<George Gershwin>
Zax, David. "Summertime for George Gershwin." Http://www.smithsonianmag.com/. Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Aug. 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2013.
Zax, David. "Summertime for George Gershwin." Http://www.smithsonianmag.com/. Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Aug. 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2013.
Inspiration
In 1924, George Gershwin was asked by Paul Whiteman to write a composition for a special concert that was to be presented at Aeolian Hall in New York. He had less than three weeks to do so. The inspiration for the piece came to him during a train ride to Boston. He quotes "With its steely rhythms, its rattety-bang... I suddenly heard-- and even saw on paper--the complete construction of the rhapsody from beginning to end. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America- of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness.". The sounds of the train as well as the diversity and nationalism in America influenced George Gershwin and therefore inspired him to compose Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin then wrote the entire score in a week on his return to New York. He originally planned on calling the piece American Rhapsody. However, his brother and song writing partner Ira suggested the name Rhapsody in Blue. They were inspired by the paintings Harmony in Gray and Green and Nocturne in Blue and Green by James Whistler (see images below).
Rhapsody in Blue is known to represent the United Airlines commercial. In 1987, the song was first commissioned to be used in their commercial. The company paid $300,000 a year in order to use this song. In the commercial, a band is playing this song seated throughout the aircraft. United Airlines uses the slogan " fly the friendly skies" to accompany it. The piece was originally chosen for its cultural significance. I think they chose this song because a comparison can be made between a band needing to come together and unite as one in order to be successful and the workers of the company uniting for one single cause, to give their customers the best flying experience possible. Rhapsody in Blue was known to represent the diversity that encompasses America. United Airlines similarly wanted to show the coming together of many different people under their United Airline. This piece has continuously been used to represent United Airlines since the 1980s because of its immense popularity. They have played it in their advertisements, as well as while landing and taking off. Below is the United Airlines commercial featuring Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. This piece would work for a similar company today. I think it could be used by anyone wanting to show many different people coming together for one united cause. For example, a construction company could use this. Each instrument would represent a different aspect of the construction and therefore a different employee of the company. All are essential but must come together as one in order to be successful.
Rhapsody in Blue was also used in Disney's Fantasia 2000. The visual cartoon that goes along with it is directly relevant to the time period in which it was written. The cartoon is taking place during the Great Depression. Jobs and money are both scarce. A poor man is drinking coffee and has no money to pay for it. A rich man comes and gives him a coin to do so. Throughout the entire cartoon, the rich people are always so busy with no time for anything else. The little girl is continuously ignored by her mother because she is too caught up with work. The poor man contemplates stealing an apple that has fallen on the floor at an outdoor market but decides to put it back. However, he was scolded, for the man thought he was stealing. Also, a rich man playing the piano goes along with the piano solo in Rhapsody in Blue in the background. Below is an excerpt of Disney's Fantasia 2000.
Knowing the inspiration behind George Gershwin's famous composition will help us as a band to play more successfully. While playing together, we should a feel a sense of unity between one another. Each and every member of our symphonic band is a crucial component. Without everyone, we cannot be successful. Most of the time during class, we don't get to feel this unity because of members missing. We also tend not to listen to one another. Hopefully, Rhapsody in Blue and the message behind us will help to play as a whole and as one, rather than 60 individuals. As a band, it is essential that we listen to the people around us more and blend, rather than solely focusing on our own parts. The most important aspect of playing together is fitting all the different parts together, and that can only be accomplished through cooperation and working together.
Works Cited
"Center
for Jazz Arts | Classical Arts." Center
for Jazz Arts | Classical Arts.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
"George
Gershwin." George
Gershwin.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
"George
Gershwin." National
Arts Centre.
N.p., n.d. Web.
"Gershwin:
Rhapsody in Blue." Google
Books.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
Levere,
Jane L. "Old Slogan Returns as United Asserts It Is Customer Focused."
NY
Times.
N.p., n.d. Web.
"Rhapsody
In Blue." Rhapsody
In Blue.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
http://www.centerforjazzarts.org/classical_1b.html
http://www.unconservatory.org/celam/gershwinbio.html
http://www.artsalive.ca/pdf/mus/gershwin_all_e.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XYtGYrQeV4
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/business/media/old-slogan-returns-as-united-asserts-it-is-customer-focused.html?_r=0
http://books.google.com/books?id=bsDMhVn6KagC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=why+did+united+airlines+choose+rhapsody+in+blue&source=bl&ots=pFB_kzj4jx&sig=dP62m65CH9pwOg_bOFi1caNH7jU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AOVlUsyUIZPJ4AOqioDgDA&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=why%20did%20united%20airlines%20choose%20rhapsody%20in%20blue&f=false
"Center
for Jazz Arts | Classical Arts." Center
for Jazz Arts | Classical Arts.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
"George
Gershwin." George
Gershwin.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
"George
Gershwin." National
Arts Centre.
N.p., n.d. Web.
"Gershwin:
Rhapsody in Blue." Google
Books.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
Levere,
Jane L. "Old Slogan Returns as United Asserts It Is Customer Focused."
NY
Times.
N.p., n.d. Web.
"Rhapsody
In Blue." Rhapsody
In Blue.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
http://www.centerforjazzarts.org/classical_1b.html
http://www.unconservatory.org/celam/gershwinbio.html
http://www.artsalive.ca/pdf/mus/gershwin_all_e.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XYtGYrQeV4
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/business/media/old-slogan-returns-as-united-asserts-it-is-customer-focused.html?_r=0
http://books.google.com/books?id=bsDMhVn6KagC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=why+did+united+airlines+choose+rhapsody+in+blue&source=bl&ots=pFB_kzj4jx&sig=dP62m65CH9pwOg_bOFi1caNH7jU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AOVlUsyUIZPJ4AOqioDgDA&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=why%20did%20united%20airlines%20choose%20rhapsody%20in%20blue&f=false
-Emily B.