Cuban Overture
Cuban Overture | |
---|---|
by George Gershwin | |
Genre | Tone poem |
Form | Ternary form |
Composed | July and August 1932 |
Premiere | |
Date | August 16, 1932 (1932-08-16) |
Location | Lewisohn Stadium |
Cuban Overture is a symphonic overture or tone poem for orchestra composed by American composer George Gershwin. Originally titled Rumba (named for the Cuban rumba musical genre), it was a result of a two-week holiday which Gershwin took in Havana, Cuba in February 1932. Gershwin composed the piece in July and August 1932.
The overture is dominated by Caribbean rhythms and Cuban native percussion, with a wide spectrum of instrumental color and technique. It is a rich and exciting work with complexity and sophistication, illustrating the influence of Cuban music and dance. Its main theme was influenced by a then current hit by Ignacio Piñeiro, "Échale Salsita".
Other songs referenced by the piece's themes and phrases include the traditional folk song La Paloma[citation needed].
The overture is in ternary form.
Première
The work under the title Rumba received its première at New York's now-demolished Lewisohn Stadium on 16 August 1932, as part of an all-Gershwin programme held by New York Philharmonic, conducted by Albert Coates.[1] The concert was a huge success. As Gershwin wrote:
- It was, I really believe, the most exciting night I have ever had...17,845 people paid to get in and just about 5,000 were at the closed gates trying to fight their way in—unsuccessfully.[2]
The work was greeted favorably by critics. It was renamed Cuban Overture three months later at a benefit concert conducted by Gershwin at the Metropolitan Opera to avoid giving audience the idea that it was simply a novelty item. The new title provided, as the composer stated, "a more just idea of the character and intent of the music."[3]
Scoring
The overture is scored for three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes, English Horn, two clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four French horns, three B-flat trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.
A composer's note in the score instructs specific placement of the Latin American percussion instruments including bongo, claves, gourd, and maracas "right in front of the conductor's stand", with pictures.
F. Campbell Watson, who was in charge of Gershwin's scores after his death, had the score tweaked and changed somewhat.[citation needed] This may account for a rhythm piano that appears in some audio recordings.
Preservation status
On September 22, 2013, it was announced that a musicological critical edition of the full orchestral score will be eventually released. The Gershwin family, working in conjunction with the Library of Congress and the University of Michigan, are working to make scores available to the public that represent Gershwin's true intent.[4][failed verification].[5][6][7][failed verification]
References
- ^ Joan Peyser, The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin, 1998 ch. 3, p. 199
- ^ Beidler, Philip D. (2014). The Island Called Paradise: Cuba in History, Literature, and the Arts. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. p. 68. ISBN 9780817318208.
- ^ Pollock, Howard (2006). George Gershwin: His Life and Work. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 536. ISBN 9780520248649.
- ^ "New, critical edition of George and Ira Gershwin's works to be compiled | PBS NewsHour". Pbs.org. 2013-09-14. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ "U-M Gershwin Panel Part 8: Loras Schissel (HD)". YouTube. 2013-09-19. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ "The Editions » Gershwin". Music.umich.edu. 8 September 2013. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ "Musicology Now: George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition". Musicologynow.ams-net.org. 2013-09-17. Archived from the original on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- v
- t
- e
- Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls
- An American in Paris
- Gershwin Piano Concerto
- Three Preludes
- Who Cares?
- Blue Monday (1922)
- Porgy and Bess (1935)
- Rhapsody in Blue (1924)
- Concerto in F (1925)
- An American in Paris (1928)
- Second Rhapsody (1931)
- Cuban Overture (1932)
- Strike Up the Band (1934)
- Hoctor's Ballet (1937)
- Three Preludes (1926)
- French Ballet Class (1937)
- "Aren't You Kind of Glad We Did?"
- "(I've Got) Beginner's Luck"
- "Bidin' My Time"
- "Blah Blah Blah"
- "Boy Wanted"
- "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!"
- "But Not for Me"
- "By Strauss"
- "Clap Yo' Hands"
- "Do It Again"
- "Doin' Time"
- "Embraceable You"
- "Fascinating Rhythm"
- "A Foggy Day"
- "For You, For Me, For Evermore"
- "Funny Face"
- "'The Half of It, Dearie' Blues"
- "He Loves and She Loves"
- "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
- "I Can't Be Bothered Now"
- "I Got Rhythm"
- "I Was Doing All Right"
- "I've Got a Crush on You"
- "Isn't It a Pity?"
- "Just Another Rhumba"
- "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"
- "Let's Kiss and Make Up"
- "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)"
- "Looking for a Boy"
- "Lorelei"
- "Love Is Here to Stay"
- "Love Is Sweeping the Country"
- "Love Walked In"
- "The Man I Love"
- "My Cousin in Milwaukee"
- "My One and Only"
- "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
- "Of Thee I Sing"
- "Oh, Lady Be Good!"
- "Oh, So Nice!"
- "The Real American Folk Song (is a Rag)"
- "'S Wonderful"
- "Sam and Delilah"
- "Slap That Bass"
- "Somebody from Somewhere"
- "Somebody Loves Me"
- "Someone to Watch Over Me"
- "Soon"
- "Stairway to Paradise"
- "Stiff Upper Lip"
- "Strike Up the Band"
- "Summertime"
- "Swanee"
- "That Certain Feeling"
- "They All Laughed"
- "They Can't Take That Away from Me"
- "Things Are Looking Up"
- "Tra-la-la"
- "Treat Me Rough"
- "Walking the Dog"
- "Who Cares?"
- "You've Got What Gets Me"
- Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
- By George
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book
- Ella Sings Gershwin
- Gershwin Live!
- Gershwin's World
- The Glory of Gershwin
- Ira, George and Joe
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
- Oscar Peterson Plays the George Gershwin Songbook
- Red Hot + Rhapsody: The Gershwin Groove
- Rosemary Clooney Sings the Lyrics of Ira Gershwin
- Gershwin Prize
- Ira Gershwin (brother)
- Arthur Gershwin (brother)
- Frances Gershwin (sister)
- Gershwin Theatre