Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Where is the American in An American in Paris? Dept. of Music Composition, History, and Theory MH433/1

Transcription

1 Westminster Choir College of Rider University Where is the American in An American in Paris? Dept. of Music Composition, History, and Theory MH433/1 Kale A Thompson May 4, 2011

2 It will be great to get home; but meanwhile, this is Paris! (124) writes Deems Taylor in the original 1928 program notes for the first performance of George Gershwin s An American in Paris. The symphonic poem, or tone poem, first premiered by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Walter Damrosch on December 13, 1928, in Carnegie Hall. The question remains when examining An American in Paris as to whether it is distinctly American or Parisian? George Gershwin, birth name Jacob Gershvin, was born in Brooklyn, NY, on September 26, Gershwin grew up with his two parents, Moshe Gershvin and Rose Bruskin, and three siblings, including his brother and future musical partner, Ira. Both of Gershwin s parents were immigrants from Russia. During Gershwin s youth, he showed no musical promise until 1910 when his family purchased their first piano. Although it had been intended for Gershwin s older brother, Ira, He quickly began mastering the instrument. He took lessons with teachers in the neighborhood and was accepted as a student to Charles Hambitzer in Gershwin made a dramatic change in his life when he decided to drop out of school in 1914 and move to Tin Pan Alley in New York City to work under Jerome H. Remick & Co. This was the big move in Gershwin s life that propelled him forward into the realm of music. Tin Pan Alley was a refuge for American composers at this time and cultivated many of the great composers of the time. It was a songwriter s heaven with many performers, publishers, and composers, such as Irving Berlin. Gershwin began work as a salesman promoting songs. He was exposed to many of the great American composers and music of the time, which flooded his ears with ideas of many different 1

3 American sounds. This led him on to start composing, and with the help of his brother Ira writing lyrics, launched them both into stardom. The idea for An American in Paris was first conceived on a trip to Paris in 1926 where Gershwin had gone on holiday to visit two friends, Mabel and Robert Schirmer. He composed one theme during this trip, the walking theme. It is unknown if there was any direct Parisian influence on this theme, but it has a carefree and rather bouncy line which may be reflected on a relaxed French attitude to life. Before returning home, he was so captivated by the sounds in Paris that he purchased four Parisian taxi car horns. It would not be for another two years that either of these elements would get any real use by Gershwin. With the success of Rhapsody in Blue already to his name, Gershwin was doing very well financially and therefore was not bound by the need for a commission or a projected performance. Rhapsody in Blue presented an interesting idea as to whether the piece could be defined as classical or as a jazz work like so many others that came out of Tin Pan Alley. Elements of both began to be mixed as composers that were classically trained experimented with popular jazz ideas. The hybrid of the two ideas is what Gershwin is known for, and perhaps is what defines American music; it is a hybrid of ideas. This ease of pressure allowed him to work without a deadline when he finally started seriously working on the piece during another trip to France in March of Gershwin had decided it was time for another holiday visiting his friends in Paris. It was during this visit that he sketched out more of the piece, inspiration coming from his own experiences in Paris. During his time in Europe, he visited London, Paris, and Vienna, all 2

4 while meeting with Europe s finest musicians and playing excerpts of his work in progress for them, including Ravel, Boulanger, and Berg. Returning to New York in June, he had completed a bulk of sketches overseas and then finished two piano sketches by August 1, Significant to An American in Paris, the title page reads Composed and Orchestrated by, George Gershwin. Prior to this, doubts had been raised as to the authenticity of Gershwin truly orchestrating his previous works. (Youngren, 24) In the original score, there is no evidence of anyone else s corrections or anyone else writing in the score. The conclusion can be drawn then that the orchestration, done solely by Gershwin, is American in its origin. The orchestration is also reminiscent of the French impressionistic composition technique because fragments of the sound spectrum are juxtaposed, rather than merely blended. (Kreitner) The sounds heard throughout the piece are unique and are meant to be a little more black and white, and a little less gray. For example, the taxi horns would be neon pink. Unlike his previous works, Gershwin did not write this first with a piano in mind; it was originally conceived as an orchestral work, which explains the detailed orchestration. Oddly, An American in Paris was first published as a piano transcription by Gershwin s friend William Daly in The following year the full score was published, marking the first orchestral score to be published by the composer. Musically speaking, it is hard to define An American in Paris as having any one geographical root. The story that Gershwin had in mind when composing the piece and given the circumstances of inception, An American in Paris does in fact reflect an American sound mixed with Parisian sounds. Looking just at the orchestration, Gershwin 3

5 omits the piano for the most part and focuses on the orchestra as well as auxiliary percussion, an American trait. One of the important added affects of the song are the Parisian street sounds. Gershwin used real Parisian taxi horns that he had purchased in the orchestration. This unique sound of the dissonant car horns adds a programmatic flavor to the piece. Adding the saxophones to the orchestra adds a distinctly American sound, following the popular use of the instrument in American jazz. For the first performance, Deems Taylor, with the ideas from Gershwin, wrote the program note for the piece. It tells of an American that is traveling in Paris and is taking in all the sights. After taking in all the sights and sounds, the traveler gets homesick and nostalgic about his home. After getting uplifted by another American, the traveler then enjoys the Parisian sights and sounds. Even when he is remembering his home, it is in an uplifting way; while he loves and misses his home, he can still enjoy Paris since he is here. Written much more eloquently by Deems, this narrative provides the listener a clear image to envision while listening to this piece. With this story in mind, the themes and sections of An American in Paris have much more weight and meaning and provide more insight as to which culture Gershwin is trying to represent. The first walking theme, is a light and bouncy section that is reminiscent of the Gallic freedom and gaiety (122) Taylor writes. The easy and light-hearted mood the traveler finds himself in is what propels him then into the hustle and bustle of Paris. The next section, which features the taxi horns, is a more hectic yet still pleasant and entertaining scene for the traveler. Immediately following, we hear the first walking theme come back. 4

6 In these opening passages, Gershwin presents the listener with the main walking theme that comes back frequently, at least in some form. It is in this theme that we see the mood of the carefree American as he is walking down and enjoying himself. It is a sort of American way of enjoying the French atmosphere. The section where the taxi horns make their appearance is similar to a musical onomatopoeia with the busyness of the Parisian streets. The American can appreciate it and enjoy, and then he moves on in his own way. Throughout the introduction, there are three walking themes presented. Each time one comes around, it is slightly more American in the sense that it is less carefree than the previous theme, but still cheerful. Particularly the brass section, violins, and percussion all are reflective on the mood that the American is experiencing through the orchestration. The story takes a dramatic turn musically when the blues theme comes up. Here, the American is experiencing some homesickness and is reminiscing about his homeland. During the time in history when Gershwin wrote An American in Paris the blues were a very popular genre of music. First there is a brief introduction where the tempo slows down and everything gets a little softer; even the drums are played with brushes. When the blues melody actually comes in, it is the trumpet that has the solo line doing a twelvebar blues pattern. The melody is played with vibrato and is reflective of jazz and blues in America during this time. The lower brass comes in with the blues theme, followed by a repeat of the trumpet solo line. With the addition of jazz and blues into An American in Paris, it is no wonder that the piece is truly reflective of Gershwin s unique style, but also American music. His 5

7 unique incorporation of jazz and symphonic sounds is what gave Gershwin his unique writing style. Adding to that the use of street sounds and incorporation of popular American dance tunes such as the Charleston, An American in Paris is very unusual for the time period. Gershwin wrote, This new piece, really a rhapsodic ballet, is written very freely and is the most modern music I ve attempted. (Freed) Incorporated later in the piece as a more uplifted nostalgia, the Charleston theme, based upon the popular dance tune of the time, makes an entrance at the same time when the American is to have met another American. Now together, their spirits are uplifted significantly to call for another dramatic shift in the music. The fast tempo, bright sounds, and syncopation give the traveler a much more pleasant remembrance of home, without being melancholy. The piece ends with a triumphant nostalgia, fresh off experiencing the joys of the Charleston theme. There is a return of the walking theme and blues. Both of these sections have an added vivacity and thicker orchestral texture. The overall impression is that while the traveler does miss his home, and what a happy memory he has of it now since the blues have been given a heartening transformation, he will make the best of his experience in Paris. The piece could not conclude unless the taxi horns made another appearance and sure enough, they do. This finale combines all the important themes and elements of An American in Paris by incorporating the walking theme, blues theme, and Parisian street sounds. The American has gone through his own inner conflict of missing home and the listener can experience everyone portion of that journey. It can be seen as impressionistic because there is such clear imagery of emotions and thoughts. This piece can be seen as a hybrid 6

8 between French compositional thought with American tunes, the latter being the more dominant element. The narrative that is told by means of the music is what stands out as an American ideal. In early American song, the idea of home is a very important element. People want to find there home and when they are away from it, they must remind themselves that it is still there and one day they will be back. In this piece, the American is in the City of Lights and enjoying the sights. It is not until he reminisces about home that his trip becomes not as nice. He remembers the blues and jazz of America and wants to go back. It is when he finds a piece of home in Paris, when he meets the other American and the Charleston theme enters, that things start to pick up for the traveler. With the help of his American friend, the two plan to enjoy the sights of Paris while they are still there but they will be happy to get home. This obsession with home is an American ideal commonly portrayed throughout the 19 th and 20 th century with songs like Home, Sweet Home. With the completion of the work, a new era in Gershwin s career started. The success of An American in Paris and the great work that he put into it allowed him to set his sights higher. He began working more on orchestration and counterpoint through pieces like Second Rhapsody, Cuban Overture, and I Got Rhythm Variations. These fusions of different cultures and composition techniques led the way for a new way of music. This culminated in what historians believe to be his masterpiece, the opera Porgy and Bess. After a move to Hollywood, Gershwin continued to compose until his death on July 11, He will forever be remembered as the man that was not afraid to use 7

9 Parisian taxi horns in the middle of a Carnegie Hall performance with the New York Philharmonic. An American in Paris has gone on to inspire hundreds of performances including the first performance of an American orchestra in North Korea in The work was performed alongside Wagner and Dvorák as a way to transcend political boundaries between the isolated country, North Korea, and the rest of the musical world. Particular to An American in Paris, the idea of two cultures melding harmoniously is presented in the theme and story of the piece. A 1951 feature film was also inspired by this piece. Directed by Vincent Minelli, the movie, of the same title, stars Gene Kelly in a tale of a WWII veteran and his struggles for love and success in Paris. The main character falls in-love with a woman whom he should not and controversy arises. In the end, everyone follows their hearts and is happy. Just like in American music, the fusion of the two cultures, Parisian and American, brings about a happy ending. The success of the orchestral poem had secured Gershwin a proper place in American music history. 8

10 Bibliography Crawford, R. et al. "Gershwin, George." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 27 Apr < Freed, A. (Producer), & Minnelli, V. (Director). (1951). An American in Paris [Motion picture]. United States: Turner Entertainment. Freed, R. An American in Paris: About the Composition. 11 Apr < Gershwin, G. (1928). An American in Paris. (Recorded by Victor Symphony Orchestra, Nathaniel Shilkret, conductor). (Recorded 1929). Gershwin, G. (1987). An American in Paris. Warner Bros. Publications Inc. Gershwin, G. (1998). An American in Paris. Music Educators Journal, 85(3), 6. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Jablonski, E. (1987) Gershwin. New York: Doubleday. Kreitner, K. et al. "Instrumentation and orchestration." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 11 Apr < Sullivan, T. George Gershwin: An American in Paris. 11 Apr < Taylor, D., & Pegolotti, J. A. (2007). Deems Taylor: selected writings. New York: Routledge. Youngren, W. (1977). Gershwin, Part III. New Republic, 176(19), 23. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 9