Gershwin at the Piano: LIZA (sheet music, Noten, partitura, spartiti, 楽譜, 乐谱)

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George Gershwin: Architect of American Sound

George Gershwin stands as a colossus in 20th-century music, a unique and transformative figure who fundamentally reshaped the American musical landscape. His genius lay in his unparalleled ability to synthesize disparate elements – the syncopated vitality of jazz and blues, the harmonic sophistication of European classical tradition, the immediacy of Broadway melody, and the rhythmic dynamism of Tin Pan Alley – into a cohesive, thrilling, and distinctly American voice. More than just a composer of hits, he elevated popular idioms to the concert hall and infused classical forms with the vibrant energy of the street, leaving an indelible mark on music that resonates profoundly today. This article delves exhaustively into his life, style, techniques, influences, legacy, and vast body of work.

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I. Biography: From Tin Pan Alley to Immortality (1898-1937)

• Early Years (1898-1914): Born Jacob Gershwine on September 26, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. Music wasn’t an immediate focus; he was a streetwise, athletic child. His life changed irrevocably at age 10 when the family acquired a piano intended for his older brother, Ira. George immediately displayed prodigious talent, outpacing Ira. He began formal lessons with neighborhood teachers, absorbing classical fundamentals while simultaneously being captivated by the ragtime pianists he heard in Harlem and the popular tunes echoing from Tin Pan Alley.
• Tin Pan Alley Apprenticeship (1914-1919): Dropping out of high school at 15, Gershwin became a “song plugger” for Jerome H. Remick & Co. on Tin Pan Alley. This demanding job involved demonstrating new songs to performers and publishers for hours daily, honing his sight-reading, improvisational skills, and intimate understanding of popular taste. He began composing songs, publishing his first, “When You Want ‘Em, You Can’t Get ‘Em,” in 1916. Crucially, in 1918, he began his lifelong professional and personal partnership with his brother Ira, whose witty, sophisticated, and perfectly matched lyrics became the ideal complement to George’s music.
• Broadway Breakthrough and Rising Fame (1919-1924): The 1919 song “Swanee” (lyrics by Irving Caesar), popularized explosively by Al Jolson, became Gershwin’s first massive hit. This launched a string of successful Broadway shows throughout the early 1920s, including La, La Lucille (1919), George White’s Scandals of 1920 (featuring the hit “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise”), and Sweet Little Devil (1924). He was establishing himself as a leading force in musical theatre, known for rhythmic zest and memorable melodies.
• Rhapsody in Blue and Concert Ambitions (1924-1928): The pivotal moment arrived on February 12, 1924. Bandleader Paul Whiteman, aiming to showcase “An Experiment in Modern Music,” commissioned Gershwin for a “jazz concerto.” Working frantically, Gershwin composed Rhapsody in Blue in weeks, orchestrating it with Ferde Grofé. Premiered with Gershwin at the piano, its audacious fusion of jazz rhythms, blues harmonies, and romantic sweep caused a sensation. Overnight, Gershwin transcended Tin Pan Alley and Broadway, becoming a serious “concert composer.” He followed this with the Piano Concerto in F (1925) – a more formally structured work showcasing his growth – and the tone poem An American in Paris (1928), evoking the sights and sounds of the French capital with taxi horns and infectious energy.
• Mature Broadway and Hollywood (1929-1936): Despite his concert success, Gershwin remained committed to Broadway, producing some of his most sophisticated scores with Ira: Strike Up the Band (1930 – satirical), Girl Crazy (1930 – introducing Ethel Merman with “I Got Rhythm” and featuring Ginger Rogers), Of Thee I Sing (1931 – the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama), and Let ‘Em Eat Cake (1933). The Great Depression shifted opportunities, and the brothers turned to Hollywood in 1936, writing songs for films like Shall We Dance (“They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Slap That Bass”) and A Damsel in Distress (“A Foggy Day,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It”).
• Porgy and Bess: The Magnum Opus (1935): The culmination of Gershwin’s ambition was Porgy and Bess. Premiering in 1935 after years of research and composition (including time spent on South Carolina’s James Island absorbing Gullah culture), it was billed as an “American folk opera.” Drawing deeply on African-American musical idioms – spirituals, blues, work songs, jazz – within a largely through-composed operatic structure, it featured an all-Black cast. Despite initial mixed reviews and ongoing debates about representation, its power, melodic genius (“Summertime,” “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So”), and dramatic intensity have cemented its status as one of the greatest American operas.
• Tragic End (1937): While working in Hollywood and planning a return to New York for new projects, Gershwin began experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, and olfactory hallucinations in early 1937. Misdiagnosed initially, he collapsed into a coma on July 9th. Emergency surgery revealed a malignant brain tumor (glioblastoma). He died without regaining consciousness on July 11, 1937, at the devastatingly young age of 38, cutting short a career still reaching for new heights.

II. Music Style: The Alchemy of American Sound

Gershwin’s style is a masterful synthesis:

1. Jazz Foundation: Syncopation, swung rhythms, blue notes (flatted 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths), and call-and-response patterns are fundamental. He captured the rhythmic drive and improvisatory spirit of jazz within meticulously composed frameworks.
2. Blues Essence: The harmonic structure and melancholic expressiveness of the blues permeate his work, from popular songs to concert pieces. The use of blue notes and blues progressions (I-IV-I-V-I or variations) adds profound emotional depth.
3. Tin Pan Alley Craftsmanship: He possessed an unmatched gift for creating infectious, memorable melodies with perfect contours for the voice. His songs exhibit superb craftsmanship in verse-chorus structure, harmonic interest within accessibility, and rhythmic vitality.
4. Classical Ambition and Technique: Gershwin deeply admired composers like Liszt, Chopin, Ravel, and Stravinsky. He incorporated classical forms (concerto, rhapsody, tone poem, opera), sophisticated orchestration (especially post-Rhapsody), contrapuntal textures, and complex harmonies into his concert works and even enriched his theatre scores.
5. Rhythmic Vitality: Driving, often motoric rhythms propel his music forward. Polyrhythms and cross-rhythms add complexity and excitement, directly derived from jazz and ragtime influences.
6. Harmonic Sophistication: While grounded in tonality, Gershwin constantly enriched his harmonic palette. He used extended chords (7ths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths), chromaticism, modal interchange (borrowing chords from parallel modes), and unexpected modulations with flair and purpose, creating both surprise and emotional resonance. His harmonic language became a crucial bridge between popular and classical idioms.
7. Orchestral Color: From the distinctive opening clarinet glissando of Rhapsody in Blue to the evocative Parisian street sounds in An American in Paris and the rich, dramatic textures of Porgy and Bess, Gershwin developed a highly colorful and evocative orchestral style, often aided by Ferde Grofé initially but mastered independently later.

III. Improvisational Licks and Jazz Interpretation

It’s vital to clarify: George Gershwin himself was primarily a composer, not a renowned improviser in the vein of Louis Armstrong or Art Tatum. His genius lay in writing music that sounded improvised and that inspired generations of improvisers.

• Composed “Improvisation”: In his piano writing (especially the solo cadenzas in Rhapsody and the Concerto in F) and in instrumental solos within his songs and Porgy and Bess, Gershwin brilliantly composed passages that mimic the spontaneity, rhythmic freedom, and blues/jazz vocabulary of improvisation. These are “licks” in the sense of idiomatic jazz phrases written into the score.
• Blueprint for Improvisers: Gershwin’s compositions, particularly his songs (“I Got Rhythm,” “Oh, Lady Be Good!,” “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” “‘S Wonderful,” “Embraceable You,” “But Not For Me”) and the themes from his concert works, became foundational vehicles for jazz improvisation. The chord progressions of these tunes, especially the ubiquitous “Rhythm Changes” (based on “I Got Rhythm”: I-VI-ii-V | iii-VI-ii-V | I-VI-ii-V | V | IV-iv-I-V/I | ii-V-I), became one of the most important harmonic structures in jazz, alongside the 12-bar blues. Countless jazz musicians (Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and thousands more) have built their improvisations on Gershwin’s harmonic frameworks and melodies.
• Idiomatic Phrases: Gershwin’s written lines for instruments often incorporated quintessential jazz vocabulary:
  • Blue Notes: Flatted thirds and sevenths woven into melodies and harmonies.
  • Syncopation and Swung Rhythms: Off-beat accents and triplet-based feels.
  • Riffs: Short, repeated, catchy rhythmic-melodic figures common in big band jazz (e.g., the opening of “I Got Rhythm”).
  • Grace Notes and Slides: Emulating vocal inflections and instrumental techniques (like the clarinet glissando).
  • Arpeggiation and Embellishment: Rapid runs and decorative figures around chord tones, mimicking improvisatory flourish.

IV. Chord Progressions and Music Harmony: The Gershwin Palette

Gershwin’s harmonic language was revolutionary for popular music and highly sophisticated within his concert works:

1. Tonal Foundation with Blues Infusion: Primarily rooted in major/minor keys, but constantly infused with blue notes. A simple C major chord might have an E-natural and E-flat coexisting melodically or harmonically (e.g., a C7 chord with both E and E-flat implying a blues scale).
2. Extended Tertian Harmony: He used higher extensions (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) not just as color tones but as fundamental harmonic colors, often in root position. A Gershwin chord might be a C13#11 or a Dm9, adding richness and ambiguity. These were often voiced in open, pianistic ways.
3. Chromaticism and Altered Dominants: Gershwin loved chromatic passing chords and especially altered dominant chords (V7b9, V7#9, V7#5, V7alt) for dramatic tension and bluesy color. The “Spanish Tinge” (using Phrygian mode or related harmonies, like the famous opening chord of “Summertime” – Em7b5/A) is another chromatic hallmark.
4. Modal Interchange (Borrowed Chords): He frequently borrowed chords from the parallel minor or other modes. For example, in a major key, using iv (minor subdominant), bVI, bVII, or even the Neapolitan chord (bII) for expressive effect and surprise. The bridge of “Embraceable You” is a masterclass in this.
5. Unexpected Modulations: Gershwin could shift keys abruptly and effectively, often using chromatic mediants (e.g., C major to A major or E major) or sequential patterns. The development section of the Concerto in F showcases this brilliantly.
6. “Rhythm Changes”: As mentioned, the progression from “I Got Rhythm” (AABA: | I-VI-ii-V | iii-VI-ii-V | I-VI-ii-V | V | IV-iv-I-V/I | ii-V-I |) became a jazz standard unto itself. Its clever use of secondary dominants, circle of fifths motion, and the chromatic IV-iv-I descent made it endlessly fertile ground for improvisation.
7. Blues Progressions: Standard 12-bar blues (I-I-I-I | IV-IV-I-I | V-IV-I-I/V) and variations form the backbone of many songs (“The Man I Love,” “Summertime” intro) and sections within larger works.
8. Planing and Parallel Motion: Sometimes moving chords in parallel motion (especially dominant 7ths or diminished chords) for dramatic effect or to create a specific texture, foreshadowing techniques used in later jazz and film scoring.

V. Influences: The Wellsprings of Genius

Gershwin absorbed influences voraciously:

• Early Jazz/Ragtime/Blues: James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, stride pianists; the sounds of Harlem nightclubs; Bessie Smith and the blues tradition.
• Tin Pan Alley: Jerome Kern (especially Show Boat), Irving Berlin, Victor Herbert. The craft of popular songwriting.
• Classical Composers:
  • French Impressionism: Debussy (orchestral color, whole-tone scales, parallel chords), Ravel (harmonic sophistication, orchestration – Gershwin sought lessons from him).
  • Romantics: Liszt (virtuoso piano writing, thematic transformation), Chopin (lyricism, piano technique), Tchaikovsky (melodic sweep, orchestration).
  • Modernists: Stravinsky (rhythmic energy, dissonance, The Rite of Spring‘s impact), Berg (expressionism, explored briefly).
• Jewish Cantorial Music: The melismatic, expressive vocal lines heard in synagogue during his youth.
• African-American Music: Spirituals, work songs, and the burgeoning jazz scene – the most profound influence, shaping his rhythmic core, harmonic language (blues), and melodic expressiveness.

VI. Legacy: The Enduring Resonance

Gershwin’s impact is immeasurable and multifaceted:

1. Bridging the Gap: He demolished the artificial barrier between “popular” and “serious” music, demonstrating that jazz-based idioms could sustain large-scale concert forms and that classical techniques could enrich popular music. He paved the way for Bernstein, Copland, Ellington (in his suites), and countless film composers.
2. Jazz Standard-Bearer: His songs form the bedrock of the Great American Songbook and are the most significant body of work providing harmonic frameworks (“Rhythm Changes”) for the development of bebop and modern jazz. He legitimized jazz as a compositional resource.
3. American Musical Identity: Gershwin’s music captured the energy, optimism, complexity, and multicultural essence of America in the Jazz Age like no other. Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess are sonic emblems of the nation.
4. Musical Theatre Evolution: His Broadway shows, especially with Ira, elevated the sophistication of musical comedy (Of Thee I Sing) and integrated jazz more deeply into the genre (Girl Crazy, Lady, Be Good!), influencing Rodgers & Hart, Porter, Kern, and later Sondheim.
5. Operatic Achievement: Porgy and Bess remains a towering, if complex, landmark in American opera, proving opera could be written in a distinctly American vernacular and tackling significant social themes.
6. Pervasive Cultural Presence: His melodies are instantly recognizable worldwide, used in countless films, commercials, and arrangements. He is simply one of the most famous and beloved composers of the 20th century.

VII. Major Works: A Selective Catalogue

• Orchestral:
  • Rhapsody in Blue (1924 – piano & orchestra/jazz band)
  • Piano Concerto in F (1925)
  • An American in Paris (1928 – tone poem)
  • Second Rhapsody (originally Rhapsody in Rivets) (1931 – piano & orchestra)
  • Cuban Overture (1932)
  • Variations on “I Got Rhythm” (1934 – piano & orchestra)
• Opera:
  • Porgy and Bess (1935)
• Musicals (with Ira Gershwin, unless noted):
  • Lady, Be Good! (1924 – “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” “Oh, Lady Be Good!”)
  • Tip-Toes (1925 – “That Certain Feeling,” “Sweet and Low-Down”)
  • Oh, Kay! (1926 – “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Clap Yo’ Hands”)
  • Funny Face (1927 – “‘S Wonderful,” “My One and Only,” “He Loves and She Loves”)
  • Strike Up the Band (1930 – “Strike Up the Band,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You”)
  • Girl Crazy (1930 – “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “But Not For Me,” “Bidin’ My Time”)
  • Of Thee I Sing (1931 – “Of Thee I Sing,” “Who Cares?,” “Love is Sweeping the Country”) – Pulitzer Prize
  • Pardon My English (1933)
  • Let ‘Em Eat Cake (1933 – sequel to Of Thee I Sing)
• Film Scores (with Ira Gershwin):
  • Delicious (1931 – “New York Rhapsody” excerpt known as Second Rhapsody)
  • Shall We Dance (1937 – “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Slap That Bass,” “Shall We Dance?”)
  • A Damsel in Distress (1937 – “A Foggy Day,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Things Are Looking Up”)
  • The Goldwyn Follies (1938 – “Love Walked In,” “Love is Here to Stay” – released posthumously)
• Significant Individual Songs (with various lyricists, primarily Ira): “Swanee” (Caesar), “The Man I Love,” “Somebody Loves Me,” “Rhapsody in Blue” themes, “Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away),” “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “But Not For Me,” “‘S Wonderful,” “How Long Has This Been Going On?,” “My One and Only,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Strike Up the Band,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” “Who Cares?,” “Love is Sweeping the Country,” “Summertime,” “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “A Woman is a Sometime Thing,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “A Foggy Day,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Love Walked In,” “Love is Here to Stay.”

VIII. Filmography (as Composer)

• The Sunshine Trail (1923) – early, lost silent film score
• Delicious (1931)
• Shall We Dance (1937)
• A Damsel in Distress (1937)
• The Goldwyn Follies (1938 – completed posthumously)

Numerous documentaries and biopics have been made about Gershwin, including Rhapsody in Blue (1945) and Gershwin (2010 PBS American Masters).

IX. Discography Highlights (Historical Recordings)

• Gershwin as Pianist:
  • George Gershwin Plays Rhapsody in Blue (1924 acoustic recording, abridged – with Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra)
  • George Gershwin Plays Rhapsody in Blue (1927 electrical recording, full version – with Whiteman)
  • Gershwin Plays Gershwin: Rare Piano Rolls (recorded c. 1916-1927)
  • Selections from Song-Book (1932-34 recordings of his solo piano arrangements of his songs)
• Early Recordings of Works:
  • An American in Paris (1929 – Nathaniel Shilkret & Victor Symphony Orchestra)
  • Selections from Porgy and Bess (Original 1935 Cast Highlights – Decca)
• Landmark Interpretations (Posthumous):
  • Rhapsody in Blue & Concerto in F (Oscar Levant, piano; Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra – Columbia, 1940s)
  • Porgy and Bess (Complete Opera – Lorin Maazel/Cleveland Orchestra; Leontyne Price, William Warfield – RCA, 1963)
  • Porgy and Bess (Complete Opera – Simon Rattle/London Philharmonic; Willard White, Cynthia Haymon – EMI, 1988)
  • Countless jazz recordings of his songs by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, etc.

X. Most Known Compositions and Performances

• Rhapsody in Blue: The defining work, instantly recognizable clarinet glissando. Premiered 1924 (Gershwin piano/Whiteman Orchestra). Landmark recordings by Gershwin himself, Oscar Levant, Leonard Bernstein.
• “Summertime” (from Porgy and Bess): Arguably the most covered song in history. Iconic performances by original cast (Abbie Mitchell), Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Janis Joplin, countless others.
• An American in Paris: Evocative tone poem, famous for its taxi horns. Premiered 1928 (NY Philharmonic). Famous recordings by Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO, Leonard Bernstein/NY Philharmonic.
• “I Got Rhythm” (from Girl Crazy): The song and its chord changes revolutionized jazz. Ethel Merman’s powerhouse debut performance legendary. Bebop anthem via Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie.
• Porgy and Bess: The complete opera. Landmark productions: 1935 original, 1942 Cheryl Crawford revival, 1976 Houston Grand Opera revival (established it in opera houses), 1986 Glyndebourne, 2012 Broadway revival.
• Piano Concerto in F: Major concert work. Premiered 1925 (Gershwin piano/Walter Damrosch/NY Symphony). Famous recordings by Oscar Levant, André Previn, Leonard Bernstein (as pianist).
• “Embraceable You” (from Girl Crazy): Quintessential romantic ballad. Definitive vocal recordings by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan; instrumental by Charlie Parker.
• “Someone to Watch Over Me” (from Oh, Kay!): Enduring standard. Classic recordings by Gertrude Lawrence (original), Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse.
• “‘S Wonderful” (from Funny Face): Exuberant love song. Famous by Fred Astaire (original), Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall.
• “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” (from Shall We Dance): Poignant standard. Astaire/Rogers film performance iconic. Great recordings by Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles.
• “A Foggy Day (In London Town)” (from A Damsel in Distress): Sophisticated ballad. Astaire film performance classic. Miles Davis’ instrumental version (from Porgy and Bess album) highly influential.

The Unfinished Symphony:

George Gershwin’s life was tragically short, yet his artistic output was monumental and transformative. He possessed an uncanny ability to channel the spirit of his time – the restless energy, the cultural collisions, the boundless optimism tinged with bluesy melancholy of America in the early 20th century. By fusing the syncopated soul of jazz and blues with the structural rigor and expressive range of classical music, he created a new musical dialect that was undeniably, vibrantly American. His concert works legitimized jazz idioms on the highest artistic platforms, while his songs and musicals redefined popular entertainment with unprecedented sophistication. Porgy and Bess remains a powerful, complex testament to his ambition and empathy. His chord progressions, especially “Rhythm Changes,” became the very DNA of modern jazz. More than eighty years after his untimely death, Gershwin’s melodies remain instantly recognizable, his harmonies continue to inspire exploration, and his spirit – energetic, innovative, and deeply American – continues to pulse through concert halls, jazz clubs, theatres, and films worldwide. He didn’t just write music; he helped define the sound of a nation. His symphony, though unfinished, echoes eternally.

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