What is musical progress? Progress, as in everything, is innovation, something new or something people have never seen or heard before. When it comes to music many things have already been done and many things have been recycled into new pieces of music. In the first half of the 20th century, great progress was made in music, progress made by composers such as George Gershwin and Igor Stravinsky. The two composers, although belonging to different musical genres and particular time periods, had a common theme, both creating music that pushed the boundaries of their respective styles. Gershwin with his early jazz pieces and Stravinsky with his early neoclassical works both created pieces that are still performed in the 2000s. Although both faced a different set of challenges, they did something similar, aiming for progress. The progress made by the two composers can be perceived through their profound ability to borrow themes or styles from different genres and to make a musical corpus original. The works of Gershwin and Stravinsky, particularly Rhapsody in Blue and Histoire de Soldat, embody, in their respective time periods, music at the pinnacle of musical progress. Stravinsky was an established composer of his period, while many questioned him and his changes in style. But many of his changes, musically speaking, throughout his life emulate or better yet show his progressive nature in music. Many critics of his era had criticized him for an excess of variation regarding style, particularly Theodor Adorno regarding his distaste for Stravinsky's neoclassical works. mu. and individually as a great composer seems to ensure... middle of paper... Gershwin was helping to bring jazz to the forefront of both popular culture and critical acclaim. Both advanced their respective works in different ways, both extended their talents, both took early 20th century music to the next level by perpetuating their existing works into something new. Both Rhapsody In Blue and Histoire Du Soldat carry a symbol of progress into the 20th century. Works Cited1"Stravinsky, Igor ( Fyodorovich Igor Stravinsky )." Oxford Music Online. Oxford UP. Network. October 26, 2011.2Walsh, Stephen. “Stravinsky, Igor, §11: Posthumous Reputation and Legacy.” Oxford Music Online. Oxford UP. Network. October 26, 2011.3Crawford, Richard. “Gershwin, George [Gershvin, Jacob].” Oxford Music Online. Oxford UP. Network. October 26, 2011.4Crawford, Richard. “Gershwin, George [Gershvin, Jacob].” Oxford Music Online. Oxford UP. Network. October 26. 2011.