TEAM LION

MUSIC OF
20TH CENTURY
AVANT-GARDE MUSIC
 AVANT-GARDE
 DEALT WITH THE
PARAMETERS OR THE
DIMENSIONS OF SOUND
IN SPACE.
AVANT-GARDE
IMPROVISATION
WAS A NECESSITY
IN THIS STYLE, FOR
THE MUSICAL
SCORES WERE
NOT NECESSARILY
FOLLOWED AS
WRITTEN.
 AVANT-GARDE
"ADVANCE GUARD"/VANGUARD
PART OF AN ARMY THE GOES
FORWARD AHEAD OF THE REST
THE TERM REFERS TO PIONEERS OR
INNOVATORS OF A PARTICULAR
PERIOD.
 AVANT-GARDE

 UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS
OF SOUND AND FORM
 ABSENCE OF TRADITIONAL RULES
GOVERNING HARMONY, MELODY
AND RHYTHM.
AVANT-GARDE COMPOSERS
GEORGE GERSHWIN
(1898-1937)
MODERN ERA
COMPOSER
1

BIOGRAPHY
FAMILY
BORN IN NEW YORK TO RUSSIAN JEWISH
IMMIGRANTS.

 MOTHER
 ROSA GERSHWIN

FATHER
MORRIS GERSHWIN
• Born
Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz
September 26, 1898
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
• Died
July 11, 1937 (aged 38)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Occupa on
Composer, pianist
• Rela ves
Ira Gershwin (brother)
Arthur Gershwin (brother)
Frances Gershwin (sister)
 George was one of the first composers to
mix symphonic music with JAZZ the popular
music of the day. He came up with a whole
new American sound.
At the me George was born, America didn’t
really have a serious classical music style of its
own. Most American composers borrowed
ideas from the great European composers like
Beethoven, Bach, and Chopin.
 When George was li le,
New York was a pre y
rough and tough place to
grow up in. Neighborhoods
were crowded and there
weren’t may parks or
playgrounds.
So kids had to play in the
streets. George loved s ckball
and street hockey. He was
also one of the best roller
skaters around.
George didn’t seem to have much of an
interest in music un l one day when he
was seven or eight years old. George
was roller-ska ng through the
neighborhood of Harlem. From all the
restaurants and clubs George heard the
exci ng, lively beat of the jazz bands
playing. George returned o en to listen.
A short me later, George heard
some classical violin music being
played from an open window. He
loved the beau ful sound. He
decided he would learn
everything he could about music
right away.
HIS OLDER BROTHER IRA WAS
HIS ARTISTIC COLLABORATOR
WHO WROTE THE LYRICS OF HIS
SONGS. HIS FIRST SONG WAS
WRITTEN IN 1916 AND HIS FIRST
BROADWAY MUSICAL, LA LA
LUCILLE IN 1919
HE BECAME ONE OF AMERICAS
GREATEST COMPOSER. HE IS KNIWN
FOR HIS BEAUTIFUL, EXCITING
CONCERT PIECES, AS WE AS FOR THE
POPULAR MUSIC HE WROTE FIR
PLAYS AND MOVIES.
 FROM THAT TIME ON, GERSHWIN'S NAME BECAME A
FIXTURE ON BROADWAY.
 HE ALSO COMPOSED RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1924)AND
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1928) ,WHICH IS
INCORPORATED JAZZ RHYTHMS WITH CLASSICAL
FORMS.
 JAZZ is a type of American music with lively rhythms
and melodies that are o en made up by musicians as
they play
HIS OPERA PORGY AND BESS (1934)
REMAINS TO THIS DAY THE ONLY
AMERICAN OPERA TO BE INCLUDED IN
THE ESTABLISHED REPERTORY OF THIS
GENRE.
 In spite of his commercial success,
Gershwin was more fascinated with
classical music. He was influenced by
Ravel, Stravinsky, Berg, and Schoenberg,
as well as the group of contemporary
French composers known as “Les Six”
that would shape the character of his
major works— half jazz and half classical.
 He is a true “crossover ar st,” in the sense that
his serious composi ons remain highly popular in
the classical repertoire, as his stage and film
songs con nue to be jazz and vocal standards.
Considered the “Father of American Jazz,” his
“mixture of the primi ve and the sophis cated”
gave his music an appeal that has lasted long
a er his death.
His musical composi ons total around 369
which include orchestral music, chamber
music, musical theatre, film musicals,
operas, and songs. He died in Hollywood,
California,U.S.A. on July 11, 1937.
COMPOSITIONS
  ORCHESTRAL
 RHAPSODY IN BLUE(1924)
 CONCERTO IN F (1925)
 AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1928)
 SECOND RHAPSODY (1931)
 CUBAN OVERTURE (1932)
 STRIKE UP THE BAND (1934)
 I GOT RHYTHM (1934)
 CATFISH ROW (1936)
 SHALL WE DANCE (1937)
 SOLO PIANO

 THREE PRELUDES(1926)
 GEORGE GERSHWIN'S
SONG-BOOK (1932)
• OPERAS
• BLUE MONDAY(1922)
• PORGY AND BESS (1935)

• LONDON MUSICALS
• PRIMROSE (1924)
• BROADWAY MUSICAL
• LADY, BE GOOD(1924)
• TOP-TOES(1925)
• TELL ME MORE! (1925)
• OH, KAY! (1926)
• FUNNY FACE(1927)
• ROSALIE(1928)
• TREASURE GIRL(1928)
• FILMS FOR WHICH GERSHWIN
WROTE ORIGINAL SCORES
• DELICIOUS (1931)
• SHALL WE DANCE(1937)
• A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (1937)
• THE GOLDWYN FOLLIES (1938)
• THE SHOCKY MISS PILGRIM (1947)
SUMMERTIME
SUMMERTIME BY GEORGE
GERSHWIN
THANKS