Gershwin, Tchaikovsky, Chopin in Music - Essay Example

A Night of My Origins: 3 Concert pianists, 3 composers expressing their individuality through their love of the local (national) music much to our surprise"  George Gershwin was born as Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn NY (1989-1937). His parents had come from Russia or Ukrain. He started playing the piano at 11 years old on an upright. He quickly started studying the classics. He was strongly influence by the Rubato style of Chopin. His first compositions began at 20 year of ages producing "piano rolls" often under pseudonyms. Gershwins style was his own. When he came to Paris in 1928, he ask Ravel to teach him composition. Ravel refused. "Why study with me when you should keep your own style.". In 1928, he composed his 3 Preludes for Piano: a short set of three pieces of music for solo piano.. These pieces are the only published work for solo piano during his life time. As his was an avid composer, at least two to four other preludes were found post mortum. There is quite a story to tell. The 3 Preludes are played together as three different movements. Gershwin showed his full scope of composition and use of local themes: jazz, black music, Russian melodies, Spanish..... The Preludes are diverse and can be interpretated diffferently. Depending on how they are performed, the left hand can be heard more discintly. In the first Prelude it is a three note rhythm and a five note jazz rhythm repeating the initial three notes. "Allegro ben ritmato et deciso " - Allegro very upbeat and determined He is leaving the interpretation open to the performer. In the second Prelude it is a four note rhythm through the whole piece but the listener senses a change because the melody is in a tercy form or ABA The base stays the same. The Blue Lullaby "Andante con moto e poco rubato" - Gershwin is asking that it be played with expressive and little emotion. He leaves it open to interpretation. The 3rd Prelude. is a finale. It is played as a question and answer of the left and right hand but Gershwin leaves us waiting as he asks us the final question without giving us an answer. Gershwin wanted to give "libre arbitre" in the interpretation of his music. "During a recent interview, Kay Swift remarked that George composed the first Prelude [she hummed the theme] in one sitting; I scored it while he played and he made a finished copy from that. It was not just an improvisation; he already had it  worked out in his head. The other two came a little later-I cant remember when, but this one, the one he called his "Spanish" prelude because of the rhythms, I think came first. I dont know why he published only three; there were others. But he loved to play the three preludes and included them, whenever he could, on programs that were just a little bit too short! Theyre easy to ruin, you know. Most people play the fast ones too fast and the slow one too slow."  ROBERT WYATT "The Seven Jazz Preludes A historical narrative " As you will hear, the three Preludes are less than 10 minutes in length and the third prelude leaves you holding your breath as though Gershwin intended to continue. "The 3 preludes were performed for the first time in recital at by the composer at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York CIty on the 4th of December 1926. Gershwin realized that the Preludes were too short to be substantial for half a program and had to come up with something else." As late as November 28, 1926, only six days before the  Hotel Roosevelt recital, Gershwin was still undecided about the number of preludes he would play. The previewed program from the entertainment page of the New York  Times promised Six preludes." ROBERT WYATT "The Seven Jazz Preludes A historical narrative " He calls this Prelude his Spanish Prelude though Musicologist say there is an influence of Viennese music. "Allegro ben ritmato et deciso " - Allegro very upbeat and determined. He is leaving the interpretation open to the performer once again. Saint Petersbourg was one of the important musical centers of Europe in the 19th century. In 1875, Nikolav Matveyevich Bernard, editor of his at his own publishing house, commissioned Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) ) to compose a period piece over a 12 month period " Vremena Goda" which literally translates as" times of year". It is written in French and English as Les Saisons" or "The Seasons". In each monthly publication of the Nouvelist, Tchaikovsky was to submit one month until the 12 months were published. The whole 12 pieces take about 40 minutes to perform. Bernard wrote the title but confirmed them with Tchaikovsky before going to print. 2 side thoughts. Tchaikovsky did his composing and practicing on a Wirth piano in which only 2 700 were made. The pedals were extraordinary as creating a variety of sound which added to the diversity of Tchaikovskys colours of music. 2ndly, Tchaikovsky had already moved to Moscow but traveled often to Saint Petersbourg. Tonight four pieces from the original twelve have be chosen to be performed for you to give you a flavour of the different seasons of the Northern country. Excerpts of the Russian poems which were added later have been included to add to your enjoyment. Each piece is in a ABA form but listen for the wonderful national themes of different countries that Tchaikovsky used. Janvier (January): Au coin du feu (At the Fireside) was heavily influenced by Robert Schumans "Scenes from my Childhood Opus 15, N° 8 Am Kamin, at the Fireside. A little corner of peaceful bliss, the night dressed in twilight; the little fire is dying in the fireplace, and the candle has burned out. ( Pushkin) Avril (April): Perce-neige (Snowdrop) Remember the last of the snow of a northern country and the first flowers that are showing through the brightness of the sun The blue, pure snowdrop — flower, and near it the last snowdrops. The last tears over past griefs, and first dreams of another happiness. (A. Maykov) Juin (June): Barcarolle (Barcarolle) : the Venetian Gondolier is heard as the flowing of the hands across the keyboard to represent the travelling across the rivers of Venice. Let us go to the shore; there the waves will kiss our legs. With mysterious sadness the stars will shine down on us. (Pleshcheyev) Octobre (October): Chant dautomne (Autumn Song) . The lightness of the hands are like the leaves falling off the trees and your last long Sunday walks before the winter sets in. One leaf flies away leaving the listening holding his breath. Autumn, falling down on our poor orchard, the yellow leaves are flying in the wind. (Tolstoy) What a wonderful way to end this evening by playing a piece of piano music by the composer who influenced both Gershwin and Tchaikovsky both as a concert pianist and as a composer. Chopin (1810-1849) was born in Poland of a French father and a Polish mother. By the age of 8, he was already considered a child prodigy and had given his first concert. He left Poland definitely in 1830 where he went to Vienna and then to Paris. He became a renowned composer of piano music and a teacher early in his career. He learned by being proficient in playing Bach and Mozart. He considered that each finger should have its own autonomy and applied this to his own compositions . His most important theory, which affected both Tchaikovsky and Gershwin was "You need to sing if you are going to play the piano". Your compositions have to sing like Italian vocal music. A ballad was a form of song from the Middle Ages. Chopin took this form and transformed it into his 4 Ballades which he composed while he was in Vienna and Paris from 1831 to 1835. Ballade N° 1 was his favourite and also Schumans. favourite He wrote it for the Hanoverian Ambassador to France and used such majestic techniques as the Neapolitan chord. The piece is technical constructed as he does not adhere to any of the conventional classical forms . He answers with the coda in a presto con fouco resolving the Neapolitan harmony. 1. Chopins Prelude in E minor is one exemple of the similarity of Chopin and Gershwin, David Schiff Alantic Monthly, October 1998 In each case, Chopin took the trouble to note a rhythmic rubato in the melodic line (a technique Gershwin used); thus the term rubato only serves to underline the precise flexibility needed for these subtle nuances. This is my conclusion after studying the two manuscripts and much reading. Perhaps you should only write that he was influenced by Chopin. 2. I found it interesting that he had a monthly piece to give to the publishing house when he actually lived in Moscow. He travelled back and forth. St Petersbourg had a long history of the difficulty of making pianos. Wirth was one of the finest. (Please take it out, I have found conflicting sources) 3. N° 8 was called At the Hearth. At the fireside. They same words in Russian. I confirmed it in Wikepedia. I have tried to find another source. I found one in Russian but cannot write the Cyrillic. 4. It is mine. Should it be changed 5. I saw this in many places but here is one site and one book 6. Each piece tonight is an expression of the time and culture of the people. The progressive influence of their music is like a chain in time making the choice of the composer a jewel. As a gold chain is worn throughout history, music is shared with us without time. The pianist wants to share with you his expression of the timelessness of the art. References http://www.free-scores.com Accessed February Accessed February 21, 2011. http://www.pianobleu.com Accessed February 21, 2011. Burrows John edt. Classical Music Eyewitness Companion. London 2005. Eigeldinger, Jean-Jaques. Chopin: pianist and teacher as seen by his pupils. google books. Accessed February 20, 2011. Grout Donald. A History Of Western Music. New York. 2001. Hyland William. George Gershwin: a new biography. New York. 2008 google books. Accessed February 20, 2011. Read More