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George Gershwin - Famous works

George Gershwin at the piano, American composer and songwriter.
George Gershwin at the piano, shaping an unmistakably American musical voice that bridged jazz, Broadway, and the concert hall.

George Gershwin’s creative output occupies a unique place in 20th-century music, dissolving the boundary between concert hall, Broadway, and popular song. His works reflect an unmistakably American voice—urban, rhythmic, lyrical—where jazz idioms coexist naturally with classical forms.

Together, these works illustrate the extraordinary breadth of George Gershwin’s musical imagination—equally at home in symphonic form, musical theatre, and song—shaping a legacy that remains central to both classical and popular music traditions.

The following selection outlines Gershwin’s most significant and influential works, grouped by genre.


Orchestral Works

Piano Works


Musicals Theatre

  • George White's Scandals
  • Primrose
  • Lady, Be Good!
  • Tell me More
  • Tip-Toes
  • Funny Face
  • Girl Crazy
  • Of Thee I Sing
  • The Rainbow
  • Oh, Kay!
  • La La Lucille

Musical Films

  • Shall We Dance?
  • A Damsel in Distress
  • The Goldwyn Follies
  • The Shocking Miss Pilgrim

Opera


Songs:

  • Swanee
  • The Man I Love
  • Embraceable You
  • The Way You Look Tonight
  • I Got Rhythm
  • Oh, Lady Be Good!
  • It Ain't Necessarily So
  • Summertime


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