Gershwin

George Gershwin
(1898-1937)

Ira Gershwin
(1896-1983)

He composed famous "Rhapsody In Blue", when he was twenty six years old. This was one of the first trials that changed Jazz into concert style.

Not only Stravinsky, Ravel and Bernstein recognized the power of Jazz, furthermore Jazz began to influence in pure music.

George wished to learn composing more and he was abroad to Europe and asked to be a pupil of Stravinsky or Ravel but they didn't accept his request.

He wrote "An American In Paris" while he was staying in Europe.

His parents let his elder brother Ira to learn piano, but George had gotten better and beat him. Ira wrote many lyrics and George composed music together.

1998 is the centennial of his birth, many concerts from small to large which are titled Gershwin. We do not feel any border of genre in music of Gershwin. "The second Rhapsody" was rarely played in the triple piano concert of Norio Maeda. This is difficult music and Maeda saying "This will be the first time and the last time for us to play Second Rhapsody".

George died at thirty nine years old.