Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

by David Schiff

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521559539
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/25/1997
Series:	Cambridge Music Handbooks
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	136
Product dimensions:	5.47(w) x 8.46(h) x 0.35(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: the one and only; 2. Identity; 3. Instruction manual (instead of an analysis); 4. Ingredients; 5. Inception: the Aeolian Concert Hall; 6. Interpretations; 7. Influence; 8. Invisibility: ideology and reception; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'… 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

From the Publisher