norskog@fortune.UUCP (02/22/84)
#N:fortune:7200014:000:587
fortune!norskog Feb 21 16:05:00 1984
[Man proposes, news disposes]
You folks haven't mentioned my favorite 20th century classical composer:
George Gershwin. I spent a whole damn year learning the piano part
of the "Rhapsody In Blue", a concerto for piano & orchestra.
When I was 17 and could play up a storm Gershwin's stuff was a revelation,
and I still enjoy playing it more than anything else.
He died at age 38 (brain cancer) and didn't leave much serious stuff behind.
Lance C. Norskog
Fortune Systems, 101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, CA
{cbosgd,hpda,harpo,sri-unix,amd70,decvax!ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!norskogmcmillan@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) (02/28/84)
Gershwin wanted to study with ravel, but ravel refused, saying "Why do you want to be a 2nd rate ravel instead of a first rate Gershwin?" Gershwin was really upset by this, but later he found what he believed to be indications that Ravel's music was influenced by Gershwin. (You can make a pretty good case for this, although Ravel may just have been influenced by the mainstream of Jazz that Gershwin inhabited.) Gershwin left a great deal behind, especially if you are willing to examine his songs, as well as the late orchestral pieces, to find more of the same gorgeous harmonies and rhythms. - Toby Robison allegra!eosp1!robison decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison princeton!eosp1!robison (NOTE! NOT McMillan; Robison.)