Gershwin: The bridge between classical music and jazz

New york, 1915

A seventeen year old boy is on his way to the Jerome H. Remick and Company, carrying some sheets of paper under his arm. The young George is song plugger for the music firm: He performs newly released songs on the piano to promote the new sheet music.

He has a very good technique and his exceptional sense of rhythm made him popular with the regular costumers. Some of them come to the shop only to listen to him. They all agree that George will become a great musician!

But today he has brought his first own composition to play, the song When You've Got 'Em, You Don't Want 'Em... Will they be pleased with it?

Gershwin

George Gershwin (born Jacob Gershowitz), son of Russian immigrants was born on September 26th, 1898. He was initially a composer of "light" music: an easy listening genre which was quite different from the Western classical music in the 19th and early 20th century. Popular songs and musicals were a part of his earliest works. His brother Ira wrote lyrics for the songs.

Despite of his national success, Gershwin wasn't satisfied with his popular image and decided to use traditional classical elements in next compositions.

The combination between classical elements and jazz manifested itself in the Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra. The Concerto in F, and Three preludes for piano were also the result of Gershwin's attempts to get a more serious reputation as a classical composer.

Many consider the opera Porgy & Bess to be his absolute masterwork.

George Gershwin died at the age of 38, because of a brain tumor.

Trademark: jazzy harmonies, playfulness, tender and moving melodies.

Concerto in F & Rhapsody in Blue

This concerto is a potpourri of jazz, Latin-American rhythms, emotional parts, explosions and so on. Gershwin takes you on a journey through happy and sad moments in life. It has great similarities to Ravel's concerto.

I suggest listening to the performance with soloist Werner Haas, director Edo de Waart and the Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra.

The Rhapsody in Blue is a phenomenal virtuoso piece for piano and orchestra. Everything is included: fast passages, boogie woogie elements and a slow, very romantic theme. The description I give may appear to be the same as the description of the Concerto. Although there are similarities between the two, the Rhapsody is suitable for a larger audience because of it's more accessible and less complex structure.

The amazing composer

Think of America in the Roaring Twenties, Broadway on the eve of it's golden age, black and white pictures. Happiness, sorrow, depression, love, bitterness... Gershwin knew how to capture the story of your life in his music!

If you are not well acquainted with Gershwin, I recommend that you should listen to:

- 'I've got Rhythm' (rhythmic, fast, fun)

- 'Three preludes' for piano (1st & 3d: fast, rhytmic, 2nd: slow, relaxed)

- 'Summertime' from the opera Porgy & Bess (emotional, slow)

- 'The man I love' (romantic)

- 'Liza' (romantic, nostalgia)

- 'Swanee' (rhythmic, romantic)

- 'Rhapsody in blue'

(* pictures are taken from: ecupress.edu, culture24.org.uk, didyouseethatone.files.wordpress.com, Brassaï; music: 'Rhapsody in Blue' from Gershwin. Performed by Leonard Bernstein in the London Royal Albert Hall)

Beginner's guide to Classical music

Getting rid of the dusty image

When hearing the word 'classical music', many people imagine a party of old-fashioned and dull men in secondhand green suits, playing old music with their cracky instruments. It's a wrong image, for classical music has a great assortment of different styles. I have to admit that stuffy and boring pieces do exist. However, the classical genre has much more to offer!

Why is it worth it?

First, it is a part of our cultural heritage. Classical music is the mother of all current popular music, whether you listen to Coldplay, Rihanna or Nickelback.

Secondly, this genre can have a very good effect on you. I myself love almost every kind of music, yet I prefer classical music to any other style because I notice that it has a positive effect on my mood and personality. Many songs nowadays are about Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n Roll and it would be senseless to assume that the songs are beneficial to our sense of ethics.

By the way, scientists made cows listen to Mozart and observed that they were far more relaxed, good-tempered and produced more milk than their fellows (Read more about this experiment). I doubt whether Nickelback would have the same effect on them.

Of course, we are not cows...

Where to start?

Starting with Bach and Mozart, the most famous classical composers, isn't a very good idea since their works are not always very accessible and there are so many other beautiful pieces most people don't know!

Starting with the Romantic classical composers though, should be a better idea. Nota bene: people link Romanticism to love, sunsets, flowers and red wine, but it is something completely different. Romanticism is a subgenre of classical music that originated in the second half of the 18th century. Circumstances in Europe were dreadful due to wars and other crises. Therefore, people rejected rational thinking as the way to solve the problems. Instead, they reached for dreams and happiness, for fairytales and nostalgia. Forms of art became a manner to release their strong inner feelings.

I will list a few of my favourite works related to different moods, linked to Youtube.

Tender

1. Liebestraum - F. Liszt. Liebestraum means 'love dream'.

The performance is by one of the iconic pianists of history, Artur Rubinstein.

2. Méditation de Thaïs - J. Massenet. A heart-warming piece and performance, played very passionately by Janine Jansen.

3. The sweet Panorama from ballet "The Sleeping Beauty" - P.I. Tschaikovsky. Think of green hills and spring. Performed by the Vienna Philarmonic, known as one of the best orchestras in the world.

Feelgood

1. The well known Four Seasons -  A. Vivaldi needs no explanation.

2. Carmen Fantasy P. Sarasate. A joyful, virtuoso piece for violon with a Spanish accent.

3. La donna è mobile G. Verdi, a very famous opera song, exhibited by Caruso.

4. Alla turca - W.A. Mozart, a piano solo piece.

Majestic/intense

1. Polonaise As-dur Op. 53 "Heroique" - F. Chopin (starts at 2.10").

2. Revolutionary Etude op. 10 no 12 - F. Chopin. It is fast and very difficult.

3. Symphony 4, mvt 4 - P.I. Tchaikovsky (See article I have written before here)

4. 2nd Piano concerto - S. Rachmaninoff. One of the best musical pieces ever written. I will dedicate one or several articles to this masterwork. The atmosphere and the harmonies are incredible.

5. S. Rachmaninoff's prélude Op. 32 no. 10.

Nostalgic

1. Vocalise - S. Rachmaninoff, a moving piece transcribed for cello.

2. Élégie for Cello and Orchestra - G. Fauré. A slow piece with very different dynamics. It's beauty lies in it's simplicity.

3. Arabesque - C. Débussy. Very dreamy, the melody creates the atmosphere of Arabia.

4. Another famous piece from Débussy: Clair de Lune. 

Lighthearted

1. Petrushka - I.F. Stravinsky. This crazy piece is very difficult for the piano.

2. Scaramouche, mvt 3 - D. Milhaud. Jazzy and fun.

3. "Papageno, papagena duet" from opera The Magic Flute - W.A. Mozart. What was Mozart thinking when composing this ingenious, comic duet?

4. Flight of the Bumblebee - N. Rimsky-Korsakov (arrangment by Cziffra). One of the fastest solo works ever written.

Of course, these are only a few out of hundreds of masterworks. My partiality for Russian music is, again, very obvious. I mentioned Rachmaninoff a few times, Tchaikovsky again. In future I will make more "must-hear" lists with pieces from other great composers like Brahms, Dvorak, Saint-Saëns, Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt, Ravel and those who I do not recall at the moment.

For now, I hope you'll enjoy.