World music history would not be complete without George Gershwin, a brilliant composer and talented pianist who worked in the first quarter of the 20th century. His bright talent and incredible talent combined with perseverance ensured him a resounding success. Gershwin’s works are now very popular, not only in the United States, but also far beyond the borders of this country.
Before he officially changed his name, his name was not George, but Jacob. And his parents bore the name Gershovits – they were Odessa Jews who emigrated to the United States even before the birth of their son. During his life, George Gershwin composed many different works, including two operas. But the composer preferred to create mainly in the musical genre. A little-known fact – Gershwin was a very talented artist. True, music made him famous anyway. He received an Oscar for music for one of the films, but only posthumously, since he died before the award ceremony. George Gershwin had no children, and he was never married.
Contemporaries noted that the composer was an ardent workaholic. Once, during a concert, he fainted due to nervous exhaustion – he worked too much and did not rest enough. The famous composer Rachmaninoff spoke highly of the work of George Gershwin. At the premiere of his “Rhapsody in Blues”, he even sat in the front row. Already being famous, Gershwin also helped his brother, also a musician, advance. True, his brother Ira took a pseudonym for himself, not wanting to earn popularity thanks to the surname glorified by George. For three years, George Gershwin traveled to Europe, visiting many countries. In his youth, he worked as a tutor of playing the piano.
The composer was not only a brother, but also two sisters. George Gershwin discovered a talent for music very early. His elder brother studied music, but George, whom no one had ever taught, began to practice himself, and soon achieved greater heights than his brother. Later, when he was already receiving a musical education, one of his mentors was the unique composer Schillinger. And his uniqueness lies in the fact that he considered music from the perspective of mathematics. George Gershwin finally decided to become a musician at the age of 12.
