George Gershwin

George Gershwin was undoubtedly one of the greatest American composers of all time. With huge success on Tin Pan Alley and Broadway, George was one of the most commercially successful composers of his era. He achieved great fame in his short life and became one of the first composers to create a synthesis between jazz, folk and classical traditions within his music – something that others still aspire to achieve today.

His first big break was in 1919, when his song Swanee was popularised by Al Jolson. Gershwin then took his first steps into serious concert music in 1924 with his now legendary Rhapsody in Blue. Commenting on the piece, George said: “I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America – of our vast melting pot, of our incomparable national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness.” Rhapsody in Blue is thought of by many as one of the most influential works in American music. A composer of the time, Arthur Schwartz, who was at the Aeolian Hall the day Rhapsody in Blue was first played, said: “It was a great day … while George was still taking bows to applause that should have been far more shattering, I remember saying to myself: ‘from now on, this revolutionary composition will influence the whole future of serious music in America.’”

Above: George Gershwin, photographed in 1937 in California, courtesy of the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trusts

After his success with Rhapsody in Blue, George dedicated much of his time to orchestral works, the more ambitious of which included the Piano Concerto in F (1925) and An American in Paris (1928). George continued to write popular songs and musicals with his brother Ira, including Lady, Be Good! (1924); Oh, Kay! (1926); Strike Up the Band (1927 & 1930); Funny Face (1927) and Girl Crazy (1930). In 1934–5 he wrote his ‘American folk opera’ Porgy and Bess, which is still being performed by companies today. In 1936 George made the move to Hollywood to write music for such films as Shall We Dance (1937) and The Goldwyn Follies (1938).

George was at the height of his career when he collapsed while working on The Goldwyn Follies. He was rushed to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood where he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He died five hours after surgery to remove the tumour; George was just 38 when he died on 11th July 1937. His funeral, which was held at Temple Emanu-El in New York, was attended by 3500 people. In 1998 – on the centenary of George’s birth – Columbia University awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize to George for his “distinguished and enduring contributions to American music.”

Ela Drewett
Editorial Assistant, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing