Music 1A: Introduction to Music - Western Culture
dan mitchell | music department | creative arts division | de anza college |

Rhapsody in Blue

George Gershwin

B flat major

Solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 alto saxophones, tenor saxophone, 3 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, gong, triangle, 1st and 2nd violins, violas, cellos, double basses.

1. 1
1. Clarinet, p, trill, upward scale and slide (glissando) to blues theme, mf, moderate tempo.
   Repeated-note theme, faster tempo, French horns and woodwinds, mf.
   Clarinet, p, trill, upward scale to blues theme in muted trumpet, mf, piano joins, crescendo to blues theme in full orchestra, ff, cymbal crashes.
2. Extended piano solo, begins p, fast repeated chords, ff, upward scale in blues theme, low instruments join, piano alone, p, crescendo to brilliant rushing notes, fast repeated chords, ff.
3. Full orchestra, ff, blues theme in faster tempo, piano joins, strings, crescendo to blues theme in trombone, f, trumpets,ff.
4. Trumpet theme, marchlike beat in drums, piano.
   Clarinet, p, repeated-note theme, piano, rushing notes, full orchestra, ff, repeated-note theme, piano chords, solo clarinet, "wah-wah" muted trumpet and trombone solos, orchestra, ff, cymbals, pause.
2. a. Orchestra, f, jazzlike theme in low register, steady beat in drums, piano chords. Rising brass phrase, crescendo to full orchestra, ff, jazzlike theme in high register, piano joins, crescendo. b. Extended piano solo, varied repeated-note theme, horn, p, accompanies piano, [oboe, blues theme, piano running notes, faster tempo]. Extended piano solo, jazzlike theme in low register, steady beat, jazzlike theme in high register, ff, brilliant ascending running notes, descending octaves, ff, sudden pp, ascending phrases, pause. 3. a. Strings, p, romantic theme, horns, p, moderate tempo, high violin solo. b. Full orchestra, ff, romantic theme, drum rolls, cymbals, piano joins, bells. c. Extended piano solo, romantic theme, very fast repeated notes, brilliant ascending scale to 4. a. Brasses and piano, accelerated romantic theme, brass swells and sustained chord, fff. b. Piano and orchestra, rising chromatic scale, crescendo, ritardando. c. Piano and orchestra, ff, repeated-note theme, ritardando. d. Full orchestra, fff, blues theme, cymbal crashes, piano chords, crescendo to final orchestral chord, ff.