Essay On George Gershwin

Born on September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, George Gershwin was one of the best jazz composers of the 1930s. He composed several successful pieces for concerts, musicals, movies, and even an opera. His works are still regarded as some of the best works in jazz. Gershwin was one of the best of composers of the thirties because he wrote several pieces that achieved some semblance of success, his amazing skill as a pianist, and his style of writing. George Gershwin is one of the best composes of the 1930s because of his successful compositions. After performing a show entitled “Blue Monday,” the pit leader Paul Whiteman asked Gershwin to compose a piece to heighten the genre. Supposedly, he forgot about Whiteman’s request until he saw in a newspaper that Whiteman’s concert would be premiering a new piece by Gershwin. He began to write at a frantic pace until A Rhapsody in Blue was complete. (Gershwin, Biography) This is Gershwin’s most famous and arguably his best work. Another one of his pieces An American in Paris would eventually be used in a movie of the same title. This would later be the basis for a musical as well. He and his brother Ira co-wrote music for 10 other musicals which include Lady Be Good (1924),

He first started out on the piano when his parents bought one for his older brother. He then began to learn to play the instrument with lessons. He never finished high school, but kept studying music under Henry Cowell and Joseph Schillinger. (George, Encyclopedia) His compositions contain some of the most complex piano parts in jazz music. Only Gershwin could write and play his difficult compositions perfectly. The last reason that Gershwin should be seen as one of the best jazz composers of the 1930s is his style of music. Back in the 1920s, jazz began to increase significantly in popularity. By the 1930s, it was immensely