Gershwin: "An American in Paris"

Before he was 25 years old, George Gershwin had obtained a resounding success with the orchestral piece Rhapsody in blue, which premiered in February 1923 with the author as soloist. This was followed by four years of great success in his theatrical career, devoted to writing music for Broadway revues. On the "serious" side, he added the Piano Concerto of 1925, with similar success to the Rhapsody, and the Preludes for piano, the following year, equally applauded.

In Paris, 1928
The succession of achievements never seemed to end, but in 1927 he had to endure the small misstep of a satirical political comedy that turned out to be a failure. This perhaps reminded him of his friends and some critics who advised him to dedicate himself a little more to "serious music" and a little less to show business. Be that as it may, the following year Gershwin undertook a trip to Europe. Settling in Paris, he tried to persuade Ravel, Milhaud, and Prokofiev to give him lessons. Although pleasantly surprised, the masters refused. If Mr. Gershwin was concerned that his knowledge was purely intuitive, the masters felt that all that was enough.

A little trip to Vienna
Half confused, half flattered, Gershwin undertook a trip to Vienna. There he met Alban Berg. He did not ask him for lessons, as Berg, as soon as he met him, did everything he could to encourage him to continue on his own original path. Back in the French capital, Gershwin began to write his first and only programmatic work, the symphonic piece An American in Paris, released in December of 1928 with the New York Philharmonic, and which was received with thoughtless delight, a few months before the onset of the Great Depression.

George Gershwin (1898 - 1937)

An American in Paris, symphonic poem for orchestra

A light work, its music tries to suggest the Parisian journey of an American tourist, describing his impressions and moods: first, a walk accompanied by honking horns, then moments of self-absorption, a dialogue with someone (commissioned to violin and viola, 7:48), some homesickness (the blues, 8:42), a new dialogue perhaps with a countryman (the Charleston, 13:45). After the majestic recapitulation of the blues (15:50), the theme of the initial promenade resurfaces and others are repeated. The work concludes after a powerful coda.

The performance is by The Moscow City Symphony Orchestra, conducted by American maestro Hobart Earle.