Pictures from Google Image Search

See more pictures of [TBD: Hi, I'm litTopicName set my Topic name]

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404707391.html" title="Facts and informations about Oscar Levant">Oscar Levant</a>

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Oscar Levant

If George Gershwin had an alter-ego, most people would agree that it was Oscar Levant (1906-1972), film composer and arranger. Levant, who was best known as a jazz pianist, was considered to have been the most accomplished interpreter of the vast songbook of U.S. composer George Gershwin, and was the first performer to record "Rhapsody in Blue" after Gershwin. He also scored numerous Broadway plays and Hollywood films, composed classical music, authored several books, and contributed numerous articles on musical topics.

Levant was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 27, 1906 to Max and Annie Levant, Orthodox Russian Jews. His talent with music was recognized early in his life, but he was a troublesome child to his music teachers and his parents, displaying a constant aversion to people who represented authority. His father, a demanding parent, insisted that all of his sons receive musical training and perform at family recitals, exactly as he commanded. He was meticulous in his plans for these recitals, dictating what each boy would play and how each piece was to be performed. In one instance, Levant rebelled, performing a piece of his own choice as an encore. His father's anger resulted in a humiliating slap in the face, and the beginning of his life-long loathing of authority figures.

Levant's formal education concluded at the age of 15 when his father died and he moved to New York in order to find the freedom to pursue his music in his own way. He was quick to find work in the Prohibition nightclubs and speakeasies of New York. It was 1921, the Great Depression was still a song away, and Broadway was thriving. A talented young man with his musical skills was soon absorbed into the spirit of the theater district, where popular stars included Al Jolson and Fanny Brice, were themselves children of Jewish immigrant parents. Although trained in classical music, Levant quickly picked up on current musical trends and played them to his advantage. It was not long before Levant became a regular at Lindy's, one of the more popular city nightspots. His satiric wit and skills at the keyboard soon became fodder for gossip columnists such as Walter Winchell, who recognized the value of Levant's caustic remarks.

Friendship with Gershwin

Levant first heard Gershwin's music when he was 12 years old, and was soon inspired to compose his own music. It was not surprising that during his time in New York, Levant and Gershwin would strike up a friendship-a friendship that would prove to be both intense and distressing. This relationship would extend through many years of a love-hate dependence on both sides. Levant, while personally insecure about his own talents, seemed driven to surpass Gershwin. Were it not for his neurotic insecurity, he might have done just that. His association with Gershwin was a blend of envy and hero worship; they had a deep mutual regard for one another that thrived on competitiveness.

Levant and Gershwin came from similar backgrounds. Levant was born of immigrant Jewish parents and raised in Pittsburgh, while Gershwin was an immigrant boy raised on New York's Lower East Side. Gershwin astutely understood that he would have quicker success if he cast off his background, affecting an upper-class bearing. Levant, on the other hand, remained the rumpled sidekick with the European accent. Levant knew that Gershwin could never change what he was, but that was little comfort to a man who remained trapped in the insecurities of his own immigrant background. Throughout his life, Levant was incapable of moving out of Gershwin's shadow, a fact that caused him considerable frustration and fed his neuroses. It was after Gershwin's untimely death in 1937 that Levant became his foremost interpreter.

With Gershwin's death, Levant picked up his friend's music and soon became known as one of the best interpreter's of Gershwin's compositions in the business. It was as a result of his love for this music and his ability to interpret it through subsequent recordings that Levant quickly became one of the highest paid musical artists in the United States. He would have enjoyed, and most likely commented on, the irony of having achieved this recognition not through his own compositions and arrangements, but through those of his friend and rival.

A Man of Many Careers

Levant truly had five vocations: composer, pianist, actor, author, and arranger. He studied music under Sigismund Stojowski from 1935 to 1937 and studied composition under Arnold Schoenberg, where he composed several classical pieces, including his piano concerto. He received high praise for his talents from the likes of Vladimir Horowitz. Levant's composition skills extended through many forms of music, including classical, jazz, and Broadway musicals. Among his own compositions are "Blame It on My Youth," "Lady Play Your Mandolin," and his classical "Sonatina: First Movement: Con ritmo." He recorded numerous works by other composers and, in addition to his best-known recording of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," he recorded Gershwin's "Prelude I," "Prelude II," and "Prelude III." He did not stray too far from his classical background as a listen to his recordings of Ravel's "Menuet," Shostakovitch's "Prelude in A Minor," and Debussy's "Jardins Sous La Pluie" reveal. Levant's recording of Gershwin's serious concert piano pieces raised an awareness of Gershwin's many musical talents beyond the New York area.

Levant appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Rochester, Los Angeles, and Montreal orchestras, among others. In Hollywood he applied his talents as a composer of motion-picture music and, for a time, was the "Music Expert" on the Information Please radio program.

Levant frequently served as a sidekick in movies, where his sardonic wit played well against the hero. He was always cast to type and audiences identified him with objects such as smoldering ashtrays and full coffee cups. He appeared in 13 movies, among them Rhythm on the River, Kiss the Boys Goodbye, Humoresque, The Barkleys of Broadway, and An American in Paris, the last a biography of his friend, George Gershwin. Levant stretched his talents to include authorship when he wrote A Smattering of Ignorance in 1940, Memoirs of an Amnesiac in 1965, and The Unimportance of Being Oscar in 1968. He contributed to such magazines as Good Housekeeping, Harper's, Town & Country, and Vogue. Regardless of his many talents and throughout his multi-faceted career, Levant never stayed with one thing long enough to build his reputation beyond that of second string.

Personal Devils

Levant began to make the circuit of radio and television shows where his biting wit delighted listeners across America. In 1950, he suffered a heart attack and subsequently developed an addiction to the pain medication, Demerol. Despite his exceptional musical skills and quick wit, Levant was plagued with lifelong uncertainty and depression. As his bouts with depression progressed, he turned these sad episodes into biting commentary about himself, drawing out his lack of self-confidence for the world to see.

In the early 1950s, Levant hosted his own television talk show with guests of the stature of authors Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood. He even brought his own psychiatrist, Dr. George Wayne, on the show from time to time. Television in its infancy was live. No one could be sure what Levant would do or say as the program progressed, and this show was often considered "must see TV" for everyone in Hollywood. His wit was notorious and, while he frequently used it against others, he more often used it against himself. Although Levant had the potential for becoming a success in this new medium, his increasing episodes of depression took their toll on his career. He recognized the affect his addictions had on his health and checked himself into Mt. Sinai Hospital each day after his show, but with little or no positive effects. He soon began to fade from the public's view.

In 1958, television host Jack Paar convinced Levant to appear on his program. For the next six years the composer appeared with regularity, amusing viewers with his neurotic satire. Levant both shocked and intrigued viewers with his open discussions about his neuroses and his addiction to painkillers. While his illnesses became more apparent with each appearance as his speech slowed, his wit remained as sharp as ever. His openness about his illnesses was unheard of during these early years of television and Paar was severely criticized for allowing Levant to appear when his deteriorating mental condition seemed at its worst. However, Levant's self-deprecating comments seemed to endear him to the public. He spoke at a time when others hid their problems or those of their families, and his frank approach to his addictions and illnesses was curious, amusing, and often sad. Fans could view their own problems through his eyes, a means of avoiding the essential confrontation at home.

In her biography A Talent for Genius, co-author Nancy Schoenberger described Levant as "the first public dysfunctional celebrity … that shocked and also amused because Oscar was funny when he talked about … group therapy." Schoenberger repeats Levant's satiric reference to a group trip to Disneyland: "To hell with Disneyland. I have my own hallucinations."

A Troubled Personal Life

Levant married twice during his life. His first marriage to Barbara Smith, on January 5, 1932, lasted less than seven years. On December 1, 1939 Levant again dove into marital waters when he married June Gale. They had three daughters, Marcia Ann, Lorna, and Amanda. The marriage was often explosive and the couple frequently found their private lives the topic of newspaper articles. There were moments of physical abuse, once when Levant charged that June threatened him with scissors. Yet through all of the marital problems that racked their life together, Levant's wife of 33 years remained with him until his death.

On August 14, 1972, Levant, a man who spoke openly about the devils that plagued him, died peacefully. He was buried in Westwood Memorial Park, West Los Angeles, California. A man who never got beyond the shadow of his best friend during his lifetime, may well have taken that very step with the legacy of music he left behind. He would have enjoyed that irony.

	Brother, can you spare a dime? NY judges survive on $136k.(Opinions and Letters to the Editor) Newspaper article from: The Informed Constituent (Albany, NY); 6/1/2007; ; 600 words ; ...tragedy and big news: According to the New York Bar Journal, Chief Justice Judith Kayes...the Democrat Chronicle out of Rochester New York, in an article entitled Judicial Pay Equity...and appropriate. Trial Court judges in New York make $136,700 per year. The median income... Read more
	New York a city of the future.(Brief article) Magazine article from: Real Estate Weekly; 6/10/2009; 130 words ; New York City Economic Development Corporation...the Financial Times Group, has recognized New York City as the North American City of the...International Conference in Atlanta, GA. New York City was selected out of 400 cities from... Read more
	Looking at the Levant: "made in Palestine," a traveling exhibition of work by 23 established and emerging contemporary Palestinian artists, recently appeared at a temporary gallery in New York City. Magazine article from: Art in America; 9/1/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...guide him on his travels in the Levant to meet artists and see their...When it came to finding a New York venue, Halaby intervened early...the efforts of Al Jisser, a New York arts organization founded in...Made in Palestine appeared in New York in a slightly different form... Read more
	West Nile Virus threat expected again this summer.(New York State News) Newspaper article from: The Informed Constituent (Albany, NY); 6/1/2007; ; 700+ words ; With New York State's humid summer climate already in the...scientists have reported no bird or human cases in New York, but a local scientist, Dr. Ward Stone, Wildlife Pathologist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation... Read more
	Cancer Society earns green building cert. Magazine article from: Real Estate Weekly; 6/24/2009; 390 words ; The American Cancer Society of New York and New Jersey announced that is has been...building houses the Society's Hope Lodge New York City, Jerome L. Greene Family Center...nationwide healthcare not-for-profit in New York City to achieve LEED Gold certification... Read more
	China could be big part of recovery. Magazine article from: Real Estate Weekly; 6/24/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...sleeping giant that helps jumpstart the New York market. Though experts say the flood of...interest: the U.S. recession has brought New York commercial and residential rents back...level the Chinese have making deals in New York. According to Hilton, the Chinese investor... Read more
	Baseball diamonds and world's fair wonders.(Innovations) Magazine article from: USA Today (Magazine); 6/1/2009; 372 words ; ...Tomorrow World's Fair patch worn by the hometown New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Yankees. Interestingly, the trio of Gotham...national pastime. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 1964 New York World's Fair also had an impact on Big Apple... Read more
	Welcome new members.(Membership News) Magazine article from: Corrections Today; 6/1/2007; 700+ words ; ...Tripp MISSOURI--Heather Sheridan NEW JERSEY--Mike Ruane NEW YORK--Carol Cagwin Lenhart, Lawrence Vann PENNSYLVANIA--Blanca...Macallair GEORGIA--Matthew Snowden MISSOURI--Glen Babich NEW YORK--Robert F. Dembia, Shannah L. Ernst VIRGINIA--Kelly D. Chris...MAINE--Jeffrey A. Morin, Phillip Richards ... Read more
	ABO: propelling business forward.(Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York) Magazine article from: Real Estate Weekly; 6/10/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...OMITTED] At a moment when much of the New York metropolitan area is experiencing a real...Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York (ABO) continues to demonstrate the benefit...speakers such as representatives from the New York City Department of Buildings and the Urban... Read more
	The republic of letters and the levant.(Brief Article)(Book Review) Magazine article from: Reference & Research Book News; 2/1/2006; 151 words ; 9004147616 The republic of letters and the levant. Ed. by Alastair Hamilton et al. Brill...links between the visible area of the Levant and the invisible Republic of Letters...Europeans writing to each other about the Levant or themes connected to it while others... Read more

For more facts and information, see all related premium articles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses

	Levant, Oscar Book article from: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music Levant, Oscar ( b Pittsburgh, 1906; d Beverly Hills, Calif., 1972). Amer. pianist and composer. Settled in Hollywood in 1920s, becoming close... Read more
	The Band Wagon Dictionary entry from: International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers ...Michael Kidd. Cast: Fred Astaire ( Tony Hunter ); Cyd Charisse ( Gabrielle Gerard ); Nanette Fabray ( Lily Marton ); Oscar Levant ( Lester Marton ); Jack Buchanan ( Jeffrey Cordova ); James Mitchell ( Paul Byrd ). Publications Books: Astaire, Fred... Read more
	An American in Paris Dictionary entry from: International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers ...final ballet costumes); choreography: Gene Kelly. Cast: Gene Kelly ( Jerry Mulligan ); Leslie Caron ( Lise Borvier ); Oscar Levant ( Adam Cook ); Georges Guetary ( Henri Baurel ); Nina Foch ( Milo Roberts ); Eugene Borden ( Georges Mattieu ); Martha... Read more
	Feinstein, Michael Dictionary entry from: Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990 ...moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Canoga Park in the mid-1970s, Feinstein sought out June Levant, the widow of the great Gershwin pianist Oscar Levant, and in 1977 she introduced him to Ira Gershwin himself. For the next six years, until the... Read more
	Faith, Percy Book article from: Contemporary Musicians ...visit to Canada in 1939, and conducted the CBC Orchestra at Massey Hall for a concert by American pianist and raconteur Oscar Levant in 1940. The concert concluded with nine encores and burnished Faith ’ s reputation as an outstanding and innovative... Read more