Description
n the years 1919-1920, George Gershwin was establishing his reputation through Broadway compositions and his inaugural show in New York. However, he was already drawn to the realm of classical music, a domain he would boldly enter in 1924 with the premiere of “Rhapsody in Blue.” To prepare for this transition, he undertook an intensive composition course, during which he composed a short piece titled “Lullaby” for string quartet, likely in 1919. He was so taken with its memorable melody that he later incorporated it into his one-act “jazz opera,” “Blue Monday Blues.” In 1968, his brother Ira remarked on the piece, describing it as charming and kind when the quartet movement was published for the first time. Consequently, this American composer gifted the world a second lullaby, one that stands proudly alongside his renowned “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess.”
