If George Gershwin had started his musical journey today, which Wertheim Piano would he choose?
George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) was a famous American composer and pianist who started teaching himself piano at the age of ten. His work spans and often melds jazz, popular and classical styles into something unique. He is well known for compositions including “Swanee”, “Rhapsody in Blue”, “An American in Paris” and the hit song “Summertime” from the opera Porgy and Bess. If he learned to play the piano today, which Wertheim piano would he have chosen?
George Gershwin learning the piano
Gershwin’s interest in music began at the age of six, standing outside a penny arcade and listening to a player piano performing Rubinstein’s Melody in F. The unusual jumps in the music captured his imagination and inspired his future direction.
Also known as automatic pianos, pianolas or reproducing pianos, player pianos were a central element of the American music scene between 1900 and 1930. They are essentially a standard acoustic piano with an added internal piano playing mechanism which is driven by air pressure. Music is recorded via series of holes punched on paper rolls and these rolls are fed through the player piano “reader”. The mechanism is then driven by a pair of foot pedals that pump air through the system causing the keys to play on the piano from the corresponding notes punched into the roll.
Following his earlier introduction at the penny arcade, around the age of ten Gershwin started teaching himself to play the piano on a friend’s family’s pianola. As he pumped the foot pedals, he would place his fingers over the keys as they were played by the mechanism. This method of learning was very successful. When his own family bought a piano for his brother, Ira, to learn, George immediately sat down and began playing the songs he had learned.
Today’s piano options
If George Gershwin were alive today and just beginning to learn the piano, he would be astounded by his options. With a vastly different musical landscape, the evolution of piano-making and the advent of digital technology, what are the possibilities?
Gershwin was a performer and composer who blended classical with jazz and popular styles and appreciated the expressiveness and subtlety of his instruments. Recognising these qualities can help us imagine the sorts of Wertheim pianos he might be drawn to today.
Acoustic upright or grand piano?
We believe that he would still be attracted by the quality, tonal richness and dynamic range of acoustic pianos. Earlier in his education where space or finances might play a factor, an upright piano would’ve been a likely option. Something like the Wertheim W121 Upright Piano would have made an excellent beginner piano for the young Gershwin. Alternatively, knowing the family’s musical talents, stepping up to the more professional upright piano model W133 may be more appropriate.
Later in his career, Gershwin would have moved onto a baby grand or full grand piano . The W186 Gold Series Grand Piano would have been an excellent instrument for his performances and composing.
Digital pianos and options
Whilst Gershwin love classical music, he was out there on the edge (at the time) of jazz and popular music. We think he would have appreciated the opportunities that digital pianos offer.
Modern high-quality digital pianos provide outstanding touch sensitivity and playability. In many cases, modern digital pianos provide almost the same tonal range and expressivity as acoustic pianos. Additionally, digital pianos offer the option of many different voices or instruments sounds.
Gershwin may have been convinced by the combination of digital technology with a traditional soundboard, such as the Wertheim UPH88 Digital Upright Piano. Alternatively, a portable folding piano would have allowed him to practice anywhere at any time – great for when he was travelling.
Modern player pianos
Perhaps the most exciting possibility for Gershwin would have been the combination of acoustic pianos with digital capabilities. Systems such as the self-playing PianoDisc system allow acoustic pianos to be converted into player pianos. These are similar in some ways (but much better and many more features) to the pianola that he learned on.
Additionally, an optional addon feature to PianoDisc installations is the ProRecord system. ProRecord turns your piano into a digital recording studio, capturing all the subtleties and nuances of performances as MIDI files. This would have been an incredible tool for Gershwin as he was composing.
Wertheim Pianos
Wertheim Pianos is an Australian-based online piano store and brand. We offer a wide range of acoustic pianos, digital pianos and the amazing PianoDisc player piano system. Wertheim offer equivalent quality to Kawai and Yamaha pianos, though typically with better pricing. Wertheim pianos are considering to have a warmer and richer tone (more European) than the Yamaha and Kawai pianos.
We can imagine that George Gershwin would have been excited by the range of instruments available to him. If you are excited about purchasing a new piano or learning to play the way he did, give us a call.