George Gershwin (born Jacob Gershwine; 1898 -1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928), the songs “Swanee” (1919) and “Fascinating Rhythm” (1924), the jazz standards “Embraceable You” (1928) and “I Got Rhythm” (1930), and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935), which included the hit “Summertime”.
It would take too long to even list the numerous shows, songs, film scores and orchestral works which were penned by Gershwin in his relatively short life (he died of a brain tumor when just 38 years old), often in collaboration with his lyricist brother, Ira. His career and compositions were immensely impactful on music in the 20th century. Using estimates of earnings accrued in a composer's lifetime, George Gershwin was the wealthiest composer of all time.
Briefly about each of the pieces (usually not complete) in the medley:
1. “Strike Up the Band” - composed in 1927 by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin with the collaboration of Millie Raush. It was written for the musical Strike Up the Band, where it formed part of a satire on war and militaristic music. Although the musical was not successful, the instrumental version of the song, titled the “March from Strike Up the Band”, has become quite well known.
2. “I Got Rhythm” - composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the musical Girl Crazy in 1930. Ethel Merman sang the song in the original Broadway production and Broadway lore holds that George Gershwin, after seeing her opening reviews, warned her never to take a singing lesson. Her performance of the song made her an instant star.
3. “Embraceable You” – written in 1928 for an unpublished operetta named East Is West. It was published in 1930 and included in that year’s Broadway musical Girl Crazy, performed by Ginger Rogers in a song and dance routine choreographed by Fred Astaire.
4. “An American in Paris” – the medley contains just fragments of the jazz-influenced symphonic poem (or tone poem), which is 17 minutes long. It was first performed in 1928. It was inspired by the time that Gershwin had spent in Paris and evokes the sights and energy of the French capital during the Années folles (“crazy years” in French).
5. “Prelude II (Blue Lullaby)” – the second of three short piano pieces by George Gershwin, which were first performed by the composer at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in 1926. Dedicated to Gershwin’s friend, Bill Daly, Gershwin himself referred to the piece as “a sort of blues lullaby”.
6. “Summertime” - an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics, in two stanzas, are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based.
7. “Rhapsody in Blue” – our medley contains just fragments of the full piece, which is 17 minutes long. Originally a 1924 musical composition for solo piano and jazz band, it was commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman. The work combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects and premiered in a concert titled “An Experiment in Modern Music”. Whiteman's arranger Ferde Grofé orchestrated the rhapsody several times, including the 1924 original scoring, the 1926 pit orchestra scoring and the 1942 full orchestra scoring. It established Gershwin’s reputation as an eminent composer, and became one of the most popular of all concert works.
