Canon
Where to start with Gershwin
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralAn American in Paris
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Keyboard3 Preludes
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StagePorgy and Bess — Opera
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VocalA Damsel in Distress — Film score
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ChamberLullaby, for string quartet
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OrchestralRhapsody in Blue — For piano and orchestra
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OrchestralCuban Overture
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OrchestralPiano Concerto in F
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OrchestralSecond Rhapsody, "Rhapsody in Rivets"
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Keyboard2 Waltzes in C
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KeyboardAn American in Paris
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StageBlue Monday
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VocalBy Strauss
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OrchestralCatfish Row: Symphonic Suite from Porgy and Bess
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OrchestralDayful of Song, suite
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Gershwin's catalogueMost Popular
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Rhapsody in Blue
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An American in Paris
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Summertime (from Porgy and Bess)
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Piano Concerto in F major
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Someone to Watch Over Me
Most Acclaimed
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Porgy and Bess (complete opera)
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Three Piano Preludes
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Rhapsody in Blue
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Second Rhapsodymore experimental than Rhapsody in Blue
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Piano Variations on ”I Got Rhythm”
Most Weird
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Three PreludesNo. 2 is a blues that sounds nothing like anything else in his catalogue
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Second Rhapsodymore dissonant and less popular than Rhapsody in Blue — he preferred it
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Lullaby for string quartetearly unpublished work — atypically simple
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Porgy and Bess Act II Scene 2the crap game — the most rhythmically complex thing he wrote
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Three-Quarter Blues (unpublished)
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 68
- Orchestral
- ● An American in Paris
- ● Rhapsody in Blue — For piano and orchestra
- Cuban Overture
- Piano Concerto in F
- Second Rhapsody, "Rhapsody in Rivets"
- Catfish Row: Symphonic Suite from Porgy and Bess
- Dayful of Song, suite
- Porgy and Bess, suite from the opera
- Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture
- Keyboard
- 3 Preludes
- 2 Waltzes in C
- An American in Paris
- Impromptu in Two Keys
- Love walked in, for piano
- Merry Andrew
- Novelette in Fourths
- Rialto Ripples
- Rubato, prelude
- Sleepless Night, prelude
- Swiss Miss
- Three-Quarter Blues
- Stage
- Porgy and Bess — Opera
- Blue Monday
- East Is West
- Funny Face — Musical
- George White's Scandals of 1922
- Girl Crazy — Musical
- La-la-Lucille — Musical
- Lady, Be Good! — Musical
- Let 'Em Eat Cake — Musical
- Of Thee I Sing — Musical
- Oh, Kay! — Musical
- Pardon My English — Musical
- Primrose — Musical
- Rosalie — Musical
- Show Girl — Musical
- Strike Up the Band — Musical
- Tell Me More — Musical
- Tip-Toes — Musical
- Vocal
- A Damsel in Distress — Film score
- By Strauss
- Delicious — Film score
- Do It Again!
- Do It Again; Soon
- Drifting Along with the Tide
- He Loves, She Loves; Our Love Is Here to Stay
- I Got Rhythm, song
- I Was So Young, You Were So Beautiful
- I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise
- Liza, All the Clous'll
- Love is Sweeping the Country/Land of the Gay Caballero
- Manhattan — Film score
- Medley: But Not For Me; Love Is Here To Stay; Embraceable You; Someone To Watch Over Me
- Medley: I Got Rhythm; 'S Wonderful; The Man I Love; Fascinatin' Rhythm
- Medley: I've Got A Crush On You; A Foggy Day
- Medley: Liza's Wonderful; I Love Porgy; Somebody Loves Me; Summertime; I Got Rhythm
- Medley: Nice Work If You Can Get It; They Can't Take That Away From Me; 'S Wonderful; Swanee; Strike Up The Band
- Medley: Of Thee I Sing, Who Cares?, Love is Sweeping the Country
- Poppyland
- Shall We Dance? — Film score
- Somebody Loves Me
- Swanee
- The Goldwyn Follies — Film score
- The Shocking Miss Pilgrim — Film score
- Chamber
- Lullaby, for string quartet
- Short Story, for violin and piano
- Three Preludes for Violin and Piano
- Tribute to Benny Goodman, for clarinet