A review of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”
Full Instructions for Week 4 Discussion Forum
Listen thoughtfully to George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” from the Warner’s film of the same name (Debut) (1945) from YouTube. Here is the link:
George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAuTouBhN5k
- Is this piece enjoyable to listen to?
- Is there anything that is strikingly good/bad to you?
- Describe the music as chronologically experienced, using some of the key terms from week 4 (see below).
Week and Chapter 4: Key Terms
AABA: A standard construction in popular music and jazz, in which a musical statement (A) is repeated, followed by a contrasting statement (B), after which A returns. The entire AABA unit repeats throughout the piece. In jazz, each AABA unit is known as a chorus.
Backbeat: regular emphasis of the second and fourth beats, in common time, which are otherwise generally the unaccented, weaker ones. The backbeat gives much popular music its rhythmic kick.
Canon: Literally, “rule” or “law.” In music, the term refers to the idea of a permanent body of musical masterpieces determined by an established set of criteria. It also refers to a type of composition in which a part is imitated or repeated before its completion, resulting in a multipart texture built out of a single melodic line.
Chorus: In jazz, a single repetition of the basic underlying pattern. Typically, this pattern is repeated many times as a piece progresses, allowing for improvisation within a carefully structured framework.
Contemporary: In music, a term whose meaning shifts along with our constantly changing perspective on what is “contemporary.” In the broadest sense, it refers to music written since the end of the Second World War (1945). In churches, the term is often used to designate music in a popular and accessible style. Classical music in contemporary styles, on the other hand, can be difficult and challenging for many listeners.
Minimalism (Minimalists): A style of composition that uses brief musical ideas repeated over long stretches of time and changed only very gradually.
Rhythm Changes: The series of chords used in Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm. It quickly took on a life independent of that song and became a standard progression of chords all jazz musicians know and use.
Serialism (Serialists): A method of composition employing series of pitches (and sometimes rhythms, dynamics, and timbres) that are repeated, combined, and reversed or inverted according to strict formulas. Serialist compositions typically ignore traditional or expected relationships between notes and chords.
Staccato: An articulation mark directing the player to perform the affected notes in a light and detached manner. (Contrast legato.)
Swing Era: the period in the 1930s and 40s when jazz was dominated by big bands playing a dance-based repertory. Although he lived until the 1980s, Count Basie first rose to prominence during this time.
Symbolic Meaning: Numerical or other relationships not audible in the music but incorporated through musical devices. Especially prevalent in early music.
Syncopation: The displacement of notes so that they fall on beats not normally accented, or between the beats, and thus contradict the meter. This is a common feature of jazz, although it can be heard in much classical music as well.
