Jazz Age music by Gershwin and Harbison

Synopsis

It was wet and cold in New York on today's date in 1925, but a curious crowd gathered at Carnegie Hall for a concert by the New York Symphony. Walter Damrosch was to conduct the world premiere of a new Piano Concerto by George Gershwin, who would also be the soloist.

The audience reacted with cheers and bravos, but the reviews were mixed: "Conventional, trite... [and] a little dull" was the verdict of one; but another was enthusiastic, suggesting: "Of all those writing the music of today, [Gershwin] alone actually expresses US." In the America of 1925, that "us" would have included the owners of speakeasies, raccoon coats, and Stutz Bearcat roadsters. It was the "Jazz Age"— an era magically captured in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby."

Seventy-four years later, in December of 1999, John Harbison's opera based on "The Great Gatsby" premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, playing to sold-out houses. Once again, audiences were enthusiastic—the critics less so.

To capture the mood of the 1920s, Harbison had composed a number of original songs in Jazz-Age style, which he incorporated as themes in his opera. These tunes have even been published as a separate "Gatsby Songbook!"

Imagine: a modern opera with tunes audiences can actually hum as they leave the theater! What will they think of next?

Music Played in Today's Program

John Harbison (b.1938) Remembering Gatsby Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Argo 444 454

George Gershwin (1898-1937) Piano Concerto in F Peter Jablonski, piano; Royal Philharmonic; Vladimir Ashkenazy, cond. London 430 542

On This Day

Births

• 1729 - Baptism of Spanish composer and organist, Padre Antonio Soler, in Olot;

• 1883 - Austrian composer Anton Webern, in Vienna;

• 1914 - American composer Irving Fine, in Boston;

• 1938 - Uruguayan-born American composer and conductor, José Serebrier, in Montevideo;

Deaths

• 1866 - Bohemian composer Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, age 65, in Karlsruhe, Germany;

• 1876 - German opera composer Hermann Goetz, age 35, in Hottingen, near Zurich, Switzerland;

• 1941 - Norwegian composer Christian Sinding, age 85, in Oslo;

• 1978 - American composer William Grant Still, age 83, in Los Angeles;

Premieres

• 1712 - Handel: opera “Il pastor fido,” in London (Julian date: Nov. 22);

• 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 62 ("Nun komm der Heiden Heiland" I) performed on the 1st Sunday in Advent as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25);

• 1739 - Handel: “Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day,” in London (Julian date: Nov. 22);

• 1740 - Handel: opera “Imeneo” in London (Julian date: Nov. 22);

• 1908 - Elgar: Symphony No. 1, at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England, with the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Hans Richter;

• 1913 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2 (Gregorian date: Dec. 16);

• 1913 - Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 2, in Vienna;

• 1925 - Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F, at Carnegie Hall in New York, with the composer as soloist and the New York Symphony conducted by Walter Damrosch;

• 1931 - Edward Joseph Collins: Piano Concerto No. 2 in a (“Concert Piece”), by the Chicago Symphony, Frederick Stock conducting and the composer as soloist;

• 1943 - Hanson: Symphony No. 4 ("Requiem"), with the Boston Symphony conducted by the composer; This work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1944;

• 1949 - Grofé: "Death Valley" Suite, at Desolation Canyon, Calif., by the Hollywood Bowl, conducted by the composer;

• 1953 - Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4, in Moscow, by the Beethoven Quartet;

• 1954 - Barber: oratorio “Prayers of Kierkegaard” for soloists, chorus and orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting;

• 1954 - Walton: opera "Troilus and Cressida," at Covent Garden in London;

• 1958 - Colin McPhee: "Nocturne" for orchestra, by Lepold Stokowski and "his orchestra"';

• 1963 - Copland: ballet "Dance Panels," in Munich;

• 1992 - John Harbison: Oboe Concerto, with soloist William Bennett and the San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt conducting;

Others

• 1721 - J.S. Bach (age 36) marries his second wife, Anna Magdalena Wülken (age 20) at Cöthen;