George Gershwin claimed that he conceived the ‘metropolitan madness’ of Rhapsody in Blue ‘on a train, with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty bang.’ That same raw rhythmic inspiration was at the heart of our recent period-orchestra rendition at the WCFSO with pianist Genadi Zagor. The image by Gary Kelley is one of a series commissioned for this concert and shown in a narrative video piece alongside the performance.
This weekend the WCFSO will perform the 1920s theater orchestra version of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, on a special concert tracing the paths that African American musics have taken into the concert hall. But the influence of Gershwin’s own compositions on subsequent generations of musicians of all ethnic and aesthetic backgrounds is also striking to behold. If you have any doubt as to the composer’s massive influence in American musical culture, check out just how many artists trace their musical roots back to him:
Ever since I first came across the unforgettable clarinet wail that opens Rhapsody – and even more so after playing and conducting the piece a few times since then – I’ve been intoxicated by the uniquely American blend of infectious rhythm and multicultural reference that pervades Gershwin’s music. Clearly I’m not the only conductor who feels this way:
A highlight of my concerts last week with the LO for the Martin Luther King, Jr. anniversary was performing Gershwin with pianist Stewart Goodyear. In Stewart’s hands Rhapsody in Blue was by turns brash and bluesy, swinging and soulful. I’m already looking forward to working with him again sometime down the road.
And of course it would be an understatement to suggest that the Rhapsody is one of this country’s most essential works of art. In fact, I’ve said it and written it before – George Gershwin is the most American of all American composers. Hardly a controversial opinion, but just to back it up: a few weeks ago a Gershwin special on American Routes explored the depth of the composer’s appeal to a wide variety of American musicians.
