George Gershwin

This is a comprehensive illustrated biography for the music enthusiast of the American songwriter and composer George Gershwin.

The text, which places his work in the context of his times, is supplemented by reference material.

George Gershwin (1898-1937) is arguably the century's greatest songwriter, admired and loved for hit songs such as "The Man I Love" (1924) and "S Wonderful" (1927).

He achieved early acclaim and riches from his song "Swanee" (1919) and was one of the first composers to realize the exciting potential of combining elements of jazz and popular song with the forms and instrumentation of symphonic music.

In the wake of the success of concert pieces that followed the famous "Rhapsody in Blue" (1924), he was lauded by such classical luminaries as Maurice Ravel and Arnold Schoenberg.

But critics quickly seized on the technical deficiencies of these larger-scale works, wounding the egocentric Gershwin who was ever defensive about his lack of formal training.

The enduring popularity of the concert pieces (among them "An American in Paris") is nevertheless testimony to the appeal of wonderful melody and fascinating rhythm over structural perfection. Over the same period George, together with lyricist brother Ira, produced a stream of successful Broadway musicals, later working in Hollywood writing memorable songs for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, among others.

But the single musical achievement for which Gershwin is remembered is the folk opera "Porgy and Bess", a fusion of opera and theatre that emerges from the sounds of ragtime, blues and Negro spirituals.

Sadly Gershwin did not live to see its acceptance in the world's greatest opera houses.

This biography places Gershwin's music within the context of his frenetic lifestyle to show how a teenaged song-plugger from Tin Pan Alley became internationally renowned in a career that spanned a mere two decades.

It also brings home the realization that Gershwin's tragic death from a brain tumour aged 38 robbed us of untold musical treasures.

This text is part of the 20th-century composers series, examining composers in a biographical context, and offering a comprehensive study of key figures in the creation of 20th-century music.

None of the books in the series presume a knowledge of specialized terms or musical notation. Each book in the series features a list of works, a bibliography, and a discography.