April 12 Curb Dress Rehearsal

Rhapsody in Blue turns 100 years old this year! I'm so glad we are going to hear it live at the Nashville Symphony next week! There are also some amazing pieces that showcase the blend of classical music with the "American Experience." To read more about the anniversary of Gershwin's classic click here.

 Nashville Symphony Curb Dress Rehearsal 

Florence Price, arr. Still: Dances in the Canebrakes (read about it here) 10 min

- The first movement is called Nimble Feet and is a "rag" - I will direct my students to listen for the low brass, cellos, and basses when they have the melody. I also love the back and forth "walking" or stepwise motive that is passed between the glockenspiel and harp.
- The second movement is called Tropical Noon and has a great syncopation motive repeated throughout. When I teach this syncopation to my piano students I have them say "peanuts and popcorn" while clapping the rhythm (synco-pa-ta-ta.) In this piece I'll see how many times they can hear and count this specific rhythm motive.
-The third movement is called Silk Hat and Walking Cane which is a play on words for the title of the entire work. River cane is found all over the south and in the article about this piece, African Americans slaves would be familiar with the plant as they would have to clear the land of cane in order to use the land to plant cotton in the south. The middle of the piece features solos by the oboe and flute. Have students notice when the main melody returns after this "B" section with the woodwind solos. The Cakewalk is a dance to mock ballroom dancing. Watch this history here. There was a rhythm that was common in a cakewalk similar to the "peanuts and popcorn" we heard in the second movement. One of my favorite cakewalk melodies is Debussy's Golliwog's Cakewalk.

George Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F (read about it here) 30 min

-Gershwin wrote this piano concerto after he had already had success with Rhapsody in Blue. He was only in his 20s and was still new to the techniques of orchestration and scoring. He hired an orchestra before the performance in order to make sure the ideas he had in his mind would work with all the instruments and was pleased that the work was well received by the performers and the conductor. Many believe the Piano Concerto in F is the best work Gershwin composed.
- The first movement is called Allegro and features a slower with piano solo in the beginning and the orchestra picks up the tempo and a build up of intensity to bring it back down again into a melancholy section with piano and orchestra. Around 5 minutes in there is a playful rhythm introduced in the piano that is reminiscent of Rhapsody in Blue. This first section is about 12 minutes in length and finishes strong where you might want to clap (but make sure you follow concert etiquette and hold your applause if others are!)
- The second movement is called Adagio and begins with a French Horn solo. This section is characterized by the "blues." Listen and identify the different instruments that have solo sections in this movement. (Trumpet, oboe, etc.) The movement ends with a beautiful flute, oboe, and piano passage. This movement is about 14 minutes.
- The third movement is called Allegro Agitato and begins with a very percussive piano solo. Watch the performer "hit" the piano keys! It's similar to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Rivets and Rhapsody in Blue to represent the sounds of busy New York. Have students listen for the gong toward the end of the movement! This movement is about 7 minutes.

William Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony (read about it here) 35 minutes

- Like the second movement of the Gershwin Piano Concerto in F, this piece begins with a French Horn solo. The Bond of Africa is the title of this first movement and uses the melody from the Negro Spiritual “Oh, My Little Soul Gwine Shine Like a Star." Have students learn this melody and listen for the melody in the movement. This movement is about 14 minutes.
- The second movement is called Hope in the Night and starts with three gong strokes to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Trinity.  The movement is about 13 minutes.
- The third movement is called O Le’ Me Shine, Shine Like a Morning Star! and uses the spiritual melody throughout as well as the song Hallelujah, Lord, I Been Down into the Sea. Dawson traveled to Africa after he had already composed this symphony but upon returning he revised the symphony to include elements of African music that inspired him from his journey. This movement is about 10 minutes.

George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (read about it here) 17 minutes

- The clarinet solo is such an iconic beginning to this piece! I let my kids enjoy the Disney Fantasia 2000 video to prepare for listening to this piece. Mutes on the trumpets, exciting percussion moments, and frantic rhythms make your imagination go to the streets of New York and the Disney video does a great job representing the music!

How I plan to prepare my students:

Most likely, the Piano Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue will be rehearsed first while the piano is on the stage. They will remove it and rehearse Price and Dawson (I think.....it might be opposite of what I'm thinking but I'm just going on our experience at other dress rehearsals!)

I like to listen to each piece with my kids before we go. I highlight some of the instrumentation that stands out, the form, and narrate to them what I read about the piece! Please feel free to click the links above and learn more! If you're going to the concert let me know and we would love to meet up and discuss the music over lunch!