An American in Parisby George Gershwin

NC Symphony 2019 Education Concert Workshop

Composer Biography

• Born: September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York City, NYDied: July 11, 1937 in Los Angeles CA

• Jacob Gershovitz (George Gershwin) was the second child born in Brooklyn, NY to Russian-Jewish immigrants. While he was growing up, he took in the exciting sounds of jazz, classical music and the popular music of the day. His parents bought a second-hand piano for his older brother, Ira, but at an early age George had begun teaching himself to play it. Though he was a natural musician, he constantly sought out teachers to broaden his musical skills. When he was 15, he dropped out of school to work as a “song plugger” on Tin Pan Alley and a musician in New York nightclubs. Over the next few years he honed his abilities not only as a pianist but as a composer, too. He was now writing music for music shows when he was asked to compose what would be his most famous work, “Rhapsody in Blue.” Over the next several years continued to write songs for Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. He even composed a piano concerto, a second rhapsody and an opera. His life was cut short during an operation to remove a malignant brain tumor. He was only 38 years old.

Gershwin’s Life

• Started playing piano around 10 but didn’t start piano lessons until he was 14

• Did not have any formal musical training other than piano lessons

• He tried to study with famous musicians Ravel and Stravinsky, but they refused, fearing it would ruin his unique, jazz-influenced style

• Infused everything he wrote with jazz

• Gershwin is known for:• Rhapsody in Blue (1924)• An American in Paris (1928)• I Got Rhythm (1930)• The hit, Summertime from the opera Porgy and Bess (1935)

• Gershwin’s melding of classical forms mixed with popular melodies is part of what made him so similar to Lecuona and also what contributed to their success as composers

• He wrote more than 500 songs

Fun Facts about Gershwin

• Had no middle name

• Tennis partner with friend and fellow composer Arnold Schoenberg (SHUWN-berg)

• He was a good painter

• His first published song earned him 50 cents

• Ira Gershwin, his brother, wrote lyrics for many of his songs

• Never married

Featured work “An American in Paris”

• George Gershwin’s arranging and orchestration skills had improved immensely by 1928. This is evident in one of his greatest and best-known works, An American in Paris. Gershwin called it a “rhapsodic ballet” which portrayed an American visitor to the French capital. The tourist walks about the city of Paris, taking in the sights and sounds of what is still one of the greatest artistic centers of the world. Music scholars call this composition a tone poem. It does have a kind of loose ABA form: Gershwin’s tourist travels about the city, gets a little homesick and then is clearly enjoying his trip again by the end of the piece.

• It is interesting to note that An American in Paris has no piano part.

Featured Element of Music

TempoThe speed of the music

• Lento – slow

• Andante – at a walking pace

• Moderato – moderate (medium)

• Allegro – fast

• Presto – very fast

Listening to “An American in Paris”

Right click on this link and select “Open Hyperlink”:

https://youtu.be/TN6GBkvplOc

OR

Copy and paste this in your browser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN6GBkvplOc

Classroom Activity 1: 4 Tempos GameNC Essential Standard: 4ML.2.3 Interpret standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo, and articulation while performing music

• This game can be found on page 32 of the 2017-18 NC Symphony Teacher Workbook (Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5).

• For this activity you may find this recording on YouTube helpful: An American in Paris (arr. J. Whitney for orchestra) https://youtu.be/TN6GBkvplOc

• Place the signs below around the room. Make sure your students are aware of where they are located and what their musical meanings are.

(Classroom Activity 1)

Process:

• Review these musical terms: Allegro (fast), Presto (very fast), Lento (slowly), Andante (walking), Accelerando (gradually speeding up)

• Students stand in the middle of the room. Teacher plays one of the musical choices below; students listen, then move safely and quietly to the sign choice that they feel is the best match for it.

• Option: You can play “outs.” Students who move to the wrong sign are out and must sit until you decide to begin the game again.

(Classroom Activity 1)

All of these choices are from “An American in Paris” (arr. J. Whitney); see the YouTube link above. Use these choices below or see p. 32 of the 2017-18 NC Symphony Teachers Workbook.

• 0:04 Allegro (112 BPM)• 6:31-34 Presto• 2:54 Andante• 5:30 Allegro (132BPM)• 3:22 Andante• 6:38 Largo• 0:30 Allegro• 1:09 Presto• 2:17 Andante• 0:16 Allegro• 5:58 Andante

You may want to point out the accelerando from 1:06-1:11 - passage begins as Vivo and is at Presto by 1:09

Largo

Presto

Andante

Allegro

Classroom Activity 2: Hand Game (Tempo)NC Essential Standard4ML.2.3 Interpret standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo, and articulation while performing music

Process:

1. Post the chart below. Have students practice with one hand, no partner at first. Then try the pattern slowly with both hands together. Once they can perform the pattern slowly and correctly, have them practice with a partner.

•Knuckle Knuckle Palm Palm•Knuckle Knuckle Back Back•Knuckle Palm Knuckle Back •Knuckle Knuckle Palm Back

2. Have the class perform together with partners at various tempos (tempi). The following list came from the Symphony Nova Scotia website.

• Grave – slow and solemn (20–40 BPM)• Lento – slowly (40–45 BPM)• Largo – broadly (45–50 BPM)• Adagio – slow and stately (literally, “at ease”) (55–65 BPM)• Andante – at a walking pace (73–77 BPM)• Moderato – moderately (86–97 BPM)• Allegretto – moderately fast (98–109 BPM)• Allegro – fast, quickly and bright (109–132 BPM)• Vivace – lively and fast (132–140 BPM)• Presto – extremely fast (168–177 BPM)

3. You can download a metronome app for free or use YouTube. Just look at the tempo list above, type in “88 BPM” (for example) and click on “play” If your computer setup has speakers, you can adjust the volume.

• When your class is ready, substitute these words that one of my classes came up with.• Georgie went to Paris Paris

• Georgie went to France France

• Georgie Paris Georgie France

• Georgie went to Paris France