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GEORGE GERSHWIN RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1924) “In the rhapsody I tried

In , life felt limitless. A surging “It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, invited as a tentative visitor into their to express our manner economy kickstarted the consumer society, its rattlety-bang that is often so stimulating symphonic homes, Gershwin’s approach transforming overnight the way people to a composer… And there I suddenly heard was the polar opposite. American pop was of living, the tempo of expected to live. Skyscrapers were surging — and even saw on paper — the complete his safe place, and the now the ever higher, while every 20 minutes another construction of the rhapsody, from beginning to intruder expected to bow to its fast and loose our modern life with huge liner docked at the city’s piers to deposit end. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope conventions. magnates, celebrities and anyone eager to be of America — of our vast , of our its speed and chaos a part of the action. The first radio broadcasts unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan The first 14 bars set out the raw material for beamed straight into people’s homes, madness. By the time I reached I had a much of the piece, the jaunty, accented theme and vitality” while Harlem was the epicentre of an African definite plot of the piece, as distinguished from finding itself passed around the orchestra and American artistic explosion. Women had just its actual substance.” . There’s often an impatient nervousness been given the vote and the strict expectations to the music, propelled by its jagged accents, JOANNA PARK LOUISE GOODWIN of society began to crumble as a new Upon his return to New York, he began writing as though it always has another place to be; PERCUSSION GEORGE GERSHWIN generation explored their ambitions, their his Rhapsody on an upright piano in the family a fear that the protagonist might miss out sexuality and their increasing freedom. apartment on West . Lacking the on some brilliant new experience if it hangs I love Rhapsody in Blue - and When I play Rhapsody in Blue, time – and arguably confidence, given his life- around too long. Gershwin as a composer it feels like an opportunity to In amongst this was George Gershwin, born long quest for lessons in from - because I don’t think it’s play in a band rather than an and raised in the city, and with his finger closely Ravel and Stravinsky, amongst others – to The only real exception to this comes during possible for music to be more orchestra. I don’t know whether on New York’s pop culture pulse. Having orchestrate the piece himself, Gershwin wrote an ultra-romantic, luscious theme where the complete than this. He includes it’s to do with the rhythms, the written a string of catchy songs and the work for two , leaving messages piano meekly stops, utterly mesmerised. In the everything you can think of , or whether it’s just musicals, he was contributing to the Roaring littered in the score for which orchestral hectic bustle of everyday life, there are only a rhythmically, dynamically, and in the percussion parts, but it Twenties as much as anyone, an era in which instruments might play when. Whiteman’s in- handful of events that have the power to attract with so many musical effects. feels like you’re part of a much nothing stood still and new trends zipped house arranger, the supremely talented Ferde our complete focus, to make one pause and Most importantly, it has melodic closer group than normal. rapidly through society. Grofé, would then drop in to pick up the latest cease to care about the wider world. Love has excitement. Whenever I listen There are some moments sheets for transformation into their original, that intoxicating potential. Gershwin’s melody to it, I think ‘how can you where it sounds like you’re Born 1898 Died 1937 Given this environment, it’s not surprising that jazz orchestra form. Grofé went on to create sounds like something straight from Tin Pan create such melodies, such playing in a show, or a Brooklyn, New York Hollywood, California Rhapsody in Blue took mere weeks to go further of the piece, including Alley, as suited to a hit single as his . rich harmonies, that are so swing band, so you get into a from concept to legend. It wasn’t something the symphonic edition performed tonight. If anything, it is this trait which symbolises attractive and so catchy?’ From groove that’s quite different to Gershwin had planned, and in fact knew Rhapsody in Blue’s most significant beginning to end it just gets you a lot of orchestral pieces. Lots nothing about until unexpectedly seeing his Come the premiere, had achievement - Gershwin gave composers on the edge of your seat, always Growing up in New York tenements, it of the timpani notes match name mentioned in the New York Tribune. worked his PR magic once again and amid the the confidence to take anything from around asking, ‘what’s next?’ wasn’t until the age of 10 that Gershwin the left hand of the piano, There, Paul Whiteman, the promoter of an glitterati audience were a who’s who of music. them to make music. had just became intrigued by a piano bought for his Gershwin makes it feel like with the lower brass joining in upcoming showcase of new music, proclaimed Rachmaninov, Stokowski, Heifetz and Sousa become that much more liberal. older brother. At 15, he left school to work there’s jazz improv in every too. They’re often off the beat ‘George Gershwin is at work on a jazz sat through three hours of new music before for a publishing firm in where, section of the orchestra. You and great fun to play - almost concerto’. For a long while Whiteman had been Gershwin’s time came, but from the very first Today’s equivalent might be Mason Bates after two years promoting others’ works, find yourself sitting on stage, childlike and so joyous. trying to tempt Gershwin to compose for his bars of flamboyant solo, a daring new mixing sampled electronica with acoustic his first song was published. His career desperately eager for your turn dance band, but this stunt finally worked: with hybrid of styles had made its indellible mark on orchestra, Gabriel Prokofiev’s for developed quickly, and by 1920 he was to join the party. time against him, and rehearsals in Boston history. turntables, or Anna Meredith’s work with collaborating on Broadway musicals. for his latest musical, Sweet Little Devil, in the beatboxers. The ‘rules’ of classical music meantime, a new work began to take shape. Classical music is renowned for its rules and might now allow for ever more inventive Straddling popular and orchestral music, traditions, built in Europe over many centuries. collaborations and mash-ups, but Rhapsody EXPLORE FURTHER Gershwin went on to write concertos, , and symphonic poems - all with a Inspiration can strike at any moment. For some Yet with its opening clarinet , in Blue remains amazingly fresh, invigorating Watch Denis Matsuev’s alternative take on heavy jazz influence - in addition to smash composers, it takes years of painstaking trial whimsically improvised in the first rehearsal and relevant today: politics, economics and pop Rhapsody in Blue, introducing a jazz trio hit musicals. At the peak of his career, aged and error before finally unlocking something and instantly becoming a staple of the piece, culture may have moved on, but our pace of life for extended, thrillingly fast improvised just 38, doctors discovered a brain tumour workable. For others, like Gershwin, the world Rhapsody in Blue proudly chucked convention is just as frenetic as the 1920s. solos. around them would effortlessly prompt that out of the window. Where composers like from which Gershwin never recovered. Search ‘Denis Matsuev - Rhapsody in light bulb moment: Stravinsky, Milhaud and Ravel had previously Blue’ on YouTube