The Rhapsody in Blue (1924) established Gershwin's reputation as a serious composer and has since become one of the most popular of all American concert works. In this richly informative guide David Schiff considers the piece as musical work, historical event and cultural document. He traces the history of the Rhapsody's composition, performance and reception, placing it within the context of American popular song and jazz and the development of modernism. He also provides a full account of the different published and recorded versions of the work and explores the many stylistic sources of Gershwin's music.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
'... the big value of this small book lies in its persuasive advocacy. Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue stimulates thought on the social and even philosophical import of crossover music, enabling us to see the piece for what it was and might be ... fuels speculation on the relationship between music and liturgy, and perhaps between dance and song ... of practical relevance to any performance one may experience.' The Musical Times
'... a most convincing interpretation of this surprisingly complex work and provides a welcome and stimulating addition to the Cambridge handbook series'. Music and Letters
'... a most convincing interpretation of this surprisingly complex work and provides a welcome and stimulating addition to the Cambridge handbook series'. Music and Letters
Book Description
The Rhapsody in Blue (1924) established Gershwin's reputation as a serious composer and has since become one of the most popular of all American concert works. In this richly informative guide David Schiff considers the piece as musical work, historical event and cultural document. He traces the history of the Rhapsody's composition, performance and reception, placing it within the context of American popular song and jazz and the development of modernism. He also provides a full account of the different published and recorded versions of the work and explores the many stylistic sources of Gershwin's music.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
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This review is from: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (Cambridge Music Handbooks) (Paperback)
The Cambridge Music Handbooks try to do what is rarely done-- bridge the gap between the dilettante "light" style of books on music that are written for the "general public" the esoteric style of heavy musicological writing. A noble pursuit, but one that runs the risk of pleasing no one rather than achieving a happy medium. Having read several of the Cambridge Music Handbooks, this one stands out as being one of the more successful. I especially enjoyed the discussion of the history of the forms which the Rhapsody in Blue has appeared ("jazzy" versions versus "classical" renditions), as well as the background of the work's first performance in Aeolian Hall in 1924. At times, the book tends towards the more "musicological" style, but all in all, it remains accessible and interesting to anyone interested in music. Schiff's style throughout is engaging and witty. If this is a piece of music you are looking to explore further, I highly recommend this book.
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First Sentence:
Before talking about Rhapsody in Blue we need to specify our object of study - which is no easy task. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
novelty piano, train theme, symphonic jazz, love theme, concert works, jazz history Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Paul Whiteman, Aeolian Hall, Blue Monday, Got Rhythm, Livery Stable Blues, Second Rhapsody, Tin Pan Alley, Duke Ellington, Tilson Thomas, Carnegie Hall, Frankfurt School, Irving Berlin, Louis Armstrong, New Orleans, Virgil Thomson, Zez Confrey, Creole Rhapsody, Herbert's Suite, Ira Gershwin, Warner Brothers, Daniel Gregory Mason, Eubie Blake, Eva Gauthier, Gershwin's Concerto New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Before talking about Rhapsody in Blue we need to specify our object of study - which is no easy task. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
novelty piano, train theme, symphonic jazz, love theme, concert works, jazz history Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Paul Whiteman, Aeolian Hall, Blue Monday, Got Rhythm, Livery Stable Blues, Second Rhapsody, Tin Pan Alley, Duke Ellington, Tilson Thomas, Carnegie Hall, Frankfurt School, Irving Berlin, Louis Armstrong, New Orleans, Virgil Thomson, Zez Confrey, Creole Rhapsody, Herbert's Suite, Ira Gershwin, Warner Brothers, Daniel Gregory Mason, Eubie Blake, Eva Gauthier, Gershwin's Concerto New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 94
books:
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19
books
cite this book:
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- Rhapsody in Blue: Solo Piano (Original) by George Gershwin on 26 pages
- Second Rhapsody by Gershwin on 6 pages
- Blue Monday by George Gershwin on 5 pages
- George Gershwin: A Study in American Music by Isaac Goldberg on 5 pages
- George Gershwin by Merle Armitage on 4 pages
See all 94 books this book cites
- Deforming American Political Thought: Ethnicity, Facticity, and Genre by Michael J. Shapiro in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Cambridge Music Handbooks) by Peter Williams in Front Matter
- Tippett: A Child of Our Time (Cambridge Music Handbooks) by Kenneth Gloag in Front Matter
- Monteverdi: Vespers (1610) (Cambridge Music Handbooks) by John Whenham in Front Matter
- Horse Opera: The Strange History of the 1930s Singing Cowboy by Peter Stanfield in Back Matter
See all 19 books citing this book
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