Gershwin's Galligaskins

[mc ukrneal]

How is Gershwin underrated? He is probably the most famous American composer in Europe, and is still a household name in US. He might actually be considerably OVERrated if we realize that Gershwin belonged to a generation of composers like Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Britten, Stravinsky, Khachaturian, Copland, Bartok... Every one of these composers (and many others) were incomparably greater than Gershwin, but some are less known to general audiences.

His melodies are haunting and beautiful, and I love most of his works. I just don't see how he needs more recognition than he already has.

I think on the 'classical' side, he is under-rated. That is, he is not taken as seriously BECAUSE he did all that other stuff (at which he was great). And perhaps over-rated on the pop/broadway/other side. That lands me firmly of the camp of over- and under- rated. I don't know how how I got myself here, and I haven't a clue how to get myself out. Guess I'll just have to go listen to some Gershwin...

[Brian]

How is Gershwin underrated? He is probably the most famous American composer in Europe, and is still a household name in US. He might actually be considerably OVERrated if we realize that Gershwin belonged to a generation of composers like Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Britten, Stravinsky, Khachaturian, Copland, Bartok... Every one of these composers (and many others) were incomparably greater than Gershwin, but some are less known to general audiences.

His melodies are haunting and beautiful, and I love most of his works. I just don't see how he needs more recognition than he already has.

What ukrneal said: pops audiences love Gershwin, and people flock to see Rhapsody in Blue, but the more serious listeners on this board might be too busy listening to Pettersson and Mahler to put "Of Thee I Sing" on the CD player...

If somebody is saying Gershwin is underrated, what they mean is he's at the head of the kids' table but they want him to get a seat at the big boys' table. 

[karlhenning]

I think this discussion underscores the (apparent) fact that, if this is the only Gershwin thread (it was where the very helpful Composer Index pointed me), then we ought to re-title it . . . .

[karlhenning]

Itching now to read the whole book, which I browsed a bit in a shop three-ish years ago:

. . . Gershwin had more exposure to Schoenberg later in the year, when on November 1, 1923, he collaborated with Eva Gauthier on what was billed as a "Recital of Ancient and Modern Music for Voice" at New York's Aeolian Hall. In addition to a set of popular songs for which Gershwin played the piano, Gauthier, accompanied by pianist Max Jaffe, performed a sophisticated mix of Bellini, Perucchini, Purcell, Byrd, Bartók, Hindemith, Schoenberg, Bliss, Milhaud, Maurice Delage (a student of Ravel's), and Swan Hennessy (an Irish American composer living in Paris). The Schoenberg selection consisted of the American première of "Song of the Wood Dove" from Gurrelieder, arranged for voice and piano by Alban Berg. Gershwin had the opportunity to hear some of this and other music while collaborating with Gauthier on subsequent concerts in Boston (1924), London (1925), and Derby, Connecticut (1926).

Gershwin witnessed not only the American première of Pierrot in 1923, but very likely another landmark event in New York's musical life: the city's first hearing of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring on January 31, 1924, with Pierre Monteux and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  Assuming he attended the concert, Gershwin presumably would have recognized some shared aims and ideals, as did early listeners to the Rhapsody in Blue—unveiled a mere two weeks after the Stravinsky première. In any case, the work, which "exercised a very great influence on him," as he told Merle Armitage, became one of his favorite compositions.

(George Gershwin: His Life and Work, Howard Pollack, University of California Press, 2007, p.38)

[karlhenning]

Of course, I ought to have started with the immediately preceding paragraph:

. . . Gershwin also preserved the program for a February 4, 1923, concert sponsored by New York's International Composers' Guild that featured the American première of Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire (1912) along with Charles Koechlin's Sonata for Two Flutes, Erik Satie's Sports et divertissements, and excerpts from Darius Milhaud's Saudades do Brazil.  Although by this point Pierrot had been around for a while, worldwide performances of the work in the early 1920s, states David Metzer, "served as a lightning rod for the growing and vehement dispute surrounding new music." Considering that Gershwin saved the program, and remembering, too, the deep respect Hambitzer and Kilenyi held for Schoenberg, one can easily guess on which side he came down.

(George Gershwin: His Life and Work, Howard Pollack, University of California Press, 2007, pp.37-38)

[madaboutmahler]

Really enjoyed the Levine cd, great, jazzy performances!
Listening to the the 'Catfish Row' suite has given me the deperate desire to hear all of Porgy and Bess, sounds absolutely great!! 

Such a shame he died so young, could have written so so much more!

[San Antone]

Hard to believe that this is just the second post in a thread devoted to George Gershwin. 

I have been listening to this 2-CD recording of Gershwin by Joanna MacGregor that is (IMO) very fine.

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Her Rhapsody in Blue is the "jazz band" version, which, to my ears, is preferable.  Also included is the Concerto in F, and many of his song arrangements, all played very nicely by Ms MacGregor.

[Gurn Blanston]

Hard to believe that this is just the second post in a thread devoted to George Gershwin. 

I have been listening to this 2-CD recording of Gershwin by Joanna MacGregor that is (IMO) very fine.

[asin]B004W7GP7Y[/asin]

Her Rhapsody in Blue is the "jazz band" version, which, to my ears, is preferable.  Also included is the Concerto in F, and many of his song arrangements, all played very nicely by Ms MacGregor.

I think you can attribute that more to Rob Newman than to Gershwin. I'm a big Gershwin fan, I think he was the finest American composer. No favorite recording to rec though; I like 'em all.

[San Antone]

I think you can attribute that more to Rob Newman than to Gershwin. I'm a big Gershwin fan, I think he was the finest American composer. No favorite recording to rec though; I like 'em all.

If you haven't heard her performance of RIP, by all means I think any Gershwin fan should.  And the Concerto is also enjoyable.

[Karl Henning]

Hard to believe that this is just the second post in a thread devoted to George Gershwin. 

Even a good message suffers at the hand of a crank messenger (viz. the OP).

So, I thank you for redeeming the thread!  And yes, you're right, it's time I listened to this:

[Christo]

Gershwin is our 'family composer', equally suiting the tastes of two generations and both genders. 'Walking the Dog' is my daughter's favourite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_the_Dog_%28Gershwin%29 

http://youtu.be/t67SdkYubs4

[Karl Henning]

When You Want 'em, You Can't Get 'em, When You've Got 'em, You Don't Want 'em

http://www.youtube.com/v/GqL_Yn3FqWo

[Gurn Blanston]

His Lieder are darned fine too:

http://youtu.be/IRSmEMc8vvA

[San Antone]

His Lieder are darned fine too:

http://youtu.be/IRSmEMc8vvA

Agreed.

I wore out my copy of the Ella Fitzgerald Gershwin Songbook (back then it was a 2-LP vinyl set); since replaced by the 3-CD version.  Other sets by Sarah Vaughan and Chris Connor are worth hearing too.

A while back I was collecting the Broadway shows that were put out by the Smithsonian and the Gershwin Family.  These recordings reconstructed the shows with their original scores and orchestrations.  Such as ...

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[vandermolen]

Variations on 'I've got Rhythm' and 'An American in Paris' are my favourites.

[Gurn Blanston]

Variations on 'I've got Rhythm' and 'An American in Paris' are my favourites.

These are not those, but other surprisingly good things:

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The stuff from Porgy and Bess is especially nice.

[vandermolen]

These are not those, but other surprisingly good things:

[asin]B000009OP5[/asin]

The stuff from Porgy and Bess is especially nice.

Very much agree about Porgy and Bess.

[EigenUser]

Variations on 'I've got Rhythm' and 'An American in Paris' are my favourites.

Concerto in F and An American in Paris are my favorites. Cuban Overture, too. This is a pathetic thread for such a great composer. I'm guessing it is probably because that historical eraser guy started it.

NEWMAN!

[Gurn Blanston]

Concerto in F and An American in Paris are my favorites. Cuban Overture, too. This is a pathetic thread for such a great composer. I'm guessing it is probably because that historical eraser guy started it.

NEWMAN!

  Yes, I think so too. Although I thought we already had another Gershwin thread but apparently not. I agree about Cuban Overture, always has been a favorite.

[Rons_talking]

I believe that his songs are his true masterpieces. Too many to name but "The Man I Love" "How Long has this been Going On," "Someone to Watch Over Me" are among my favorites. My dad was a TV and film composer and his absolute music is way too Gershwin-influenced (he used to say mine was too Copland influenced. ..), so I have daddy issues when it comes to GW. But without a doubt I can state that "An American in Paris" is my all-time Gershwin symphonic fav. Rhapsody......too many blues conventions. Cuban Overture is great. I need to re-listen to it. My sacreligeous opinion is that as he distanced himself from the blues, his music became more beautiful and exciting.