials. The song pluggers could improvise and transpose a song on the spot to fit a

particular singer or actor. Soon, everyone was going to Gershwin to compose music.

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It wasn't long before Gershwin figured out that he wanted something different in his

life, and began composing for himself. In 1916, Gershwin had his first song printed and

published. It was this first publication that led to him meeting famous lyricist, Irving

Caesar. Gershwin and Caesar decided to work together on a Broadway musical. This was

a dream come true for Gershwin, and a major turning point in his life. The Broadway

musical was completed in May 1919, and was named La La Lucille. It was billed as, "a

brilliant, up to the minute musical comedy of class and distinction" (Adam 32:19)

Although this brought in several job offers, Gerswhin and Caesar decided to work on

another project together. It took only ten minutes to compose a song called Swannee. The

song was incorporated into the show Sinbad at New York's Winter Garden. The song

was such a huge success selling over two million copies of sheet music world wide.

Gershwin and Caesar earned each over ten thousand dollars each for their song (Gojowy

303).

From 1920-1924, Gerswhin signed on to write the music for a new Broadway

musical called the George White Scandals. This production featured twenty-five

Gerswhin tunes. Soon after, he wrote an operetta but was pull out because it didn't

fit in, however would be used in later compositions (Schwartz 47). One of the greatest

jazz musicians of all time, Paul Whiteman, was so impressed with Gerswhin's use of jazz

in the melody, harmony and rhythms, he suggested to him to write a concerto for two

piano's to be played at Aeolian Hall under Whiteman's direction. Oddly, Gerswhin forgot

about writing the piece until he read an advertisement, which announced the premier of a

new composition by George Gershwin. He finished it in two hours (Adam 35:19).

Gerswhin composed the work, which defined his career and elevated him to a new level

of success.

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Rhapsody in Blue was the piece that Gerswhin composed. The opening of the