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George Gershwin: New York
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At age 25, George Gershwin took only three weeks to compose his most identifiable masterpiece. The episodic and jazzy one-movement piano concerto evokes the hustle and bustle of New York's grand metropolitan aura.
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Gershwin’s parents moved to New York from Russia before George’s birth. The family name changed gradually from Gershovitz, to Gershwine, to the now familiar Gershwin. He took only a few lessons as a young man in piano and composition. He once tried to convince the famed Arnold Schoenberg to give him lessons in composition. Arnold replied, "I would only make you a bad Shoenberg, and you are such a good Gershwin already!" His success truly began with the compositiion of Swanee.
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Gershwin was born Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn, New York to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. His father, Morris (Moishe) Gershowitz, changed the family name to Gershwin sometime after immigrating from St. Petersburg, Russia. Gershwin's mother, Rosa Bruskin... immigrated from Russia; she married Gershowitz four years later.
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Edward Jablonski's 1987 biography, Gershwin, is considered the definitive work--it is certainly the longest and most thorough of the numerous Gershwin biographies. Jablonski sees Gershwin as symbolizing the youthfulness, brashness and quick-wittedness of America coming into its own. The portrait is both sympathic and extremely well-researched. Allan Kendall's George Gershwin: A Biography (... published in 1987), takes a slightly different view. He sees the split in Gershwin's personality and musical pursuits as representing a split in the American character between wanting to preserve European traditions and wanting to blaze new trails.
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In July of 1937, George collapsed in a washroom and was rushed to the hospital. For five hours, doctors tried to remove a deeply embedded brain tumour. He never regained consciousness. He died July 11, 1937. George Gershwin's funeral was held at Temple Eman-El in New York City. 3,500 people attended.
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George completely forgot about writing the piece. Roughly three weeks before the composition was to premier, George noticed an advertisement which announced the premier of an exciting new composition by George Gershwin. In less than three weeks, George would compose the work which defined his career and elevated him to a level of greatness.
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