George Gershwin (1898-1937) left a deep mark on the American musical scene of the early twentieth century. His short but extraordinarily prolific career unfolded on the border between classical music, jazz, blues and Latin and African-American influences, between the symphony hall and the exuberance of the Broadway theatres, then in their golden age. Gershwin's music did much to shape the golden age of the Broadway musical, drawing in elements of vaudeville and Jewish popular music.
Gershwin, a distinctly Jewish voice in American music, grew up in a family of Jewish immigrants and went to the Yiddish theatre, absorbing its particular emotional depth. He later combined those influences with jazz and modern American rhythms, producing works that became classics, among them the emblematic Rhapsody in Blue. As a teenager, Gershwin often attended Jewish theatre productions such as Khantshe in Amerike by Joseph Rumshinsky, shows that blended traditional Jewish music with rhythms drawn from American culture.
George Gershwin's music was deeply marked by his Jewish cultural inheritance. The influence of the Yiddish theatre, of klezmer and of Jewish folk music shaped a style of his own, one that came to define the "American dream" in music, often through its fusion with the language of jazz. Among his defining works are the musical Of Thee I Sing - the first to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama - and the celebrated opera Porgy and Bess.
the State Jewish Theatre pays tribute to George Gershwin with Gershwin Night, which brings out the singular fusion of jazz and classical music. The performers Geni Brenda Vexler, Arabela Neazi, Filip Popescu and the Orchestra of the State Jewish Theatre - clarinet: Mihai Pintenaru, violin: Alexandru Marian, Rodica Gancea, cello: Sergiu Marin, accordion: Bogdan Lifșin, piano: Mihai Murariu, bass: Oleg Lașcu, percussion: Gabi Matei, trumpet: Emil Bâzgă - celebrate an unmistakable artistic legacy, bringing the audience closer to the refinement of his music.
An event dedicated to International Women's Day.
Tickets can be bought through the mySTAGE network.