George Gershwin Rhapsody In Blue Analysis

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George Gershwin was an American composer from Brooklyn, New York who can be only described as a legendary contributor to American music. Born on September, 26th 1898 Gershwin to an immigrant family, Gershwin became a classic example of the American dream. Gershwin did not have any formal musical training due to his family not being very well to do, he still began mastering his craft at a very young age. Realizing George’s potential, his family enrolled him in piano lessons with Charles Hambitzer (Britannica). Like most great minds, Gershwin dropped out of school only at the age of fifteen and began to pursue his talent full time. Even at this young of an age, Gershwin was writing pieces for other piano players and playing in Jazz clubs in the early 20th century …show more content…

Never hearing this song before I imagine exactly how Gershwin felt while writing and performing this piece. This piece is not like traditional pop music of today because it truly is one of a kind. Gershwin poured out his soul into this piece by using chaotic piano solos to show that there is no perfect way to write a song, as long as it is honest. In today’s music you can see organized crescendos that are quite pleasing to the listener like the one in the middle of this piece. But I believe that Gershwin is using this in a sarcastic sense because he knows that is what the listener wants. He knows that his peers want him to create a beautiful and full sound, but Gershwin just wants to break the rules. The explosive finish to this piece that follows a similar crescendo at the end of the song I imagine is Gershwin’s way of ripping apart the rule book. The piece is by all means a concerto because the rest of the band is centered around one soloist that is accompanied at times. Without having an previous knowledge of Gershwin’s music, this piece has truly inspired me to delve deeper into his repertoire. Gershwin’s mind is truly a stand alone