George Gershwin

In his »Message of the Divine Iliad« Walter Russell answers a question about Gershwin’s music as follows:
“George Gershwin varied intensely from the traditional classic music of Wagner, Beethoven, Mozart or Chopin. When he first began to compose, he was heartily condemned because his music was not in line of tradition. But he gave the world a new idea. He gave it an idea in motive and rhythm which uplifted it; but it was strongly physical as well as spiritual. The music of Wagner can make you absolutely forget the body and bring you into the presence of the Divine within yourself. The music of Wagner can make you absolutely forget the body and bring you into the presence of the Divine within yourself.
George Gershwin’s music did that, also, but it made you feel aware of the life and power flowing through your body because he syncopated the Universal tones to some extent, but he kept motive, rhythm, law and order in his music. So who is to condemn a person for creating that which he, himself, desires to create, whether he breaks tradition or not? If at first one cannot turn one’s art into money, find money some other way, but never sacrifice one’s ideals for money.”