George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist who fused classical music with jazz and popular song in the early twentieth century.
His works include *Rhapsody in Blue*, *An American in Paris*, and the opera *Porgy and Bess*.
With his brother Ira as lyricist, he wrote standards like "Summertime" and "I Got Rhythm." He died at thirty-eight, leaving a body of work that bridges Tin Pan Alley and the concert hall.
Jazz-infused orchestral composition
- Porgy and BessAmerican folk opera
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- orchestrationScoring for instrumental ensemble
score · arrangement · composition · songbook · Broadway · Tin Pan Alley · standards · musical theatre
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- blue notesMicrotonal jazz pitches
- stride pianoJazz style, leaping left hand
jazz age · bandleader · Harlem · nightclub · 1920s · Roaring Twenties · hot jazz · jazz piano
American folk opera
- folk operaMusical theater using traditional melodies
- librettoOpera's written words
- ariaOperatic solo piece
- recitativeSpeechlike operatic singing
spirituals · Gullah · Charleston · soprano · baritone · bass-baritone · Metropolitan Opera
Array of input keys
- virtuosoSupremely accomplished performer
- SteinwayLegendary piano manufacturer
- concertoSolo-and-orchestra composition
- recitalSolo musical performance
arpeggio · glissando · accompaniment · rolls · player piano · ivories · technique · solo
Widely recognized, enduring
- legendaryFamous beyond ordinary measure
- timelessUnaffected by eras
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
- influentialHaving considerable effect
pioneering · golden age · standards · classic · immortal · celebrated · groundbreaking · innovative
Rhapsody in Blue
Jazz-infused orchestral composition
- Porgy and BessAmerican folk opera
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
orchestration · score · arrangement · composition · songbook · Broadway · Tin Pan Alley · standards · musical theatre · overture
improvisation
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- blue notesMicrotonal jazz pitches
stride piano · jazz age · bandleader · Harlem · nightclub · 1920s · Roaring Twenties · hot jazz · jazz piano · jazz standards
Porgy and Bess
American folk opera
- folk operaMusical theater using traditional melodies
- librettoOpera's written words
- ariaOperatic solo piece
recitative · spirituals · Gullah · Charleston · soprano · baritone · bass-baritone · Metropolitan Opera
keyboard
Array of input keys
- virtuosoSupremely accomplished performer
- SteinwayLegendary piano manufacturer
- concertoSolo-and-orchestra composition
recital · arpeggio · glissando · accompaniment · rolls · player piano · ivories · technique · solo · improvised
iconic
Widely recognized, enduring
- legendaryFamous beyond ordinary measure
- timelessUnaffected by eras
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
influential · pioneering · golden age · standards · classic · immortal · celebrated · groundbreaking · innovative · enduring
- 1920s Musicjazz, ragtime, Charleston, Dixieland, blues
- 1920s IconsBabe Ruth, Charlie Chaplin, Al Capone, Charles Lindbergh, Duke Ellington
- Famous GeorgesGeorges Braque
- songwritersBob Dylan, songwriter, lyricists, composer, lyricist
- Early 20th Century MusiciansLouis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Enrico Caruso, Scott Joplin
- Jewish AmericansAlbert Einstein, Steven Spielberg, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bernie Sanders, Jerry Seinfeld
George GershwinJohannes Brahms
George GershwinAaron Copland