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How did George Gershwin prepare to compose Porgy and Bess?
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George Gershwin
American composer George Gershwin working on the score for Porgy and Bess, 1935.
To prepare for composing his "American Folk Opera," Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin collaborated with the author DuBose Heyward, whose 1925 novel Porgy served as the work's inspiration.123
In the summer of 1934, Gershwin traveled to an island near Charleston, South Carolina, to work directly with Heyward. During this time, the Brooklyn-born composer immersed himself in the local environment to study the lifestyle and music of impoverished African Americans firsthand. He specifically sought to absorb the rhythms and nuances of African American speech and the unique ambiance of the Southern setting, which he found deeply inspirational for his creative process.321