Ebook: Summertime

The life of a beloved American composer reflected through his music, writings, and letters.

New York City native and gifted pianist George Gershwin blossomed as an accompanist before his talent as a songwriter opened the way to Broadway, where he fashioned his own brand of American music. He composed a long run of musical comedies, with his brother Ira as lyricist, and several classical works, while his charm and warmth made him a favored houseguest in New York social circles (and linked him romantically with pianist- composer Kay Swift).

His 1924 Rhapsody in Blue was an instant classic rooted in in his absorption of African American music. A decade later came a groundbreaking "folk opera": Porgy and Bess, his magnum opus. The brothers then left New York to write songs for Hollywood— but their work was cut short when George developed a brain tumor. At thirty- eight, he died a beloved American artist.

Acclaimed music historian Richard...