Before the crisis of 1929, all Americans were happy. The First World War had resulted in the transformation of the US into an influential military, industrial and financial power and the American dream was presented as an alternative to decrepit Europe, in all areas. In that of culture, the nascent art of 24 frames-per-second and a novel music called jazz – practised by people of color, usually black –, were attracting people's attention, of any color.
In this relaxed atmosphere, it was considered appropriate and quite fair to integrate these new rhythms into symphonic music, also cultivated by people of color, in this case, white. This is how it emerges a short, light and melodious piece called Rhapsody in blue, for solo piano and jazz band, by the composer George Gershwin, and released in February 1924.
There are at least four different versions of the work. The original, for jazz orchestra; a reduction for solo piano; a transcription for two pianos; finally, the one that is heard most frequently in the concert halls and that here we host, in full version, adding to it a humble listening guide:
The clarinet initiates the piece with a trill that is followed by a long glissando (a note that goes up, or goes down, continuously, like sliding your fingers through the bow of a violin, which in the clarinet is, clearly , much more difficult, because it works by covering and uncovering dimples), glissando, we said, which leads to the exposition of the first theme, which is repeated three times, accompanied by the orchestra, until the piano enters, responsible for providing the variations, occasion for the soloist to show off, mischief included.
The second theme, more festive, is taken on by the orchestra and then by the piano, which will soon perform a fairly extensive reexposure of the two themes to finally introduce the third and final, the best known and closest to the blues of the entire composition, in the 13:42 minute. Then the orchestra re-exposes it with greater vigor, then the piano comes up, and together, they promptly quote all the themes before the coda, which will quickly lead to a resounding finale, in a tutti, or what is the same, when nobody is left without playing.
The soloist, this time, is the prominent musician, jazz legend and pianist Herbie Hancock, author of dozens of highly celebrated albums and composer of the soundtrack of a good number of films. His performance here is quite a wise move.
The conductor is the young Venezuelan musician Gustavo Dudamel, leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, as his principal conductor. Dudamel is a brilliant musician born in Lara state, Venezuela, 41 years ago, captured by music thanks to the commendable task of the Foundation for Youth Orchestras of that country, a multi-voice invention led by maestro José Antonio Abreu, over forty years ago.
In 2004, Dudamel won first prize in the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition, which takes place in Germany, every three years. Since that date, he has conducted countless first-world orchestras, including the Gothenburg Symphony, the Israel Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, to name a handful of prominent orchestral groups that have been in his charge.
