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RHAPSODY in BLUE (1924) That Is Now the Iconic Opening

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RHAPSODY in BLUE (1924) That Is Now the Iconic Opening TSO 2019–20 SEASON ON THE TOWN: THREE to perform it on February 12. Gershwin DANCE EPISODES (1945) was busy with a musical comedy and LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918 - 1990) said he didn’t know how to orchestrate. Whiteman countered that a sketch of ernstein’s first musical, On the parts was sufficient, as Ferde Grofe, the Town, grew out of Jerome Whiteman’s staff arranger (whose music Robbins’ and Bernstein’s ballet, will be featured later this season) Fancy Free. The musical was would do the orchestration. Blater distilled by Bernstein into this On the way to Sweet Little Devil’s concert suite. premiere, the work took shape: “It was The Great Lover Displays Himself In , PROGRAM NOTES on the train, with its steely rhythms, its a dream sequence depicts a sailor’s rattlety-bang that is often so stimu- fantasies about his ideal woman. The lating… There I suddenly heard—and second episode, Lonely Town: Pas de even saw on paper—the complete deux, confronts the difficulty of finding construction of the Rhapsody …I love in the cold city. Finally, Times heard it as a sort of melting pot, of Square: 1944 showcases the musical’s our unduplicated national pep, of our By Pam Davis By Pam signature hit New York, New York as blues, our metropolitan madness.” It sailors take to the streets of the Big Apple. was soon completed, except for a few WORLD EVENTS: piano passages which he improvised World War II ends, Franklin Roosevelt at the premiere. Grofe completed the dies, United Nations charter ratified orchestration just in time. The piece begins with the low slow FIRST PERFORMANCE: clarinet trill morphing into a sliding effect February 13, 1946, San Francisco, the that isn’t supposed to be possible on composer conducting the clarinet. Originally written as a trill MOST RECENT TSO PERFORMANCE: followed by a 17 note rising scale, September 22, 2012 Whiteman’s clarinetist, Ross Gorman, played it with the scooping glissando RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1924) that is now the iconic opening. Tunes chase each other in rapid GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898 - 1937) succession, with the piano commenting eorge Gershwin was the first on everything in virtuosic detail. Half- to make a name for himself way through, the flowing sentimental on Broadway as well as in theme is followed by brilliance all the concert hall. This, his first around highlighting both orchestra Gwork for the concert hall, was written and soloist. in less than a month. Its genesis is WORLD EVENTS: quite a story. First Macy’s parade, Hubble discovers Gershwin’s brother Ira read in other galaxies, Lenin dies the January 4th New York Tribune about a concert advertised by Paul FIRST PERFORMANCE: Whiteman’s orchestra for which February 12, 1924, New York, the com- poser as soloist “George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto.” Gershwin called Whiteman MOST RECENT TSO PERFORMANCE: to refute the report, whereupon the December 8, 2010 - Rich Ridenour, bandleader invited Gershwin to do Piano; September 28, 1991, James just that. The 25 year old composer Rivers, Piano and pianist would need to complete it PAGE 20 TSO 2019–20 SEASON I GOT RHYTHM VARIATIONS minates the struggles of urban violence FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA and troubled youth, along with that of (1934) the Shakespearean star-crossed lovers. GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898 - 1937) The Symphonic Dances comprise a suite that Bernstein excerpted from hapsody in Blue made Gershwin the 1957 musical’s score, orchestrated a household name and the under his direction by Sid Ramin and musical that soon followed, Girl Irwin Kostal. The dances are played Crazy, was also a huge success. without pause, in sections described RThis work is based on one of the musical’s by Jack Gottlieb, Bernstein’s assistant: beloved songs, now one of the most • Prologue: The growing rivalry between PROGRAM NOTES popular jazz standards. two teenage gangs, the Jets and Sharks. The variations you hear tonight were • Somewhere: In a visionary dance dedicated to the original song’s lyricist, sequence, the two gangs are united Ira Gershwin. Like Rhapsody in Blue, the in friendship. work opens with a clarinet solo, a flurry • Scherzo: In the same dream, they by the piano, and the orchestra stating break through the city walls, and the melody. In the second variation, Davis By Pam suddenly find themselves in a world the orchestra is in three while the piano of space, air and sun. plays an obbligato. The third variation • Mambo: Reality again; competitive keeps the melody in the orchestra, while dance between the gangs. the piano and xylophone simulate tra- • Cha-Cha: The star-crossed lovers ditional Asian instruments. Jazz sounds see each other for the first time and alternate with the piano in Variation 4. dance together. In the Finale, the melody alternates with • Meeting Scene: Music accompanies the build to the finish. His last concert their first spoken words. work, this orchestration was completed • Cool Fugue: An elaborate dance by the composer. sequence in which the Jets practice WORLD EVENTS: controlling their hostility. Donald Duck created, a gallon of gas • Rumble: Climactic gang battle during costs 10 cents, Ralph Nader is born which the two gang leaders are killed. FIRST PERFORMANCE: • Finale: Love music developing into a January 14, 1934, Boston, the composer processional, which recalls, in tragic as soloist reality, the vision of “Somewhere.” MOST RECENT TSO PERFORMANCE: The connection between our two TSO Premiere composers for this evening is strong, from their piano playing and New York roots to their embracing of genre- WEST SIDE STORY bridging work. Bernstein prominently SYMPHONIC DANCES (1960) soloed in and conducted Gershwin’s LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918 - 1990) Rhapsody in a 1959 recording. lthough born in Massachusetts, WORLD EVENTS: Leonard Bernstein had an To Kill a Mockingbird published, “The ongoing love affair with New Twist” hits #1, Kennedy elected president York City, evidenced by much FIRST PERFORMANCE: of his compositional output. West Side A February 13, 1961, New York Story had been suggested to him and he welcomed the challenge to be the first MOST RECENT TSO PERFORMANCE: to write a serious musical. The story illu- April 20, 2002 PAGE 21 TSO 2019–20 SEASON Alexander Tutunov is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding virtuosos of the former Soviet Union. First Prize winner of the Belarusian National Piano Com- petition and winner of the Russian National Piano Competition, Tutunov’s playing was described by Soviet Culture, Moscow, as “exhilarating and inspired, and which demonstrated a unique talent”. Dr. Tutunov maintains a busy performing schedule in Europe, China, Mexico, and the United States as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and on radio and tele- vision. Dr. Tutunov is also in demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions. Tutunov’s recording of the Abeliovich Piano Concerto was featured as part of the Emmy award winning soundtrack for the History Channel documentary, GUEST ARTISTS GUEST Russia: Land of Tsars; Tchaikovsky Concert Fantasy with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra. Other recordings include: Tchaikovsky Concert Fantasy with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Concerto for Piano & Orchestra by Peter Sacco with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra (Albany Records) and the solo piano works of Lev Abeliovich Sonatas & Frescoes, Trio, Songs (Altarus Records). Tutunov graduated magna cum laude from the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory (studies with Anna Artobolevskaya and Lev Naumov) and University of North Texas (piano studies with Joseph Banowetz). Awarded his doctoral diploma with honors in concert performance from the Belarusian State Conservatory, Dr. Tutunov has taught at the Minsk College of Music, the University of North Texas, and Illinois Wesleyan University. Alexander Tutunov enjoys living in the scenic Rogue Valley’s Ashland, where he is Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at Southern Oregon University. A successful piano peda- gogue, he continues to prepare award-winning students. Dr. Tutunov has been the Artist in Residence at the Univer- sity of Alaska Southeast, Principal Guest Soloist with the Port Angeles Symphony, Artistic direc- tor of the SOU Interna- tional Piano Institute, and was recently named the Director of the Chi- nese-American Interna- tional Piano Institute in Chengdu, China. PAGE 22.
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