The groundbreaking performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue at the Paul Whiteman concerts in 1924 made history. His Concerto in F, however, commissioned by Walter Damrosch for the New York Symphony and premiered in December 1925, was the first large-scale jazz composition in a traditionally classical form.

Gershwin, who by that time was already a famous composer of songs and musical comedies, had no experience in orchestration. In the Broadway tradition, this task was usually left to professional orchestrators; Ferde Grofé (of Grand Canyon Suite fame) had orchestrated Rhapsody in Blue. But for the Concerto in F, Gershwin decided to score it himself. He was a fast learner.

Although billed as a concerto for the concert hall, the Concerto in F adheres only to the most basic elements of the classical models in form: three movements, fast-slow-fast. Gershwin made no attempt to create jazzy versions of sonata, scherzo or ternary (ABA) form in the movements themselves, although the finale is a rondo.

Gershwin employed different jazz styles in each of the three movements. The First employs the quick pulsating rhythm of the Charleston. The unusual opening for timpani and trap set fixes the prevailing rhythm of the movement and announces in no uncertain terms: “This is jazz!” The main theme, introduced by the piano, becomes a motto for the concerto, recurring in the last movement. Instead of developing core thematic material, the tunesmith Gershwin rolls out a series of melodies in contrasting rhythms and moods, expanding each one in the manner of a
jazz riff. 

The second movement has, as Gershwin himself explained, “...a poetic nocturnal atmosphere which has come to be referred to as the American blues...” The movement begins with a long introductory passage for solo winds, based on a small rhythmic motive that sets the bluesy atmosphere and contains little hints of the two important themes to come. Both themes are delayed in order to produce a sense of expectation and tension that drive the movement, reflecting the melancholy sense of longing that characterizes the blues in general. 

The Finale, the only movement with a classical structure, is a rondo but also a toccata consisting of rapidly repeated notes. From a pop music perspective, the movement is a quickstep. The first episode brings back in variation the motto from the first movement. The next episode the melody is original to this movement, and in the third episode, Gershwin brings back the main theme from the second movement as a quickstep. A rapid coda recalls the rondo theme with a timpani flourish and a jazz trill for the horns.

Joseph & Elizabeth Kahn
Wordpros@mindspring.com
www.wordprosmusic.com