George Gershwin - wikipedia George Gershwin This article is about the American composer. For other uses, see Gershwin ( disambiguation ). George Gershwin George Gershwin in 1937 Jacob Gershwine ( 1898 - 09 - 26 ) September 26, 1898 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. July 11, 1937 ( 1937 - 07 - 11 ) ( aged 38 ) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Cause of death Brain tumor Resting place Westchester Hills Cemetery Occupation Musical composer, pianist Years active 1916 -- 37 Parent ( s ) Moishe Gershowitz Roza Bruskina Relatives Ira Gershwin ( brother ) Arthur Gershwin ( brother ) Frances Gershwin ( sister ) George Jacob Gershwin ( / ˈɡɜːrʃ. wɪn / ; September 26, 1898 -- July 11, 1937 ) was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin 's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known. Among his best - known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue ( 1924 ) and An American in Paris ( 1928 ) as well as the opera Porgy and Bess ( 1935 ). Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark, Henry Cowell and Joseph Brody. He began his career as a song plugger, but soon started composing Broadway theatre works with his brother Ira Gershwin and Buddy DeSylva. He moved to Paris intending to study with Nadia Boulanger, who refused him, where he began to compose An American in Paris. After returning to New York City, he wrote Porgy and Bess with Ira and the author DuBose Heyward. Initially a commercial failure, Porgy and Bess is now considered one of the most important American operas of the twentieth century. Gershwin moved to Hollywood and composed numerous film scores until his death in 1937 from glioblastoma multiforme, a malignant brain tumor. Gershwin 's compositions have been adapted for use in many films and for television, and several became jazz standards recorded in many variations. Many celebrated singers and musicians have performed his songs. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Ancestors 1.2 Early life 1.3 Tin Pan Alley, 1913 - 1931 1.4 Europe and classical music, 1924 - 1928 1.5 New York, 1929 - 1935 1.6 Last years, 1936 - 37 1.7 Illness and death 2 Musical style and influence 3 Recordings and film 4 Compositions 5 Legacy 5.1 Estate 5.2 Awards and honors 5.3 Namesakes 5.4 Biopics 5.5 Portrayals in other media 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 8.1 Historiography 9 External links Biography Ancestors Gershwin was of Russian Jewish and Ukrainian Jewish ancestry. His grandfather, Jakov Gershowitz, had served for 25 years as a mechanic for the Imperial Russian Army to earn the right of free travel and residence as a Jew, finally retiring near Saint Petersburg. His teenage son, Moishe Gershowitz, worked as a leather cutter for women 's shoes. Moishe Gershowitz met and fell in love with Roza Bruskina, the teenage daughter of a furrier in Vilnius. She and her family moved to New York due to increasing anti-Jewish sentiment in Russia, changing her first name to Rose. Moishe, faced with compulsory military service if he remained in Russia, moved to America as soon as he could afford to. Once in New York, he changed his first name to Morris. Gershowitz lived with a maternal uncle in Brooklyn, working as a foreman in a women 's shoe factory. When he married Rose on July 21, 1895. Gershowitz soon Americanized his name to Gershwine. Their first child, Ira Gershwin, was born on December 6, 1896, after which the family moved into a second - floor apartment on Brooklyn 's Snediker Avenue. Early life On September 26, 1898, George was born as second son to Rose and Morris Gershwine in their second - floor apartment on Brooklyn 's Snediker Avenue. His birth certificate identifies him as Jacob Gershwine, with the surname pronounced ' Gersh - vin ' in the Russian and Yiddish immigrant community. He had just one given name, contrary to the American practice by then of giving children a first and a middle name. He was named after his grandfather, a one time Russian army mechanic. He soon became known as George and changed the spelling of his surname to ' Gershwin ' when he became a professional musician, and other family members followed suit. After Ira and George, another boy Arthur Gershwin ( 1900 -- 1981 ), and a girl Frances Gershwin ( 1906 -- 1999 ) were born into the family. The family lived in many different residences, as their father changed dwellings with each new enterprise in which he became involved. Mostly, they grew up around the Yiddish Theater District. George and Ira frequented the local Yiddish theaters, with George occasionally appearing onstage as an extra. George lived a usual childhood existence for children of New York tenements : running around with his boyhood friends, roller skating and misbehaving in the streets. Remarkably, until 1908, he cared nothing for music, when as a ten year old he was intrigued by what he heard at his friend Maxie Rosenzweig 's violin recital. The sound, and the way his friend played, captured him. His parents had bought a piano for lessons for his older brother Ira, but to his parents ' surprise, and Ira 's relief, it was George who spent more time playing it. Although his younger sister Frances was the first in the family to make a living through her musical talents, she married young and devoted herself to being a mother and housewife, thus surrendering any serious time to musical endeavors. Having given up her performing career, she settled upon painting as a creative outlet, which had also been a hobby George briefly pursued. Arthur Gershwin followed in the paths of George and Ira, also becoming a composer of songs, musicals, and short piano works. With a degree of frustration, George tried various piano teachers for some two years, before finally being introduced to Charles Hambitzer by Jack Miller, the pianist in the Beethoven Symphony Orchestra. Until his death in 1918, Hambitzer remained Gershwin 's musical mentor and taught him conventional piano technique, introduced him to music of the European classical tradition, and encouraged him to attend orchestral concerts. Following such concerts, young Gershwin would essentially try to play, on the piano at home, the music he had heard from recall, and without sheet music. As a matter of course, Gershwin later studied with the classical composer Rubin Goldmark and avant - garde composer - theorist Henry Cowell, thus formalizing his classical music training. Tin Pan Alley, 1913 - 1931 Swanee Al Jolson 's hit 1920 recording of George Gershwin and Irving Caesar 's 1919 `` Swanee ''. Problems playing this file ? See media help. In 1913, Gershwin left school at the age of 15 and found his first job as a `` song plugger ''. His employer was Jerome H. Remick and Company, a Detroit - based publishing firm with a branch office on New York City 's Tin Pan Alley, and he earned $15 a week. His first published song was `` When You Want ' Em, You Ca n't Get ' Em, When You 've Got ' Em, You Do n't Want ' Em '' in 1916 when Gershwin was only 17 years old. It earned him 50 cents. In 1916, Gershwin started working for Aeolian Company and Standard Music Rolls in New York, recording and arranging. He produced dozens, if not hundreds, of rolls under his own and assumed names ( pseudonyms attributed to Gershwin include Fred Murtha and Bert Wynn ). He also recorded rolls of his own compositions for the Duo - Art and Welte - Mignon reproducing pianos. As well as recording piano rolls, Gershwin made a brief foray into vaudeville, accompanying both Nora Bayes and Louise Dresser on the piano. His 1917 novelty Ragtime, `` Rialto Ripples '', was a commercial success. In 1919 he scored his first big national hit with his song, `` Swanee '', with words by Irving Caesar. Al Jolson, a famous Broadway singer of the day, heard Gershwin perform `` Swanee '' at a party and decided to sing it in one of his shows. In the late 1910s, Gershwin met songwriter and music director William Daly. The two collaborated on the Broadway musicals Piccadilly to Broadway ( 1920 ) and For Goodness ' Sake ( 1922 ), and jointly composed the score for Our Nell ( 1923 ). This was the beginning of a long friendship ; Daly was a frequent arranger, orchestrator and conductor of Gershwin 's music, and Gershwin periodically turned to him for musical advice. In the early 1920s, Gershwin frequently worked with the lyricist Buddy DeSylva. Together they created the experimental one - act jazz opera Blue Monday, set in Harlem. It is widely regarded as a forerunner to the groundbreaking Porgy and Bess. In 1924, George and Ira Gershwin collaborated on a stage musical comedy Lady Be Good, which included such future standards as `` Fascinating Rhythm '' and `` Oh, Lady Be Good ! ''. They followed this with Oh, Kay ! ( 1926 ), Funny Face ( 1927 ) and Strike Up the Band ( 1927 and 1930 ). Gershwin gave the song, with a modified title, to UCLA to be used as a football fight song, `` Strike Up The Band for UCLA ''. Europe and classical music, 1924 - 1928 George Gershwin, c. 1935. In 1924, Gershwin composed his first major classical work, Rhapsody in Blue, for orchestra and piano. It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé and premiered by Paul Whiteman 's concert band in New York. It proved to be his most popular work. In the mid-1920s, Gershwin stayed in Paris for a short period of time, during which he applied to study composition with the noted Nadia Boulanger, who, along with several other prospective tutors such as Maurice Ravel, rejected him. They were afraid that rigorous classical study would ruin his jazz - influenced style. Maurice Ravel 's rejection letter to Gershwin told him, `` Why become a second - rate Ravel when you 're already a first - rate Gershwin ? '' While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. This work received mixed reviews upon its first performance at Carnegie Hall on December 13, 1928, but it quickly became part of the standard repertoire in Europe and the United States. Growing tired of the Parisian musical scene, Gershwin returned to the United States. New York, 1929 - 1935 In 1929, Gershwin was contracted by Fox Film Corporation to compose the score for the movie Delicious. Only two pieces were used in the final film, the five - minute `` Dream Sequence '' and the six - minute `` Manhattan Rhapsody, '' which in expanded form was later published as the Second Rhapsody. Gershwin became infuriated when the rest of the score was rejected by Fox Film Corporation, and it would be seven years before he worked in Hollywood again. In 1929, the Gershwin brothers created Show Girl ; Girl Crazy performed 1930, which introduced the standards `` Embraceable You '', debuted by Ginger Rogers, and `` I Got Rhythm '' ; and Of Thee I Sing in 1931, which was the first musical comedy to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama ; the winners were George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, and Ira Gershwin. Gershwin 's first opera, Blue Monday, is a short one - act opera, which was not a financial success and has received only limited performances. His most ambitious composition was Porgy and Bess, first performed in 1935, based on the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward, which he called a `` folk opera '', and it is now widely regarded as one of the most important American operas of the twentieth century. `` From the very beginning, it was considered another American classic by the composer of ' Rhapsody in Blue ' -- even if critics could n't quite figure out how to evaluate it. Was it opera, or was it simply an ambitious Broadway musical ? ' It crossed the barriers, ' per theater historian Robert Kimball. ' It was n't a musical work per se, and it was n't a drama per se -- it elicited response from both music and drama critics. But the work has sort of always been outside category. '' The action takes place in the fictional, African - American neighborhood of Catfish Row, Charleston, South Carolina. With the exception of several minor speaking roles, all of the characters are African - American. The music combines elements of popular music of the day, with a strong influence of African - American music, of the period, with techniques typical of opera, such as recitative, through - composition and an extensive system of leitmotifs. Porgy and Bess contains some of Gershwin 's most sophisticated music, including a fugue, a passacaglia, the use of atonality, polytonality and polyrhythm, and a tone row. Even the `` set numbers '' ( of which `` Summertime '', `` I Got Plenty o ' Nuttin ' '' and `` It Ai n't Necessarily So '' are well known examples ) are some of the most refined and ingenious of Gershwin 's compositions. For the performances, Gershwin collaborated with Eva Jessye, whom he picked as the musical director. The work was first performed in 1935 ; it was a box - office failure in the middle of the Great Depression. Last years, 1936 - 37 After the commercial failure of Porgy and Bess, Gershwin moved to Hollywood, California. In 1936, he was commissioned by RKO Pictures to write the music for the film Shall We Dance, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Gershwin 's extended score, which would marry ballet with jazz in a new way, runs over an hour in length. It took Gershwin several months to compose and orchestrate. Gershwin had a ten - year affair with composer Kay Swift, whom he frequently consulted about his music. The two never married, although she eventually divorced her husband James Warburg in order to commit to the relationship. Swift 's granddaughter, Katharine Weber, has suggested that the pair were not married because George 's mother Rose was `` unhappy that Kay Swift was n't Jewish ''. Oh, Kay was named for her. After Gershwin 's death, Swift arranged some of his music, transcribed several of his recordings, and collaborated with his brother Ira on several projects. Illness and death Early in 1937, Gershwin began to complain of blinding headaches and a recurring impression that he smelled burning rubber. On February 11, 1937, he performed his Piano Concerto in F in a special concert of his music with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under the direction of French maestro Pierre Monteux. Gershwin, normally a superb pianist in his own compositions, suffered coordination problems and blackouts during the performance. He was at the time working on other Hollywood film projects while living with Ira and his wife Leonore in their rented house in Beverly Hills. Leonore Gershwin began to be disturbed by George 's mood swings and his seeming inability to eat without spilling food at the dinner table. She suspected mental illness and insisted he be moved out of their house to lyricist Yip Harburg 's empty quarters nearby, where he was placed in the care of his valet, Paul Mueller. The headaches and olfactory hallucinations continued. On June 23, 1937 after an incident in which Gershwin tried to push Mueller out of the car in which they were riding, he was admitted to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles for observation. Tests showed no physical cause and he was released on the 26th with a diagnosis of `` likely hysteria ''. His troubles with coordination and mental acuity worsened, though. On the night of July 9, 1937 Gershwin collapsed in Harburg 's house, where he had been working on the score of The Goldwyn Follies. He was rushed back to Cedars of Lebanon, and fell into a coma. Only then did his doctors think that he was suffering from a brain tumor. Leonore called George 's close friend Emil Mosbacher and explained the dire need to find a neurosurgeon. Mosbacher immediately called pioneering neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing in Boston, who, retired for several years by then, recommended Dr. Walter Dandy, who was on a boat fishing in Chesapeake Bay with the governor of Maryland. Mosbacher then called the White House and had a Coast Guard cutter sent to find the governor 's yacht and bring Dandy quickly to shore. Mosbacher then chartered a plane and flew Dandy to Newark Airport, where he was to catch a plane to Los Angeles ; however, by that time, Gershwin 's condition was critical and the need for surgery immediate. In the early hours of July 11th doctors at Cedars removed a large brain tumour, believed to have been a glioblastoma, but Gershwin died on the morning of July 11, 1937, at the age of 38. The fact that he had suddenly collapsed and become comatose after he stood up on July 9, has been interpreted as brain herniation with Duret haemorrhages. Gershwin 's mausoleum in Westchester Hills Cemetery Gershwin 's friends and fans were shocked and devastated. John O'Hara remarked : `` George Gershwin died on July 11, 1937, but I do n't have to believe it if I do n't want to. '' He was interred at Westchester Hills Cemetery in Hastings - on - Hudson, New York. A memorial concert was held at the Hollywood Bowl on September 8, 1937, at which Otto Klemperer conducted his own orchestration of the second of Gershwin 's Three Preludes. Musical style and influence Birthday party honoring Maurice Ravel in New York City, March 8, 1928. From left : Oskar Fried ; Éva Gauthier ; Ravel at piano ; Manoah Leide - Tedesco ; and George Gershwin. Gershwin was influenced by French composers of the early twentieth century. In turn Maurice Ravel was impressed with Gershwin 's abilities, commenting, `` Personally I find jazz most interesting : the rhythms, the way the melodies are handled, the melodies themselves. I have heard of George Gershwin 's works and I find them intriguing. '' The orchestrations in Gershwin 's symphonic works often seem similar to those of Ravel ; likewise, Ravel 's two piano concertos evince an influence of Gershwin. Gershwin asked to study with Ravel. When Ravel heard how much Gershwin earned, Ravel replied with words to the effect of, `` You should give me lessons. '' ( Some versions of this story feature Igor Stravinsky rather than Ravel as the composer ; however Stravinsky confirmed that he originally heard the story from Ravel. ) Gershwin 's own Concerto in F was criticized for being related to the work of Claude Debussy, more so than to the expected jazz style. The comparison did not deter him from continuing to explore French styles. The title of An American in Paris reflects the very journey that he had consciously taken as a composer : `` The opening part will be developed in typical French style, in the manner of Debussy and Les Six, though the tunes are original. '' Aside from the French influence, Gershwin was intrigued by the works of Alban Berg, Dmitri Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, and Arnold Schoenberg. He also asked Schoenberg for composition lessons. Schoenberg refused, saying `` I would only make you a bad Schoenberg, and you 're such a good Gershwin already. '' ( This quote is similar to one credited to Maurice Ravel during Gershwin 's 1928 visit to France -- `` Why be a second - rate Ravel, when you are a first - rate Gershwin ? '' ) Gershwin was particularly impressed by the music of Berg, who gave him a score of the Lyric Suite. He attended the American premiere of Wozzeck, conducted by Leopold Stokowski in 1931, and was `` thrilled and deeply impressed ''. Russian Joseph Schillinger 's influence as Gershwin 's teacher of composition ( 1932 -- 1936 ) was substantial in providing him with a method of composition. There has been some disagreement about the nature of Schillinger 's influence on Gershwin. After the posthumous success of Porgy and Bess, Schillinger claimed he had a large and direct influence in overseeing the creation of the opera ; Ira completely denied that his brother had any such assistance for this work. A third account of Gershwin 's musical relationship with his teacher was written by Gershwin 's close friend Vernon Duke, also a Schillinger student, in an article for the Musical Quarterly in 1947. What set Gershwin apart was his ability to manipulate forms of music into his own unique voice. He took the jazz he discovered on Tin Pan Alley into the mainstream by splicing its rhythms and tonality with that of the popular songs of his era. Although George Gershwin would seldom make grand statements about his music, he believed that `` true music must reflect the thought and aspirations of the people and time. My people are Americans. My time is today. '' In 2007, the Library of Congress named their Prize for Popular Song after George and Ira Gershwin. Recognizing the profound and positive effect of popular music on culture, the prize is given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. On March 1, 2007, the first Gershwin Prize was awarded to Paul Simon. Recordings and film Early in his career, under both his own name and pseudonyms, Gershwin recorded more than one hundred and forty player piano rolls which were a main source of his income. The majority were popular music of the period and a smaller proportion were of his own works. Once his musical theatre - writing income became substantial, his regular roll - recording career became superfluous. He did record additional rolls throughout the 1920s of his main hits for the Aeolian Company 's reproducing piano, including a complete version of his Rhapsody in Blue. Compared to the piano rolls, there are few accessible audio recordings of Gershwin 's playing. His first recording was his own `` Swanee '' with the Fred Van Eps Trio in 1919. The recorded balance highlights the banjo playing of Van Eps, and the piano is overshadowed. The recording took place before `` Swanee '' became famous as an Al Jolson specialty in early 1920. Gershwin recorded an abridged version of Rhapsody in Blue with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1924, soon after the world premiere. Gershwin and the same orchestra made an electrical recording of the abridged version for Victor in 1927. However, a dispute in the studio over interpretation angered Whiteman and he left. The conductor 's baton was taken over by Victor 's staff conductor Nathaniel Shilkret. Gershwin made a number of solo piano recordings of tunes from his musicals, some including the vocals of Fred and Adele Astaire, as well as his Three Preludes for piano. In 1929, Gershwin `` supervised '' the world premiere recording of An American in Paris with Nathaniel Shilkret and the Victor Symphony Orchestra. Gershwin 's role in the recording was rather limited, particularly because Shilkret was conducting and had his own ideas about the music. When it was realized that no one had been hired to play the brief celeste solo, Gershwin was asked if he could and would play the instrument, and he agreed. Gershwin can be heard, rather briefly, on the recording during the slow section. Gershwin appeared on several radio programs, including Rudy Vallee 's, and played some of his compositions. This included the third movement of the Concerto in F with Vallee conducting the studio orchestra. Some of these performances were preserved on transcription discs and have been released on LP and CD. In 1934, in an effort to earn money to finance his planned folk opera, Gershwin hosted his own radio program titled Music by Gershwin. The show was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network from February to May and again in September through the final show on December 23, 1934. He presented his own work as well as the work of other composers. Recordings from this and other radio broadcasts include his Variations on I Got Rhythm, portions of the Concerto in F, and numerous songs from his musical comedies. He also recorded a run - through of his Second Rhapsody, conducting the orchestra and playing the piano solos. Gershwin recorded excerpts from Porgy and Bess with members of the original cast, conducting the orchestra from the keyboard ; he even announced the selections and the names of the performers. In 1935 RCA Victor asked him to supervise recordings of highlights from Porgy and Bess ; these were his last recordings. A 74 - second newsreel film clip of Gershwin playing I Got Rhythm has survived, filmed at the opening of the Manhattan Theater ( now The Ed Sullivan Theater ) in August 1931. There are also silent home movies of Gershwin, some of them shot on Kodachrome color film stock, which have been featured in tributes to the composer. In addition, there is newsreel footage of Gershwin playing `` Mademoiselle from New Rochelle '' and `` Strike Up the Band '' on the piano during a Broadway rehearsal of the 1930 production of Strike Up the Band. In the mid-30s, `` Strike Up The Band '' was given to UCLA to be used as a football fight song, `` Strike Up The Band for UCLA ''. The comedy team of Clark and McCullough are seen conversing with Gershwin, then singing as he plays. In 1945, the film biography Rhapsody in Blue was made, starring Robert Alda as George Gershwin. The film contains many factual errors about Gershwin 's life, but also features many examples of his music, including an almost complete performance of Rhapsody in Blue. In 1965, Movietone Records released an album MTM 1009 featuring Gershwin 's piano rolls of the titled George Gerswhin plays RHAPSODY IN BLUE and his other favorite compositions. The B - side of the LP featured nine other recordings. In 1975, Columbia Records released an album featuring Gershwin 's piano rolls of Rhapsody In Blue, accompanied by the Columbia Jazz Band playing the original jazz band accompaniment, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. The B - side of the Columbia Masterworks release features Tilson Thomas leading the New York Philharmonic in An American In Paris. In 1976, RCA Records, as part of its `` Victrola Americana '' line, released a collection of Gershwin recordings taken from 78s recorded in the 1920s and called the LP `` Gershwin plays Gershwin, Historic First Recordings '' ( RCA Victrola AVM1 - 1740 ). Included were recordings of `` Rhapsody in Blue '' with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and Gershwin on piano ; `` An American in Paris '', from 1927 with Gershwin on celesta ; and `` Three Preludes '', `` Clap Yo ' Hands '' and Someone to Watch Over Me ``, among others. There are a total of ten recordings on the album. At the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, `` Rhapsody in Blue '' was performed in spectacular fashion by many pianists. The soundtrack to Woody Allen 's 1979 film Manhattan is composed entirely of Gershwin 's compositions, including Rhapsody in Blue, `` Love is Sweeping the Country '', and `` But Not for Me '', performed by both the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and the Buffalo Philharmonic under Michael Tilson Thomas. The film begins with a monologue by Allen : `` He adored New York City... To him, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black and white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin. '' In 1998, two audio CDs featuring piano rolls recorded by Gershwin were issued by Nonesuch Records through the efforts of Artis Wodehouse, and entitled Gershwin Plays Gershwin : The Piano Rolls. In October 2009, it was reported by Rolling Stone that Brian Wilson was completing two unfinished compositions by George Gershwin, released as Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin on August 17, 2010, consisting of ten George and Ira Gershwin songs, bookended by passages from `` Rhapsody in Blue '', with two new songs completed from unfinished Gershwin fragments by Wilson and band member Scott Bennett. Compositions Main article : List of compositions by George Gershwin Orchestral Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra ( 1924 ) Piano Concerto in F for piano and orchestra ( 1925 ) An American in Paris for orchestra ( 1928 ) Dream Sequence / The Melting Pot for chorus and orchestra ( 1931 ) Second Rhapsody for piano and orchestra ( 1931 ), originally titled Rhapsody in Rivets Cuban Overture for orchestra ( 1932 ), originally entitled Rumba March from `` Strike Up the Band '' for orchestra ( 1934 ) Variations on `` I Got Rhythm '' for piano and orchestra ( 1934 ) Catfish Row for orchestra ( 1936 ), a suite based on music from Porgy and Bess Shall We Dance ( 1937 ), a movie score feature - length ballet Solo piano Three Preludes ( 1926 ) George Gershwin 's Song - book ( 1932 ), solo piano arrangements of 18 songs Operas Blue Monday ( 1922 ), one - act opera Porgy and Bess ( 1935 ) at the Colonial Theatre in Boston London musicals Primrose ( 1924 ) Broadway musicals George White 's Scandals ( 1920 -- 1924 ), featuring, at one point, the 1922 one - act opera Blue Monday ) Lady, Be Good ( 1924 ) Tip - Toes ( 1925 ) Tell Me More ! ( 1925 ) Oh, Kay ! ( 1926 ) Strike Up the Band ( 1927 ) Funny Face ( 1927 ) Rosalie ( 1928 ) Treasure Girl ( 1928 ) Show Girl ( 1929 ) Girl Crazy ( 1930 ) Of Thee I Sing ( 1931 ) Pardon My English ( 1933 ) Let ' Em Eat Cake ( 1933 ) My One and Only ( 1983 ), an original 1983 musical using previously written Gershwin songs Crazy for You ( 1992 ), a revised version of Girl Crazy, written and compiled without the participation of either George or Ira Gershwin. Nice Work If You Can Get It ( 2012 ), a musical with a score by George and Ira Gershwin An American in Paris, a new musical on Broadway ( 2015 ) Films for which Gershwin wrote original scores Delicious ( 1931 ), an early version of the Second Rhapsody and one other musical sequence was used in this film, the rest were rejected by the studio Shall We Dance ( 1937 ), original orchestral score by Gershwin, no recordings available in modern stereo, some sections have never been recorded ( Nominated - Academy Award for Best Original Song : They Ca n't Take That Away from Me ) A Damsel in Distress ( 1937 ) The Goldwyn Follies ( 1938 ), posthumously released The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ( 1947 ), uses songs previously unpublished Legacy Estate Gershwin died intestate, and his estate passed to his mother. The estate continues to collect significant royalties from licensing the copyrights on his work. The estate supported the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act because its 1923 cutoff date was shortly before Gershwin had begun to create his most popular works. The copyrights on all Gershwin 's solo works expired at the end of 2007 in the European Union, based on its life - plus - 70 - years rule. In 2005, The Guardian determined using `` estimates of earnings accrued in a composer 's lifetime '' that George Gershwin was the wealthiest composer of all time. In September 2013, a partnership between the estates of Ira and George Gershwin and the University of Michigan was created and will provide the university 's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance access to Gershwin 's entire body of work, which includes all of Gershwin 's papers, compositional drafts, and scores. This direct access to all of his works will provide opportunities to musicians, composers, and scholars to analyze and reinterpret his work with the goal of accurately reflecting the composers ' vision in order to preserve his legacy. The first fascicles of The Gershwin Critical Edition, edited by Mark Clague, are expected in 2017 ; they will cover the 1924 jazz band version of Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and Porgy and Bess. Awards and honors In 1937, Gershwin received his sole Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 1937 Oscars for `` They Ca n't Take That Away from Me '', written with his brother Ira for the 1937 film Shall We Dance. The nomination was posthumous ; Gershwin died two months after the film 's release. In 1985, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to George and Ira Gershwin. Only three other songwriters, George M. Cohan, Harry Chapin and Irving Berlin, have had the honor of receiving this award. In 1998 a special Pulitzer Prize was posthumously awarded to Gershwin `` commemorating the centennial year of his birth, for his distinguished and enduring contributions to American music. '' The George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Musical Achievement Award was established by UCLA to honor the brothers for their contribution to music and for their gift to UCLA of the fight song `` Strike Up the Band for UCLA ''. In 2006, Gershwin was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Namesakes The Gershwin Theatre on Broadway is named after George and Ira. The Gershwin Hotel in the Flatiron District of Manhattan in New York City was named after George and Ira. In Brooklyn, George Gershwin Junior High School 166 is named after him. Biopics The 1945 biographical film Rhapsody in Blue starred Robert Alda as George Gershwin. In January 2010, Baseline Studio Systems announced that Steven Spielberg may direct a biopic about the composer 's life ; 32 - year - old American actor Zachary Quinto was named for the leading role of George Gershwin. Portrayals in other media Paul Rudd portrays an imaginary friend based on George Gershwin, said to be his creator 's favorite composer, in the 2015 series finale of the Irish sitcom Moone Boy, `` Gershwin 's Bucket List ''. See also List of people on the cover of Time Magazine : 1920s References Jump up ^ Obituary Variety, July 14, 1937, page 70. Jump up ^ F17F7345E177A93C0A8178CD85F438385F9&scp = 1&sq = george + gershwin `` George Gershwin, Composer, Is Dead ; Master of Jazz Succumbs in Hollywood at 38 After Operation for Brain Tumor '' The New York Times, ( abstract ), July 12, 1937, p. 1 Jump up ^ Carp L. George Gershwin - illustrious American composer : his fatal glioblastoma. Am J Surg Pathol 1979 ; 3 : 473 - 478. Jump up ^ Hyland 2003, pp. 1 -- 3. Jump up ^ Pollack 2006, p. 3. Jump up ^ Jablonski 1987, pp. 29 -- 31. Jump up ^ Jablonski 1987, pp. 10, 29 -- 31. Jump up ^ Pollack 2006. Jump up ^ Andrew Rosenberg, Martin Dunford ( 2012 ). The Rough Guide to New York City. Penguin. Jump up ^ `` Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress : George Gershwin ''. Jewish Virtual Library. 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013. As quoted from Abraham J. Karp ( 1991 ) From the Ends of the Earth : Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress, p. 351, ISBN 0847814505. Jump up ^ Schwartz, Charles ( 1973 ). Gershwin, His Life and Music. New York, NY : Da Capo Press, Inc. p. 14. ISBN 0 - 306 - 80096 - 9. Jump up ^ Hyland 2003, p. 13. Jump up ^ Hyland 2003, p. 14. ^ Jump up to : Venezia, Mike ( 1994 ). Getting to Know the World 's Greatest Composers : George Gerswhin. Chicago IL : Childrens Press. Jump up ^ Slide, Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville, Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood Press, 1994. p. 111. Jump up ^ Pollack 2006, pp. 191 -- 192. Jump up ^ Lady, Be Good at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ Oh, Kay ! at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ Funny Face at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ Strike Up the Band at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ Jablonski 1987, pp. 155 -- 170. Jump up ^ Jablonski 1987, pp. 178 -- 180. Jump up ^ Show Girl at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ Girl Crazy at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ Of Thee I Sing at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ `` Drama ''. The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved August 22, 2011. Jump up ^ Grigsby Bates, Karen. 70 Years of Gershwin 's ' Porgy and Bess ' '' npr.org, October 10, 2005 Jump up ^ Sidney Offit ( September -- October 2011 ). `` Sins of Our Fathers ( and Grandmothers ) ''. Moment Magazine. Retrieved October 3, 2011. Jump up ^ Hyland 2003, p. 108. Jump up ^ Kay Swift biography ( Kay Swift Memorial Trust ). kayswift.com. Retrieved December 28, 2007. Jump up ^ Pollack 2006, p. 353. Jump up ^ Jablonski, Edward. `` George Gershwin ; He Could n't Be Saved '' ( Letter to Editor ), The New York Times, October 25, 1998, Section 2 ; Page 4 ; Column 5 Jump up ^ Jablonski, Edward. Gershwin. New York : Doubleday, 1987. p. 323. ^ Jump up to : Takahiro Mezaki George Gershwin 's death and Duret haemorrhage NEJM, 12 August 2017 Jump up ^ George Gershwin at Find a Grave Jump up ^ `` Broad Street ''. Broadstreetreview.com. February 27, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2010. Jump up ^ Pollack 2006, p. 392. Jump up ^ Mawer & Cross 2000, p. 42. Jump up ^ Arthur Rubinstein, My Many Years ; Merle Armitage, George Gershwin ; Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft, Dialogues and a Diary, all quoted in Norman Lebrecht, The Book of Musical Anecdotes Jump up ^ Hyland 2003, p. 126. Jump up ^ Norman Lebrecht, The Book of Musical Anecdotes Jump up ^ Howard Pollack, George Gershwin : His Life and Work, p. 145. Retrieved 20 June 2016 Jump up ^ Dukelsky, Vladimir ( Vernon Duke ), `` Gershwin, Schillinger and Dukelsky : Some Reminiscences '', The Musical Quarterly, Volume 33, 1947, 102 -- 115 doi : 10.1093 / mq / XXXIII. 1.102 Jump up ^ `` George Gershwin '' balletmet.org, ( Compiled February 2000 ). Retrieved April 20, 2010 Jump up ^ `` Paul Simon : The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song '', PBS article Jump up ^ Peyser 2007, p. 133. Jump up ^ Pollack 2006, p. 163. Jump up ^ Jablonski & Stewart 1973, p. 70. Jump up ^ George Gershwin and the player piano 1915 -- 1927. richard-dowling.com. Retrieved December 28, 2007. Jump up ^ Yanow, Scott. '' ' Gershwin Plays Gershwin : The Piano Rolls ' Overview '' allmusic.com. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ `` Brian Wilson Will Complete Unfinished Gershwin Compositions '' rollingstone.com, October 2009 Jump up ^ Jablonski & Stewart, pp. 25, 227 -- 229... Jump up ^ Pollack 2006, p. 7. Jump up ^ Scott, Kirsty. Gershwin leads composer rich list The Guardian, August 29, 2005. Retrieved December 28, 2007. Jump up ^ `` U-M to become epicenter of research on music of George & Ira Gershwin ''. Michigan News. 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Toward a Go - To Gershwin Edition ''. New York Times. 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013. Jump up ^ Mark Clague, `` The Gershwin Critical Edition '' Jump up ^ `` 1937 Song '' oscars.org. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ `` In Performance at the White House : The Library of Congress : Gershwin Prize '' pbs.org. Retrieved April 15, 2010 Jump up ^ `` Congressional Gold Medal Recipients ( 1776 to Present ) '' Office of the Clerk, US House of Representatives ( clerk. house. gov0. Retrieved April 15, 2010. Jump up ^ `` The 1998 Pulitzer Prize Winners : Special Awards and Citations ''. The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved December 3, 2013. Jump up ^ `` History of the Gershwin Theater '' gershwin-theater.com. Retrieved August 22, 2011 Jump up ^ Richardson, Clem ( October 23, 2009 ). `` Tonya Lewis brings start power and true perfect to ' only - place - to - be ' party ''. Daily News. New York. Retrieved June 15, 2011. Jump up ^ Holden, Stephen. `` Gershwin ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2010. Jump up ^ Rosenberg, Adam. `` Zachary Quinto May Play George Gershwin for Steven Spielberg '' moviesblog.mtv.com, February 1, 2010 Citations Hyland, William G. ( 2003 ). George Gershwin : A New Biography. Praeger. ISBN 0 - 275 - 98111 - 8. Jablonski, Edward ; Stewart, Lawrence D. ( 1973 ). The Gershwin Years : George and Ira ( 2nd ed. ). Garden City, New Jersey : Doubleday. ISBN 0 - 306 - 80739 - 4. Jablonski, Edward ( 1987 ). Gershwin. Doubleday. ISBN 0 - 385 - 19431 - 5. Kimball, Robert & Alfred Simon. The Gershwins ( 1973 ), Athenium, New York, ISBN 0 - 689 - 10569 - X Mawer, Deborah ; Cross, Jonathan, eds. ( 2000 ). The Cambridge Companion to Ravel. Cambridge Companions to Music. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0 - 521 - 64856 - 4. Peyser, Joan ( 2007 ). The Memory of All That : The Life of George Gershwin. Hal Leonard. ISBN 1 - 4234 - 1025 - 4. Pollack, Howard ( 2006 ). George Gershwin. His Life and Work. University of California Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 520 - 24864 - 9. Rimler, Walter. A Gershwin Companion ( 1991 ), Popular Culture ISBN 1 - 56075 - 019 - 7 Rimler, Walter George Gershwin : An Intimate Portrait ( 2009 ), University of Illinois Press, ISBN 0 - 252 - 03444 - 9 Sloop, Gregory. `` What Caused George Gershwin 's Untimely Death ? '' Journal of Medical Biography 9 ( February 2001 ) : 28 -- 30 Further reading Alpert, Hollis. The Life and Times of Porgy and Bess : The Story of an American Classic ( 1991 ). Nick Hern Books. ISBN 1 - 85459 - 054 - 5 Feinstein, Michael. Nice Work If You Can Get It : My Life in Rhythm and Rhyme ( 1995 ), Hyperion Books. ISBN 0 - 7868 - 8220 - 4 Jablonski, Edward. Gershwin Remembered ( 2003 ). Amadeus Press. ISBN 0 - 931340 - 43 - 8 Rosenberg, Deena Ruth. Fascinating Rhythm : The Collaboration of George and Ira Gershwin ( 1991 ). University of Michigan Press ISBN 978 - 0 - 472 - 08469 - 2 Sheed, Wilfred. The House That George Built : With a Little Help from Irving, Cole, and a Crew of About Fifty ( 2007 ). Random House. ISBN 0 - 8129 - 7018 - 7 Suriano, Gregory R. ( Editor ). Gershwin in His Time : A Biographical Scrapbook, 1919 -- 1937 ( 1998 ). Diane Pub Co. ISBN 0 - 7567 - 5660 - X Weber, Katharine. `` The Memory Of All That : George Gershwin, Kay Swift, and My Family 's Legacy of Infidelities '' ( 2011 ). Crown Publishers, Inc. / Broadway Books ISBN 978 - 0307395894 Wyatt, Robert and John Andrew Johnson ( Editors ). The George Gershwin Reader ( 2004 ). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 - 19 - 513019 - 7 Historiography Carnovale, Norbert. George Gershwin : a Bio-Bibliography ( 2000. ) Greenwood Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 26003 - 2 ISBN 0 - 313 - 26003 - 6 Muccigrosso, Robert, ed., Research Guide to American Historical Biography ( 1988 ) 5 : 2523 - 30 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Gershwin. Wikiquote has quotations related to : George Gershwin Free scores by George Gershwin at the International Music Score Library Project ( IMSLP ) Free scores at the Mutopia Project MusicalTalk Podcast on George Gershwin ( part one of two ) MusicalTalk Podcast on George Gershwin ( part two of two ) Official website Classical.net Gershwin page `` George Gershwin material ''. BBC Radio 3 archives. George Gershwin at the Internet Broadway Database George Gershwin on IMDb Works by or about George Gershwin in libraries ( WorldCat catalog ) George Gershwin Bio at Jewish - American Hall of Fame George Gershwin Collection at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin George Gershwin World War I draft card at National Archives 1922 passport photo, George Gershwin ( flickr.com ) George Gershwin at Library of Congress Authorities, with 1258 catalog records The Gershwin Initiative at The University of Michigan Music, By George ! A George Gershwin Tribute George Gershwin Albums Gershwin Plays Gershwin : The Piano Rolls Ballets An American in Paris Gershwin Piano Concerto Three Preludes Who Cares ? List of stagings Operas Blue Monday ( 1922 ) Porgy and Bess ( 1935 ) Orchestral works Rhapsody in Blue ( 1924 ) Concerto in F ( 1925 ) An American in Paris ( 1928 ) Second Rhapsody ( 1931 ) Cuban Overture ( 1932 ) Strike Up the Band ( 1934 ) Hoctor 's Ballet ( 1937 ) Piano compositions Three Preludes ( 1926 ) French Ballet Class ( 1937 ) Songs `` Are n't You Kind Of Glad We Did ? '' `` ( I 've Got ) Beginner 's Luck '' `` Bidin ' My Time '' `` Blah Blah Blah '' `` Boy Wanted '' `` Boy ! What Love Has Done To Me ! '' `` But Not for Me '' `` By Strauss '' `` Clap Yo ' Hands '' `` Do It Again '' `` Doin ' Time '' `` Embraceable You '' `` Fascinating Rhythm '' `` A Foggy Day '' `` For You, For Me, For Evermore '' `` Funny Face '' `` ' The Half of It, Dearie ' Blues '' `` He Loves and She Loves '' `` How Long Has This Been Going On ? '' `` I Ca n't Be Bothered Now '' `` I Got Rhythm '' `` I Was Doing All Right '' `` I 've Got a Crush on You '' `` Is n't It a Pity ? '' `` Just Another Rhumba '' `` Let 's Call the Whole Thing Off '' `` Let 's Kiss and Make Up '' `` Liza ( All the Clouds 'll Roll Away ) '' `` Looking for a Boy '' `` Lorelei '' `` Love Is Here to Stay '' `` Love is Sweeping the Country '' `` Love Walked In '' `` The Man I Love '' `` My Cousin in Milwaukee '' `` My One and Only '' `` Nice Work If You Can Get It '' `` Of Thee I Sing '' `` Oh, Lady Be Good ! '' `` Oh, So Nice ! '' `` The Real American Folk Song ( is a Rag ) '' `` 'S Wonderful '' `` Sam and Delilah '' `` Slap That Bass '' `` Somebody from Somewhere '' `` Somebody Loves Me '' `` Someone to Watch Over Me '' `` Soon '' `` Stairway to Paradise '' `` Stiff Upper Lip '' `` Strike Up the Band '' `` Summertime '' `` Swanee '' `` That Certain Feeling '' `` They All Laughed '' `` They Ca n't Take That Away from Me '' `` Things Are Looking Up '' `` Tra - la - la '' `` Treat Me Rough '' `` Walking the Dog '' `` Who Cares ? '' `` You 've Got What Gets Me '' Tribute albums Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin By George Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book Ella Sings Gershwin Gershwin Live ! Gershwin 's World The Glory of Gershwin Ira, George and Joe Nice Work If You Can Get It Oscar Peterson Plays the George Gershwin Songbook Red Hot + Rhapsody : The Gershwin Groove Rosemary Clooney Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin Related articles Gershwin Prize Ira Gershwin ( brother ) Arthur Gershwin ( brother ) Frances Gershwin ( sister ) Gershwin Theatre List of compositions by George Gershwin Category : George Gershwin George and Ira Gershwin musicals, operas and films Together A Dangerous Maid Primrose Lady, Be Good ! Tell Me More Tip - Toes Song of the Flame Oh, Kay ! Strike Up the Band Funny Face Rosalie Treasure Girl Show Girl Girl Crazy Delicious ( film ) Of Thee I Sing Pardon My English Let ' Em Eat Cake Porgy and Bess Shall We Dance ( film ) A Damsel in Distress ( film ) The Goldwyn Follies ( film ) The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ( film ) George La La Lucille Morris Gest Midnight Whirl George White 's Scandals ( 1920 -- 1924, including Blue Monday ) Our Nell The Rainbow Sweet Little Devil Ira Two Little Girls in Blue Be Yourself That 's a Good Girl Life Begins at 8 : 40 Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 Lady in the Dark The North Star ( film ) Cover Girl ( film ) The Firebrand of Florence Where Do We Go from Here ? ( film ) Park Avenue The Barkleys of Broadway ( film ) A Star Is Born ( film ) The Country Girl ( film ) repurposed Rhapsody in Blue ( film ) An American in Paris ( film ) My One and Only ( musical ) Crazy for You Nice Work If You Can Get It An American in Paris ( musical ) A Damsel In Distress ( musical ) Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards ( Arts ) Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for Oklahoma ! ( 1944 ) Roger Sessions ( 1974 ) Scott Joplin ( 1976 ) Milton Babbitt ( 1982 ) William Schuman ( 1985 ) George Gershwin ( 1998 ) Duke Ellington ( 1999 ) Thelonious Monk ( 2006 ) John Coltrane ( 2007 ) Bob Dylan ( 2008 ) Hank Williams ( 2010 ) Complete list ( Journalism ) ( Letters ) ( Arts ) ( Service ) VIAF : 61554329 LCCN : n79077265 ISNI : 0000 0001 2135 5968 GND : 118639226 SELIBR : 242230 SUDOC : 027456129 BNF : cb119493251 ( data ) BIBSYS : 90189161 ULAN : 500050717 MusicBrainz : 65744963 - 191a - 44ef - a3c7 - b693a808a158 NLA : 35120563 NDL : 00620724 NKC : jn19990002641 BNE : XX5417729 RKD : 31159 IATH : w6x065dx PIC : 276644 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Gershwin&oldid=798337829 '' Categories : George Gershwin 1898 births 1937 deaths 20th - century American pianists 20th - century classical composers 20th - century classical pianists American classical pianists American film score composers American musical theatre composers American opera composers American people of Lithuanian - Jewish descent American people of Russian - Jewish descent American Theater Hall of Fame inductees Burials at Westchester Hills Cemetery Deaths from cancer in California Composers for piano Congressional Gold Medal recipients Deaths from brain tumor Jazz - influenced classical composers Jewish American classical composers Jewish American songwriters Jewish classical composers Jewish classical pianists Jewish opera composers Male film score composers Male opera composers Musicians from Brooklyn Musicians from New York City People from Manhattan Pulitzer Prize winners Pupils of Henry Cowell Songwriters from New York ( state ) Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Vaudeville performers Victor Records artists Hidden categories : Find a Grave template with ID not in Wikidata Use mdy dates from December 2012 Articles with hCards All articles with vague or ambiguous time Vague or ambiguous time from August 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Articles with hAudio microformats Composers with IMSLP links Articles with International Music Score Library Project links Internet Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata Articles with IBDb links AC with 17 elements Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers Wikipedia articles with ULAN identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with NLA identifiers Wikipedia articles with RKDartists identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Wikipedia articles with PIC identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Wikisource Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Kiswahili Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Ligure Magyar Македонски Malagasy Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Polski Português Română Русский Scots Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Winaray 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 1 September 2017, at 09 : 20. 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Question: one of the gershwin's greatest hits was his composition for piano and orchestra known as
Answer: Rhapsody in Blue