THE TIMES OF GERSHWIN Essay

During the 1930's American citizens witnessed a breakdown of the Democratic and free enterprise way of life. The government saw that the free enterprise system was failing. The New Deal increased the government's regulation and intervention and the economic system, thus temporarily abandoning the capitalism system and turning toward socialism to find the answer. The answer... the New Deal. Socialism is usually thought of as a form of government that advocates public ownership and public control of wealth (Britannica Jr. Encyclopedia 1980, p.231).

For most people there are two George Gershwin’s, there’s Gershwin the composer of immortal songs known through out the world; Our love is here to stay, Someone to watch over me and I got Rhythm , and then there’s the concert hall Gershwin composer of Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and the famous opera Porgy and Bess, all now in the music libraries of the worlds greatest symphony orchestras and opera houses. What made Gershwin special is how he mixed the two, to him a 16 bar song was as important as a 3 movement symphony. Gershwin was in touch with his listeners in a way that few other composers can

Musical theater has been filled with countless talented composers. The amount of talent in the theater world is endless, but only few composers gain iconic status. The Gershwins, Rogers & Hammerstein, and Stephen Sondheim come to mind when thinking of the pinnacle of composing. One other man who deserves his permanent place with these others would be Cole Porter. Porter’s extensive library of songs has become classics along with a series of hit musicals that are still done in high mass today. Porter had his share of incredibly tough times, and it simply only makes his rise to the top even more impressive. Cole Porter is without a doubt one of the best composers to ever write for the stage in history.

On September 26, 1898 George Gershwin was born to the Gershowitz family as Jacob Gershowitz. The Gershowitzs' were an immigrant family that lived in Brooklyn, NY at the time. His parents, Morris and Rose, were Russian immigrants that owned a restaurant. George was the second of four children with older brother Ira, younger sister Francis, and younger brother Arthur. Over time, George accepted being called Gershwin instead

Miles Davis represents the pinnacle of modern American Jazz. He was one of the foremost pioneers in the inventions of cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz, fusion and techno. He was, arguably one of the most influential figures in music, pushing the boundaries of what was commonly known as jazz into new directions that most people thought was impossible.

Other famous pieces that are still famous in today's society include “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky-Korsakov and “Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini” by Rachmaninoff. Even though these names may not be recognizable, most people today would be able to recognized, if not hum along to these tunes. Other American composers, such as George Gershwin, composer of “Rhapsody in Blue,” were heavily influenced by Russian composers including Joseph Schilleger, whose system of musical composition is still taught today. Today’s music owes so much to Russian composers, and the best we can do to repay them is to help their legacy live on through today’s

Duke Ellington's pre-eminence in jazz is not only because of the very high aesthetic standard of his output and not simply due to his remarkable abilities as a pianist, composer and bandleader, but also to the fact that he has extended the boundaries of jazz more than any other musician, without abandoning the true essence of the music. Perhaps no other American musician left such a massive and challenging legacy in composition and performance.

Oklahoma! The first collaboration of Rodgers and Hammerstein was entitled Oklahoma! The idea of the musical came from a play called Green Grow the Lilacs, written by Lynn Riggs in 1931. This story is about the state of Oklahoma at the turn of the century, when the Indian Territory joined the United States. It is the story of a girl named Laurey Williams and her (sort of) love triangle with two boys by the names of Curley McClain and Jud Fry. Laurey is in love with Curley, but she attends a dance with Jud instead. At the dance, Curley surprised Laurey by bidding an enormous amount on the basket of food she has prepared. They soon marry, and after the wedding, Jud starts a fight with Curley, but he

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is one of those timeless classics that is instantly recognizable to many people’s ears today, even ninety years after it was first introduced to the world. It is a piece that has found its way into contemporary movies and advertisements, making it likely as recognizable as Chopin’s Funeral March or Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. But unlike these two pieces of iconic classical music, Rhapsody in Blue “resists classification.”1 In it are elements of classical music, blues and jazz, making it at once “Gershwin’s most famous piece” but also “possibly his least understood composition.”2 Indeed, while Rhapsody became a popular hit in the

George Gershwin‘s opera Porgy and Bess is said to have been racist and outdated even in the time that it was written in 1935. There are many aspects of this work that are incorrect and prolong stereotypes about African Americans by depicting them as violent and religious. Gershwin classified this opera as a folk opera, a term which was offensive to African Americans. George Gershwin, arguably a great composer, composed an opera that is considered to be controversial due to its negative representation of African Americans. Porgy and Bess is a cultural artifact and when discussing it we bring up complex issues of race from the time it was written and even to this day in the United States.

     Jazz is a style of music that began and has been revolutionized within the United States. Jazz music first appeared in the city of New Orleans and eventually moved onto Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and New York City. Jazz unites different elements of African, African- American, religious, brass brand, and blues style of music. The music of Jazz, and its changes through the years, is now a form of music that is known and respected throughout this nation and the world.

George Gershwin, born in Brooklyn, New York on 26 September 1898, was born the second of four children of Morris and Rose Gershovitz, Russians who immigrated to New York in 1891. George and his family lived on Manhattan's lower east side in a poor Jewish community. After settling down in New York, his father changed the family name to Gershvin. It was George who later altered his last name to Gershwin when he entered the professional world of music. Most of his family was not musically talented, but his brother Ira became a wonderful well-known musician.

George Gershwin (b Brooklyn, NY, 26 Sept 1898; d Hollywood, CA, 11 July 1937). He is an American composer, pianist, and conductor. He began his career as a song plugger in New York’s Tin Pan Alley; by the time he was 20 he had established himself as a composer of Broadway shows. Gershwin wrote the “Folk Opera” Porgy And Bess in three acts and published it in New York, Alvin Theatre, on October10, 1935. DuBose Heyward wrote the libretto text after his publication of novel Porgy (1925); Heyward and Ira Gershwin wrote the lyric. Porgy and Bess was one of Gershwin’s most popular musical works, nourished by his long held interest

Glenn Gould is one of the most acclaimed 20th century classical musicians. His performance the Prelude and Fugue in C major was chosen for inclusion on their NASA Voyager Golden Record. The recordings were placed on spacecraft voyager 1. A head of Gould was sculpted by the Canadian artist Una Mavis Ehlert. At the Canadian Broadcasting Centre the Glenn Gould Studio was named after him. He also has a school named after him ands the Glenn

It is often assumed that Freddie Mercury, the frontman for the hugely popular rock group, Queen, lived a life of hedonistic exuberance. There are countless pictures of Mercury out at clubs in his flamboyant costumes, drinking and having fun. This reputation as a party animal led journalist Matthew Horton to state that, “The Fredster lived his 45 years like a man possessed – a man possessed by the spirit of reckless, balls-out excess” (Horton). So to claim that this same man was actually immensely influenced by religion and had deep concerns about society may seem like a stretch. However, despite his ostentatious image, Freddie Mercury deliberately composed his songs to highlight his early childhood experiences with Zoroastrianism and strong