Gershwin, George 1898 - 1937
Author: Yano, Haruka
Last updated：January 1, 2010
Author: Yano, Haruka
Born to parents who immigrated from Russia, he grew up in a poor Jewish neighborhood in Manhattan. Although he was not actively involved with music from an early age, when his parents bought him a piano, he began to receive piano lessons, and later studied music theory, harmony, and orchestration. However, he merely acquired a basic understanding of these subjects and was not proficient in sight-reading; yet, possessing a remarkable talent for improvisation, he frequently performed before audiences on stage, improvising on his own compositions. It is well-known that, in addition to works treated as classical compositions such as Rhapsody in Blue (1924), An American in Paris (1928), and the opera Porgy and Bess (1934–35), he also composed popular songs, musicals, and film scores. Notably, almost all of his songs from 1924 onwards were set to lyrics by his elder brother, Ira Gershwin. These collaborations produced numerous hit works, making the Gershwin brothers one of the most active lyricist-composer duos on Broadway. Having achieved wealth and fame through his talent from a humble background, his life was reportedly lavish, befitting his brilliant career; he earned high incomes even during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and rumors of romances with movie stars were constant. However, he passed away at the young age of 39 during an operation to remove a brain tumor.
Works(37)
Concerto (2)
concerto (4)
Works with orchestral accompaniment (2)
Piano Solo (3)
Reduction/Arrangement (2)
Various works (21)
Piano Ensemble (4)
Reduction/Arrangement (4)