performed by the u.s. army concert band · rhapsody in blue, originally for solo piano and jazz...
TRANSCRIPT
GershwinColonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr., conducting
1. CubanOverture . . . . . . . . . . . arr. Dwayne S. Milburn
2.Summertime. . . . . . . . . . . . arr. SFC Douglas Richard lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Staff Sergeant Leigh Ann Hinton, soprano
3.MyMan’sGoneNow. . . . . . . . arr. SFC Douglas Richard lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Staff Sergeant Leigh Ann Hinton, soprano
4.RhapsodyinBlue . . . . . . . . . . . . . orch. Ferde Grofé arr. Donald Hunsberger
Master Sergeant Joseph Holt, piano
5.Fascinatin’Gershwin . . . . . . . . .arr. MSG Paul Murtha lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sergeant First Class Holly Bingham, soprano
6.AnAmericaninParis . . . . . arr. MSG (ret.) Steve Satone
Few music lovers realize that composer George Gershwin lived a life of only 38 years. The volume of music he created—and its immense popularity—lead us to believe he was around much longer. This recording features arrangements of Gershwin’s most popular symphonic works and highlights many of his best known songs. Because his compositional time line was so abbreviated, it seems only fitting to present these notes in a biographical format.
GeorGe Gershwin1898–1937
AmericancomposerGeorgeGershwinwasborninBrooklyn,NewYork,onSeptember26,1898.ThesecondsonofRussianimmigrantparents,GershwinspenthischildhoodinapoorJewishneighborhoodwherehewasknownasanundisciplinedstudentwithapenchantforstreetfighting.Hisformalmusicaltrainingbeganatage13whenheshowedanexceptionaltalentplayingthepianohisparentshadboughtforolderbrotherIra.HelearnedquicklyandbythetimeGershwinwas15hewasapianistandsong-pluggerforaTin-PanAlleypublishinghouse.
ItwasduringthisemploymentthatGershwinbeganwritinghisownsongs;afterfouryears,hewashiredasastaffcomposerforaBroadwaystagepublisher.Onesongledtoanotherandby1919hehadwrittenhisfirstBroadwayshowandwasthehitofNewYorkCitysocialgatherings.
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Rhapsody in Blue,originallyforsolopianoandjazzorchestra,wasGershwin’sfirstinstrumentalconcertwork.Composedin1924onacommissionfromNewYorksocietybandleaderPaulWhiteman,Rhapsody in Bluewaswrittentobeaconcertpiecethatcombinedelementsofjazzandclassicalmusic.Ittookhimjustthreeweekstowritethepiece,largelyduetothefactthathehadforgottenthecommitment!Gershwinwrotethisofhiscreativeprocess:“Itwasonthetrain,withitssteelyrhythms,itsrattly-bang,thatissooftensostimulatingtoacomposer—Ifrequentlyhearmusicintheveryheartofthenoise—andthereIsuddenlyheard,andevensawonpaper—thecompleteconstructionoftheRhapsody,frombeginningtoend.Nonewthemescametome,butIworkedonthethematicmaterialalreadyinmymindandtriedtoconceivethecompositionasawhole.IhearditasasortofmusicalkaleidoscopeofAmerica,ourvastmeltingpot,ofourunduplicatednationalpep,ofourblues,ourmetropolitanmadness.”
Rhapsody in BluewasorchestratedbyWhiteman’spianist/arrangerFerdeGroféandpremieredFebruary12,1924,withGershwinatthepianoimprovisingmuchofthepianoscoreandnoddingatWhitemanwhenitwastimetocuetheorchestra.AlthoughWhitemanandGershwinconsideredthepremiereasuccess,theperformancewasmetwithmixedreviews.TheNewYorkTimesstated:“Thiscompositionshowsextraordinarytalent,asitshows
ayoungcomposerwithaimsthatgofarbeyondthoseofhisilk,strugglingwithaformofwhichheisfarfrombeingamaster…Inspiteofallthishehasexpressedhimselfinasignificantand,onthewhole,highlyoriginalform…”
Twoyearslater,inMarchof1926,a28-year-oldGeorgeGershwinfoundhimselfinParissketchingwhatwouldbecomeoneofhismostskillfullycraftedsymphonicworks.Thesketch,shelveduntilthefollowingyearwhenWalterDamroschofferedGershwinacommissionforanewpiece,becameAn American in Paris,Gershwin’smostpopularorchestralwork.InaninterviewgivenbeforetheDecember1928premiere,Gershwinsaidthisofhislatestcomposition:“Thisnewpiece,reallyarhapsodicballet,iswrittenveryfreelyandisthemostmodernmusicI’veyetattempted.TheopeningpartwillbedevelopedinthetypicalFrenchstyle,inthemannerofDebussyandTheSix,thoughthethemesarealloriginal.MypurposehereistoportraytheimpressionofanAmericanvisitorinParis,ashestrollsaboutthecity,listenstothevariousstreetnoises,andabsorbstheFrenchatmosphere.”
Cuban Overturewasanotherpieceinspiredofforeigntravel.Followingahecticscheduleofpremieresandperformances,GershwinandfriendstraveledtoHavana,Cuba,lateinFebruaryof1932.Describingthestayas“twohystericalweeksinCuba,wherenosleepwashad”Gershwinimmersedhimselfinthelocalnightlife—thoroughlyenjoying
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themusicandculture.HedevelopedapassionforCubanpercussioninstrumentsandrhythms,anduponreturninghomesetoutwritingthecompositionRumba—whichwaslaterrenamedCuban Overture.
TheoverturewaspremieredbytheNewYorkPhilharmoniconAugust16,1932,asGershwin’snewestworkonafirst-everall-Gershwinconcert.Acrowdofnearly18,000attendedthesummerconcertwithanother5,000turnedawayatthegate.Afterward,Gershwinremarked,“Itwas,Ireallybelieve,themostexcitingnightIhaveeverhad.”
DespiteGershwin’snew-foundreputationasa“seriouscomposer,”itwassongwritingthatwasthefoundationofhispopularity.I Got Rhythm,Our Love is Here to Stay,Embraceable You,Someone to Watch Over Me,andThey Can’t Take That Away From Mewerecomposedbetween1926and1937fortheBroadwayshowsGirl CrazyandOh, Kay!andfilmscoresShall We DanceandThe Goldwyn Follies.TheseselectionshighlightGershwin’screativegeniusandmakeupthemedleyFascinatin’ Gershwin.
Throughouthiscareer,Gershwinhadanaspirationtocomposeafull-lengthopera.In1926,hereadDuBoseHeyward’snovelPorgyandfoundthestoryhewouldmakefamous.TheoperatakesplaceinCatfishRow,apoorwaterfronttenementinCharleston,SouthCarolina,andtellsthelifeofacrippledblackmannamedPorgywhofallsdesperatelyinlovewithBess—awomanofquestionablecharacterandvirtue.
GershwinbegancomposingthescoreofPorgy and BessinFebruaryof1934;uponcompletioninJulyof1935,theprojecthadbecomealarge-scale,threeactfolkoperawith700pagesofmusic.Summertime,oneofGershwin’sbest-knownandmostrecordedmelodies,wasthefirstsongcomposedfortheproduc-tion.Themusicispresentedasasoothinglullabyandappearsthroughouttheoperainvariousforms.My Man’s Gone NowissunglateinthefirstactbythecharacterSerena.Hersongwailsofsorrowandlossasshemournsthedeathofherhusband.
Sadly,GershwindidnotlivetoseetheproductionofPorgy and Bessgainworldwidepopularity.Theshowclosedafteronly124performancesandwasconsideredafinancialloss.Shortlythereafter,GershwinleftNewYorkforHollywoodtopursuealucrativecareercomposingfilmmusicals.Twoyearslater,onJuly9,1937,the38-year-oldGeorgeGershwincollapsedintoacomaandneverregainedconsciousness.Despiteemergencysurgery,hediedtwodayslaterofabraintumor.
Porgy and BesswentontogreatfameintheyearsfollowingGershwin’sdeath,particularlyinEuropewhereitwasregardedasatrueAmericanopera.Thisopera,alongwithhissongsandorchestralcompositions,establishedhiminthepantheonofgreatAmericancomposers.
Notes by SFC Regena Swanson
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ColonelThomasRotondi,Jr.ColonelThomasRotondi,Jr.,istheeighthLeaderandCommanderofTheU.S.ArmyBand“Pershing’sOwn.”OriginallyfromChicagoHeights,IL,ColonelRotondiholdsaBachelor’sofMusicdegreefromMillikinUniversity,Decatur,IL,andaMaster’sofBusinessAdministrationinManagementdegreefromGoldenGateUniversity,SanFrancisco,CA.WhileatMillikinUniversity,ColonelRotondiwasveryactiveinPhiMuAlpha,themen’sprofessionalmusicfraternity,andwasselectedforPiKappaLambdaHonoraryMusicFraternity.
ColonelRotondijoinedtheU.S.ArmyasatrumpetplayerinDecemberof1977.HereceivedhiscommissioninJulyof1982throughOfficerCandidateSchool,wherehewasanhonorgraduate.HispreviousassignmentsincludeCommander,EnlistedStudentCompany,andDirectorofEvaluationand
Standardization,ArmedForcesSchoolofMusic,Norfolk,VA;ExecutiveOfficer,U.S.ContinentalArmyBand,FortMonroe,VA;StaffBandOfficer,ForcesCommand,FortMcPherson,GA;staffconductorandadministrativeintern,FortWorthSymphonyOrchestra,FortWorth,TX(thisassignmentmadepossiblethroughtheArmy’s“TrainingwithIndustry”program);Commander/Conductor,U.S.ContinentalArmyBand,FortMonroe,VA;DeputyCommander,U.S.MilitaryAcademyBand,WestPoint,NY;Commander/Conductor,U.S.Army,Europe,BandandChorus,Heidelberg,Germany;andCommander/ConductoroftheU.S.MilitaryAcademyBandatWestPoint,NY.
ColonelRotondihasstudiedconductingwithJohnGiordano,ConductorEmeritusoftheFortWorthSymphonyOrchestra,andwithEijiOue,MusicDirectoroftheBarcelonaSymphonyOrchestra.HehastwiceattendedtheConductor’sSeminarattheTanglewoodMusicCenter(summerhomeoftheBostonSymphonyOrchestra)wherethefacultyincludedSeijiOzawa,MauriceAbravanel,andGustavMeier.
HismilitarydecorationsincludetheLegionofMerit,theMeritoriousServiceMedalwithfiveOakLeafClusters,theArmyCommendationMedalwiththreeOakLeafClusters,andtheArmyAchievementMedalwithoneOakLeafCluster.
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TheU.S.ArmyConcertBandFluteMasterSgt.AndreaL.Artley,St.Charles,ILSgt.1stClassBarbaraA.Vigil,Garland,TXSgt.1stClassKendraB.Craven,SturgeonBay,WIStaffSgt.RobertE.Aughtry,Gaffney,SC
PiccoloSgt.1stClassBerylE.Lemmons,GulfBreeze,FL
oboeMasterSgt.RobertD.Huffman,Alexandria,VA
oboe/enGlish hornStaffSgt.AmandaP.Jury,Belmont,MA
e Flat clarinetStaffSgt.LeesaS.Voth,Jonestown,TX
b Flat clarinetSgt.MajorMichaelA.Knight,York,PASgt.MajorDebraL.McGarity,Covington,VAMasterSgt.DeanA.Hess,Connellsville,PAMasterSgt.DennisP.McFarland,ChapelHill,NCMasterSgt.BohdanP.Duma,Carteret,NJSgt.1stClassMichaelW.Shaw,Covington,GASgt.1stClassDennisStrawley,Philadelphia,PASgt.1stClassJulieM.Berry,LongBeach,CASgt.1stClassLaneS.Shioji,ElPaso,TXSgt.1stClassSylviaM.Stanton,Akron,OHSgt.1stClassPhillipL.Dennis,Belvidere,ILSgt.1stClassDonaldE.Hoffman,Northumberland,PASgt.1stClassCharlesB.Morrow,Westfield,NC
bass clarinetStaffSgt.JeannaNelson,Babylon,NYStaffSgt.MartinH.Gold,Sarasota,FL
bassoonMasterSgt.DavidW.Brundage,Woodbridge,VAStaffSgt.MaxWharton,Grafton,OH
contrabassoonStaffSgt.DeanG.Woody,Dalton,GA
saxoPhoneMasterSgt.RickN.Parrell,Fairfax,VASgt.1stClassStevenS.Ticknor,Topeka,KSStaffSgt.ScottH.Weinhold,Albany,NYStaffSgt.CesarEliGonzalez,RioGrandeCity,TXStaffSgt.MichaelM.Vance,Woodland,WA
trumPetSgt.MajorWoodrowR.English,Coldwater,MISgt.MajorCharlesL.Seipp,Akron,IAMasterSgt.TammyJ.Leverone,Richmond,KYSgt.1stClassTerryBingham,Fairfax,VASgt.1stClassGilH.Hoffer,Indianapolis,INSgt.1stClassKennethW.McGee,Stafford,VASgt.1stClassScottW.Sabo,Pittsburgh,PAStaffSgt.TroyA.McKay,Richmond,MO
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French hornMasterSgt.MarcoR.Caluori,Bridgeport,CTMasterSgt.RichardE.Dearstyne,Midland,TXSgt.1stClassJosephG.Lovinsky,Miami,FLSgt.1stClassRegenaL.Swanson,CoxsMill,WVStaffSgt.RobertP.Craven,Manchester,NHStaffSgt.AaronK.Cockson,Foley,ALStaffSgt.AndreaC.Hardie,Gettysburg,PA
euPhoniumSgt.MajorRobertJ.Powers,VirginiaBeach,VAMasterSgt.DonaldJ.Palmire,Jr.,PenneyFarms,FLMasterSgt.D.PatrickMorris,Philadelphia,PA
tromboneMasterSgt.FrederickJ.Gleason,SilverSpring,MDSgt.1stClassDarrylR.Buning,GrandRapids,MISgt.1stClassJamesL.Fantz,Crosby,TXSgt.1stClassJerryJ.Amoury,Leawood,KSSgt.1stClassMichaelA.Parnell,Topeka,KSStaffSgt.SamuelB.Woodhead,Northport,ME
tuba Sgt.1stClassDavidT.Brown,Nashville,TNStaffSgt.ThomasL.Bratten,PalmBeachGardens,FLStaffSgt.JonathanW.Voth,Hutchinson,KSStaffSgt.DavidC.Kirven,Paris,TX
strinG bassMasterSgt.MichaelA.McReynolds,St.Louis,MOStaffSgt.EricJ.Seay,OakRidge,TN
PercussionMasterSgt.TimothyJ.Huesgen,Pontiac,MIMasterSgt.JayC.Brown,York,PAMasterSgt.EdwardW.Asten,Charlotte,NCSgt.1stClassGlenD.Gurnard,Cashmere,WAStaffSgt.MichaelH.Siberts,Tulsa,OKStaffSgt.HaroldF.Summey,Jr.,NewportNews,VAStaffSgt.MarioH.Ramsey,Pendleton,SC
timPaniStaffSgt.JulieA.Angelis,Worcester,MA
Keyboard MasterSgt.DeanA.Hess,Connellsville,PASgt.1stClassDonaldE.Hoffman,Northumberland,PA
banjoStaffSgt.DeanG.Woody,Dalton,GA
Piano soloistMasterSgt.JosephHolt,Columbus,GA
soPrano VocalistsSgt.1stClassHollyC.Bingham,Potomac,MDStaffSgt.LeighAnnHinton,Stuyvesant,NY
†non-commissioned officer in charge ‡concertmaster**group leader ¹group producer *section leader
††member of The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band
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Forpromotionaluseonly.Notforresale.
Providingamusicalbackdropformanyofthecountry’smostnotableevents,TheUnitedStatesArmyConcertBandhasaworldwidereputationforextraordinarymusicianship.
HeadquarteredinWashington,DC,TheConcertBandhasperformedinsuchrespectedvenuesasCarnegieHall,theLincolnCenter,theKennedyCen-ter,andtheHollywoodBowl.Theensembleoftenappearsatnationalandinternationalmusicevents,andregularlyperformsfortheTexasBandmastersAssociation,theMidwestBandandOrchestraClinic,theMusicEducatorsNationalConference,andtheAmericanBandmastersAssociation.
ThemusiciansoftheConcertBandhavebeentrainedatthenation’smostprestigiousuniversitiesandconservatories.Theyperformwiththe
versatilityandskillnecessarytoexecutetheband’svastrepertoireandoftenappearinsmallensemblesorassoloists.
Inanefforttopromoteinternationalgoodwill,the65-piecetraditionalconcertbandhasperformedjointconcertswiththeSovietArmy,theRussianNavy,andtheUkrainianNavybands,andhasperformedformilitarytattoosinScotland,Sweden,Holland,Norway,Australia,Canada,andJapan.
TheU.S.ArmyConcertBandperformstoahomeaudienceinBruckerHall,locatedonhistoricFortMyerinArlington,Virginia.Throughlivebroadcasts,allconcertsandrecitalscanbeheardworldwideviawww.usarmyband.com.
TheUnitedStatesArmyConcertBand
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Recorded at Brucker Hall, Fort Myer, Virginia, February 2006
CREDITS
Leader and Commander COL Thomas Rotondi, Jr. Deputy CommanderLTC John Clanton Enlisted Leader
SGM Ross Morgan, Jr.
Concert Band Group LeaderSGM Debra McGarity
Producer
Mr. Gregory K. Squires
Executive ProducerLTC John Clanton
Recording EngineersMr. Gregory K. Squires
MSG Paul Stramella
Additional Recording EngineeringSFC Craig Lauinger
Graphic Design and Layout
SSG Derek Hansen
Program Content and NotesSFC Regena Swanson
Library
SGM Kim Newlen
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1.CubanOverture(10:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arr. Dwayne S. Milburn
2.Summertime(3:35). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .arr. SFC Douglas Richard lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Staff Sergeant Leigh Ann Hinton, soprano
3.MyMan’sGoneNow(4:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arr. SFC Douglas Richard lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Staff Sergeant Leigh Ann Hinton, soprano
4.RhapsodyinBlue(19:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . orch. Ferde Grofé arr. Donald Hunsberger
Master Sergeant Joseph Holt, piano
5.Fascinatin’Gershwin(11:51). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arr. MSG Paul Murtha lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sergeant First Class Holly Bingham, soprano
6.AnAmericaninParis(19:50). . . . . . . . . . . . arr. MSG (ret.) Steve Satone
Total Time 69:31
The UniTed STaTeS army Band “PerShing’S Own”
FormoreinformationaboutTheU.S.ArmyBand“Pershing’sOwn”
visitusonthewebatwww.usarmyband.com
Forbookinginformationcontact:TheU.S.ArmyBand“Pershing’sOwn”
400McNairRoadFortMyer,VA22211-1306
(703)696-3647
The United States A
rmy Concert Band G
ershwin
Forpromotionaluseonly.Notforresale.
The
Uni
ted
Stat
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Conc
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and Gershwin
Colonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr., conducting
TheU.S.ArmyConcertBand
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