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George Gershwin Lives On In Montblanc's Latest Donation Pen

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Montblanc

Next month marks 121 years since the birth of American composer and pianist George Gershwin, who was born September 26, 1898, and this year marks the 100th anniversary of his famous composition Swanee. As part of a commitment to arts and culture, Montblanc is commemorating Gershwin with its Donation Pen. Montblanc has honored some of the world’s most celebrated composers and conductors with its Donation Pen over the years, and a percentage of the proceeds from each writing instrument is slated to support cultural projects related to music: a donation of 20 euros per fountain pen and 10 euros per ballpoint or rollerball.

Past Montblanc Donation Pens have included tributes to such musical greats as John Lennon, Yehudi Menuhin and Johann Sebastian Bach, and each recalls its namesake in its details. The John Lennon pen, for example, is in black precious resin, and its cap and barrel are engraved to resemble the grooves of a record. The platinum-plated clip recalls the neck of a guitar, and an engraved portrait of Lennon is on the cap. Fittingly, the fountain pen nib is decorated with a peace symbol.

This latest 2019 edition pays tribute to the life and legacy of the New York composer, who left a significant mark on the music world with his memorable compositions. Gershwin masterfully melded European classical music, American popular music and jazz to create a style that shaped the identity of American music culture, and his masterpieces include such well-known compositions as the folk opera "Porgy and Bess," "Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris." Though Gershwin died at the early age of 37, many of his songs and compositions remain among the most beloved in America's songbook.

The cap and barrel of the George Gershwin Donation Pen are made of black precious resin with platinum coated fittings, and the pen's shape draws inspiration from the original profile of the Montblanc Meisterstück from the 1920s and 1930s and used in early editions of the Donation Pen. As well as being an incredibly gifted pianist, Gershwin was also an accomplished clarinet player. So in honor of his famous clarinet opening in the 1924 recording of "Rhapsody in Blue," the clip of the writing instrument is shaped like a clarinet. The fountain pen’s ink window is blue, another reference to this Gershwin composition, while the rhodium-coated 14-karat gold nib is decorated with stylized skyscrapers, evoking the original album cover. The cap ring is engraved with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge, paying homage to Brooklyn, his place of birth, and an engraving of the composer’s signature.

The pens are available in three variations: a piston-filled fountain pen, a rollerball and ballpoint pen. Each comes in a special gift box with three memorable prints of Gershwin’s beloved Brooklyn Bridge.

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