george gershwin patricia hosein. gershwins youth george gershwin was born in brooklyn new york on...
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George Gershwin
Patricia Hosein
Gershwin’s Youth
• George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn New York on the 26th of September in 1898 to Russian immigrants Morris and Rose Gershovitz.
• His brother Ira also had an affinity for music and the brothers often worked together.
• Acquired a taste for piano music around age six, and received lessons by Charles Hambitzer. Hambitzer introduced him to the works of Debussy and Ravel.
• He later studied with Rubin Goldmark and Henry Cowell.
• Gershwin dropped out of high school at fifteen to work with Jerome K. Remick
Accomplishments
• His first hit was “Swanee” in 1918 and sold over two million records its first year.
• In 1919 Gershwins first Broadway show, La, La, Lucille ran for 100 performances.
• After this he had many musical successes including Lady, Be Good (1924), Funny Face (1927), and Of The I Sing (1931)
• Rhapsody in Blue, a piece for piano and orchestra, was written in 1924 and quicklly became his most famous piece.
• Porgy and Bess, another extremely famous Gershwin piece, premiered in 1935.
Timeline
• 1989 – Gershwin born in Brooklyn, New York.• 1912 – Began studying the piano.• 1918 - He completed his first show, La La Lucille• 1934 – Rhapsody in Blue• 1935 – produced opera Porgy and Bess• 1936 – went to Hollywood to begin composing songs for flims.• 1937 – July 11th, 1937, Gershwin died during an operation for his
brain tumor in Hollywood California.
His Music
• Influenced greatly by the French composers in the early twentieth century.
• His symphonic works are similar to the works of Maurice Ravel.
• Fused the jazz with the mainstream popular music of the times.
• Often used dramatic orchestration, jazz rhythms and popular vocal styles.
• Used symphony orchestras to play jazz.• Forerunner to the “Big Band” sound.• Used “folk opera” in works like Porgy and Bess.
Classic Songs Include:
• Summertime
• Rhapsody in Blue
• It Ain't Necessarily So
• Bess, You Is My Woman'
• I Got Plenty O' Nuttin
• Embraceable You