Trifonov plays Gershwin - a program switch that worked out

[Ricordanza]

It was an easy choice. The brochure which arrived in the spring, listing next season’s Philadelphia Orchestra concerts, offered a program that included Daniil Trifonov playing Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1. Two other unfamiliar works were listed on this early October program. As far as I was concerned, they didn’t matter. The chance to hear one of today’s most celebrated pianists playing one of my favorite concertos was all the information I needed to select this program when I purchased my subscription.

But a few weeks ago, a program change was announced. Instead of playing Brahms 1, Trifonov would be playing George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. It seemed like an odd substitution, and my initial reaction was less than positive. But it was still Trifonov with music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting, so I kept the tickets.

Then came another troubling development. The negotiations between the Philadelphia Orchestra musicians and Management became deadlocked as the contract deadline neared. The musicians voted to authorize a strike, but continued negotiating. Then, only a couple of weeks before this concert, the musicians overwhelmingly rejected Management’s so-called “best and final” offer. The season’s gala opening night concert went on as scheduled on September 28th, however, future performances were suddenly in doubt.

But the musicians were on stage, ready to perform, on Friday afternoon, October 6th and, despite the change in program, I found this concert to be highly enjoyable.

I’ve heard Gershwin’s Concerto in F many times in recordings and on the radio, but this was the first time I heard it performed in a live concert. Listening to this piece in concert is a completely different experience. My focus on both the music and performance was intensified. Really listening to the piece, I appreciated even more Gershwin’s creative genius in molding a jazz idiom into the framework of a traditional three-movement concerto. As expected, Trifonov’s pianism was exceptionally brilliant, but what was unexpected was his total absorption of the Gershwin style, particularly the jazz-inflected second movement. After a thunderous ovation, Trifonov offered as an encore an iridescent rendering of Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau.

After intermission, the orchestra turned to a work entitled This Moment by a contemporary composer, Anna Clyne. As explained by Yannick in welcoming remarks at the beginning of the program, the composer drew inspiration from two very different works—Mozart’s Requiem and a book of Zen calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh. I confess that I didn’t know quite what to make of this information as I listened to this very brief (six-minute) work. I can report that it’s atmospheric and somewhat slow-moving. Beyond that, it didn’t make much of an impression. The composer was on hand to join the orchestra on the stage to receive the audience’s mostly polite applause.

The final work on the program, while also unfamiliar to me (this was the first performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra), did make a strong impression on me. William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 4, composed in 1947, has its roots in the African American tradition, as well as Native American song. In this respect, there are similarities to the music of Florence Price, another African American composer who has been featured by the Philadelphians. But Still’s music is a little more harmonically adventurous than the more conservative music of Price. Even without the background information from the program notes, the “American” flavor of this four-movement work is unmistakable. The second movement is infused with a blues flavor, but presented more subtly than Gershwin. The fourth movement combines several themes in a complex, masterly fashion and provides a deeply satisfying conclusion to this work.

Kudos to the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick for giving us the opportunity to hear this composer’s work.

[Belle]

I would really have liked to be at that concert. The Triff is a formidable artist and the fact that this Russian is switched on to Gershwin speaks volumes about his open-mindedness. Mind you, I don't think any of Gershwin's forays into the concert hall work particularly well; a bit of a melange, really. But there are certainly great moments in the Rhapsody and Piano Concerto. Alas, the great great man died before age 40 when he was just hitting his straps. Did Ferde Grofe orchestrate the Rhapsody in Blue? I think he did, but I'm reasonably sure Gershwin himself orchestrated the Piano Concerto. The image of Oscar Levant lurching from side to side wearing that hideous grimace, and with cigarette smoke never far from view, is synonymous to me with Gershwin's music. (There was a film in which Levant played the piano and all the orchestral parts in Rhapsody in Blue. Kitsch of course, but I think Gershwin was worthy of so much more in those early days.) Some of the passages, especially the African American jazz idioms, are inspired; the rest is derivative, IMO. These works promised more than they delivered from this great man, still-born as a composer.

I have loved George Gershwin, more than I can say, since I was 15. Over time I've grown more critical of his 'concert' works and more admiring of his shows and songs - many of them the equal of Schubert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqgM7NOcHkc

[Ricordanza]

Belle, thanks for your comments. Regarding the issue of orchestration, here's what the program notes (by Paul Horsley and Christopher Gibbs) had to say:

Since the Rhapsody had been orchestrated by Grofé, his sense of “ownership” was less than complete. He commented: “Many persons had thought that the Rhapsody was only a happy accident. Well, I went out, for one thing, to show them that there was plenty more where that had come from. I made up my mind to do a piece of absolute music. The Rhapsody, as its title implied, was a blues impression. The Concerto would be unrelated to any program.” It was therefore with pride that he forged ahead with the Piano Concerto in F—using the working-title of New York Concerto—which he orchestrated himself.

[Belle]

This is just what I thought, from my extensive readings on Gershwin. My memory is getting slower on the uptake these days.

Somebody recently asked biographer Alan Walker whether he had come to love Franz Liszt, having dedicated a decade of his life to the study of that composer. Walker conceded that he had and that it was only natural (this is what Jan Swafford said about Brahms and Beethoven - in fact he became very emotional talking about it). Well, the same thing happened to me reading about George Gershwin. My husband grew to love and admire Liszt by reading Walker's biographical trilogy - footnotes and all.

There are George's arrangements of the "Songbook" (vignettes) for the concert hall. These are wonderful and Marc-Andre Hamelin has played them. "Liza" is to-die-for!! "Sweet and Low" - perfection!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9o6PPSL88

At least with George Gershwin we have some film of him playing the piano, the piano rolls and a brief excerpt of him actually talking. Here's a good example and he talks about composition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV62aaWu590