Uploaded March 2016 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
An American in Paris Suite by George Gershwin
Arranged by John Whitney
Conducted by Michael Wang, JE'17
Performed at 'DPops: Faux Pops' in Battell Chapel on December 6, 2015
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Program Notes:
George Gershwin is often thought of as an elite American composer who, along with Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein, helped define a distinct American contribution to the classical canon. However, Gershwin was actually heavily influenced by France, if not in musical content, then certainly in life experience. He kept in close correspondence with French composer Maurice Ravel, visiting him twice in Paris and acting as a key force for persuading Ravel to tour the United States. It was during the second visit to Paris that Gershwin decided to write a symphonic work based on the French capital, drawing on melodies he wrote during the first visit as well as influences from blues.
Partly programmatic, unapologetically modern, An American in Paris opens with several “walking” themes portraying the sounds and experiences of taking a stroll on a busy Parisian street. This bustling energy then gives way to a slow, bluesy theme which starts in trumpet solo and then expands to the rest of the orchestra, evoking nostalgia and homesickness. The blues continue into a faster theme, which also starts in trumpet before being passed around, but ultimately it is unsatisfactory to be stuck at home while traveling, and we return to Paris with the original themes, finally ending on a triumphant combination of the two.
Tonight, in order to present a varied program, we play not the full, 20-minute original, but an arrangement by John Whitney that maintains the structural integrity of Gershwin’s vision. We hope you enjoy, if not a full-fledged Parisian vacation, at least a day trip to a happier Paris, a city that inspired some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.
An American in Paris Suite by George Gershwin
Arranged by John Whitney
Conducted by Michael Wang, JE'17
Performed at 'DPops: Faux Pops' in Battell Chapel on December 6, 2015
––––––––––––
Program Notes:
George Gershwin is often thought of as an elite American composer who, along with Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein, helped define a distinct American contribution to the classical canon. However, Gershwin was actually heavily influenced by France, if not in musical content, then certainly in life experience. He kept in close correspondence with French composer Maurice Ravel, visiting him twice in Paris and acting as a key force for persuading Ravel to tour the United States. It was during the second visit to Paris that Gershwin decided to write a symphonic work based on the French capital, drawing on melodies he wrote during the first visit as well as influences from blues.
Partly programmatic, unapologetically modern, An American in Paris opens with several “walking” themes portraying the sounds and experiences of taking a stroll on a busy Parisian street. This bustling energy then gives way to a slow, bluesy theme which starts in trumpet solo and then expands to the rest of the orchestra, evoking nostalgia and homesickness. The blues continue into a faster theme, which also starts in trumpet before being passed around, but ultimately it is unsatisfactory to be stuck at home while traveling, and we return to Paris with the original themes, finally ending on a triumphant combination of the two.
Tonight, in order to present a varied program, we play not the full, 20-minute original, but an arrangement by John Whitney that maintains the structural integrity of Gershwin’s vision. We hope you enjoy, if not a full-fledged Parisian vacation, at least a day trip to a happier Paris, a city that inspired some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.
