![]() Later, Newman wrote the film score for The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947), a film that used George Gershwin tunes created by Ira Gershwin and Kay Swift using George’s unpublished song sketches. Additionally, Newman conducted recordings of Gershwin’s Second Rhapsody, Cuban Overture, and Variations on “I Got Rhythm” with the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra and pianist Leonard Pennario. These photos are believed to be the last photos ever taken of George Gershwin. L-R: George Gershwin, Alfred Newman, Samuel Goldwyn, and Ira Gershwin, c. Shortly after, Newman received the tragic news of Gershwin’s sudden passing on July 11, 1937.īelow are what are believed to be the last photos taken of George Gershwin, taken during the recording of the music to The Goldwyn Follies with Alfred Newman conducting and Samuel Goldwyn and Ira Gershwin listening in, likely in very late June 1937. Newman would go to Gershwin’s home in the summer of 1937 to listen to the composer perform the newly-minted score for the film. Newman and Gershwin collaborated on several other projects, including the revue The George White Scandals of 1921, as well as the premieres of the musicals Funny Face (1927) and Treasure Girl (1928). Newman also served as music director for The Goldwyn Follies (1938). When the Newman family moved from New Haven to New York City, they happened to move into the same neighborhood that the Gershwins lived in (the Gershwins were likely living at West 111th Street at the time, one block north of Central Park), and the two young musicians became close friends.Īs a very young conductor, Alfred Newman found it fairly difficult to find work, but in 1920, at the age of 20, Newman had the good fortune of working as a conductor for The George White Scandals of 1920. Gershwin demonstrated several songs for them, and then with encouragement from his aunt, musical prodigy Newman, known as “The Marvelous Boy Pianist” at the age of 13, performed a piano piece for George, who was duly impressed with Newman’s virtuosity. Newman had accompanied his aunt, who was looking for music for her singing quartet’s vaudeville routine. Picking the brains of successful young kindred spirits like Fred Astaire, Max Rosen (aka Maxie Rosenzweig), Josefa Rosanska (aka Josephine Rosensweet), and Nat Shilkret likely would have been a font of useful information for young George.Īround 1914 at Remick’s Music Publishing House in New York, George Gershwin was a teenage song-plugger when he met 13-year-old Alfred Alan Newman (no relation to Alfred E. ![]() Fortunately for Gershwin, a pivotal conductor of his music from the earliest days was also a lifelong friend and musical devotee! But how did they meet?įor a 15-year-old George Gershwin who was struggling to find his place in the music world, befriending fellow teenagers who were already making artistic waves early in their lives must have been inspiring and a great resource. Music as an Ice Breaker: When Alfred Newman Met George GershwinĪ composer’s music can enhanced (or destroyed) by a conductor. 23-24 space based on Gershwin’s harmonies. I added some melody notes to fill the mm. The harmony on the B section is definitely more intricate and compelling than the melody. As transcribed by Swift, the melody just sort of dies out at measures 23 and 24. For Gershwin, this B section is melodically not all that interesting to my, and evidently Kay’s, ears. Of note is Kay Swift’s handwritten “new middle?” in the B section of the AABA song. We can get a sense of how an Ira Gershwin lyric may have sounded with the music if you follow along with the simplified sheet music here, as I have adapted his orphaned 1920 lyric to “Pick Yo’ Partner! (Get ready for the Raggy Blues)” which once had music by Vincent Youmans which is now lost. book” for Ira Gershwin? And what was meant by “possible ice breaker”? Was this the legendary Gershwin song that he used as a sort of ice breaker when wooing a new love interest in which he would insert the woman’s name into the song as he sang it? We may never know. book)–possible ice breaker.” Did she mean to write “I. When Kay Swift notated this Gershwin song, she titled it “Tune (marked ‘July.
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