George Gershwin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Gershwin
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George Gershwin and one of his oil paintings, 1931
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| Born |
Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz
September 26, 1898 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
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| Died | July 11, 1937 (aged 38) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Westchester Hills Cemetery |
| Occupation | Composer, pianist, artist |
| Years active | 1916–37 |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
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George Gershwin was a famous American composer and pianist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 26, 1898. He passed away in Hollywood, California, on July 11, 1937. Gershwin wrote many popular songs, musicals, and even classical pieces. His music often blended jazz, classical, and popular styles.
Contents
The Life of George Gershwin
Early Life and Music Discovery
George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1898. His family had moved to the United States. George grew up with his two brothers and sister. They had a happy family life. He loved playing games and exploring New York City. But he wasn't a big fan of school or studying.
While exploring the city, George often heard jazz and blues music. This music came from public places. He didn't get serious about music until later. One day, he heard another boy playing the violin at a school concert. This made him want to learn music.
George started taking piano lessons. His teacher was a very good classical musician. The teacher quickly saw George's amazing talent. He even wrote to a friend about George. He said George was a "genius" and would "make his mark in music."
Starting a Music Career
Gershwin studied classical piano and became a great pianist. But he was most interested in jazz and popular music. Playing the piano was his true passion. At age fifteen, he left school to work in the music business.
Many music publishers had offices on a street in New York City. This street was known as "Tin Pan Alley." Back then, there were no musical recordings or regular radio shows. So, publishers hired people to play new songs. These piano players would play songs all day for singers and performers.
Gershwin was one of the youngest piano players in Tin Pan Alley. Soon, he was known as one of the best. He also started writing his own songs. When he was only 18, he got one of his songs published. It had a very long title: "When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get ‘Em, When You've Got 'Em, You Don't Want 'Em."
Becoming a Famous Songwriter
Gershwin was now a real composer. From then on, he had great success. He wrote many, many songs. He had so many ideas that he wasn't worried when he once lost some music he was writing. He simply said, "There is plenty more where that came from."
His first big hit came in 1919. George was twenty-one years old. The song was called "Swanee." A popular entertainer named Al Jolson sang it. "Swanee" became one of the first songs ever recorded. Suddenly, Gershwin was famous. The song was even added to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
"Swanee" is different from most of Gershwin's later music. He later wrote beautiful love songs. Some were light and funny. Others were very emotional. Many of these songs were for popular musical plays. One of his most emotional love songs was "The Man I Love."
Working with His Brother, Ira
Gershwin's older brother, Ira, wrote the words for "The Man I Love." As George became more famous, Ira wrote the words for more and more of his songs.
The two brothers were very different. Ira, the writer, was quiet and serious. George, the musician, was outgoing and loved parties. When they had to finish a new musical, Ira would sometimes lock George in a hotel room. This was to make sure the work got done! But George wrote his best songs when he worked with Ira.
George Gershwin's Music
Songs for Stage and Screen
One great example of the Gershwin brothers' work is "They Can't Take That Away From Me." They wrote this song for the dancer and actor Fred Astaire. It was for the movie "Shall We Dance." This was George and Ira Gershwin's first movie musical.
Many of George Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays. These plays were performed in theaters in New York City. These comedies, full of songs, were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
One of Gershwin's musical plays was "Girl Crazy." It introduced a young singer named Ethel Merman. She became one of America's most famous performers. In the play, Merman sang a song George Gershwin wrote just for her. It was called "I Got Rhythm."
Many songs George Gershwin wrote for plays and movies are still popular today. People sing and play them in many different styles. These styles range from jazz to country. For example, "Someone to Watch Over Me" was written for the 1926 musical "Oh, Kay!"
Jazz and Classical Music
In the 1920s, people in the United States debated jazz music. Some wondered if jazz could be considered serious music.
In 1924, a jazz musician and orchestra leader named Paul Whiteman decided to prove that jazz was serious. He planned a special concert. Gershwin agreed to write something for it. He didn't realize how little time he had! The concert was only a few weeks away. Gershwin worked fast. In that short time, he wrote a piece for piano and orchestra. He called it "Rhapsody in Blue."
Gershwin himself played the piano part of "Rhapsody in Blue" at the concert. Many famous classical musicians were in the audience. They were amazed when they heard his music. It seemed to capture the true spirit of modern American culture. Today, you can still hear Gershwin playing "Rhapsody in Blue." There are old recordings where he plays the piano with Whiteman's orchestra. These recordings are very important because they feature Gershwin himself.
"Rhapsody in Blue" made George Gershwin famous around the world. Hundreds of thousands of copies of the sheet music sold quickly. Gershwin was happy that he had shown jazz music could be both serious and popular.
Opera and Orchestral Works
Gershwin also wrote an opera called "Porgy and Bess." It was based on a book by DuBose Heyward. It tells a sad love story about black Americans living along the coast of South Carolina.
"Porgy And Bess" opened in Boston, Massachusetts in 1935. Audiences loved it. But many critics didn't know what to think. It was different from any other opera or musical play they had seen.
Gershwin didn't care what the critics thought. He believed he had put some of his greatest music into the opera. He said he had created a new kind of musical work. It was an opera based on popular culture. Today, "Porgy And Bess" is considered a masterpiece.
Another well-known piece by Gershwin is "An American in Paris." It is a long orchestral piece that tells a story through music. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra first performed it in 1928.
Again, people had mixed feelings. Most people loved "An American in Paris," just like they loved all of Gershwin's music. Some critics liked it too, calling it happy and full of life. Others didn't like it, saying it was silly and too long.
George Gershwin's Last Days
George Gershwin died in 1937. Doctors had just found out he had brain cancer. He passed away during surgery to remove the brain tumor. He was only thirty-eight years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. Everyone was sad to lose such a talented man and all the music he still could have written.
Gershwin is still considered one of America's greatest composers. His works are still performed by many singers and groups today. They are probably performed more often than those of any other serious American composer.
The Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg greatly admired George Gershwin. Schoenberg said Gershwin was a man who lived through music. He expressed everything through music because music was his natural language.
Images for kids
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George Gershwin, around 1935.
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Gershwin's mausoleum in Westchester Hills Cemetery.
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A 1973 U.S. stamp honoring Gershwin.
See also
In Spanish: George Gershwin para niños
