Regarding 230927 MMDigest, 'Seek "Rhapsody in Blue" Roll For Orchestra
Concert' (Vincent Morgan).

As someone who has worked first-hand with Gershwin's manuscripts from
the Library of Congress, there is some information in Vincent Morgan's
anecdote which is apocryphal. Morgan's retelling of his interaction with
Ira Gershwin may be a true story; however, many of the facts told in it
are incorrect.

> I used to know George's brother, Ira Gershwin, when he lived in
> Manhattan.

George and Ira moved to Hollywood in 1936. Ira periodically returned
to New York City following George's death in 1937 but returned to
Hollywood permanently following his 1946 Broadway flop, "Park Avenue,"
and his work on "A Star Is Born" in 1952. So if Mr. Morgan is now 80,
the story, at best, was told [in New York City] to him when he was
10 years old.

> George was struggling as he still couldn't read music.

This is contradicted by evidence in the George and Ira Gershwin
Collection at the Library of Congress. George could read and write
music for his entire professional career. He took piano lessons at
age 12 (1910) and composition lessons soon after in New York City
with Charles Hambitzer who died in 1918.

> It was a hit and his best concert to date.

The Aeolian Hall concert took place on the afternoon of February 12th,
1924. It has been well documented, recreated and recorded over the
years. It would be difficult to categorize the concert as "George
Gershwin's" as Zez Confrey also played several pieces, Ferde Grofé
orchestrated much of the concert and played the piano, and Victor
Herbert premiered his "Suite of Serenades".

> Soon after that he traveled to Europe where he studied music and
> learned how to write his own compositions. Then his career really
> took off."

By February of 1924, Gershwin had already contributed music to
more than 20(!) Broadway shows and had numerous "big hits" including
"Swanee" (1919). Gershwin did go to Paris, likely in early 1926, for
a short while where met many famous musicians but he never "studied
music" in Europe, per se. Famously, Nadia Boulongier and Maurice Ravel
turned him down for lessons.

There is an amazing amount of modern scholarship written about
Gershwin's life and work and anyone interested in American music should
find them all good reads. My retorts mentioned here are off the top of
my head but can easily be researched further in the many biographies
of the Gershwin brothers, should the readers wish for more detail or
clarification.

Adam Aceto
Winter Garden, Florida