Second Rhapsody

You don’t want to miss our last Coffee & Classics for the season! You all know Rhapsody in Blue now, but did you know there is a “sequel”? Gershwin’s Rhapsody No. 2, better known as Second Rhapsody, was born out the need to compose a musical montage of a girl traveling through New York City for the movie Delicious in 1931. Written as a stand alone concert piece to be performed apart from the movie, the Second Rhapsody was premiered with the Boston Symphony Orchestra just a short time after the film’s release, with Gershwin calling it “…the best thing I have written.”

Having explored Rhapsody in Blue in depth this year and also his Concerto in F, we are rounding off our study of Gershwin and his evolving musical style with this wondrous successor to the Rhapsody in Blue.  Capturing the spirit of New York City (in the year the Empire State Building was constructed!), Gershwin’s jazzy rhythms and melodies evoke the musical culture of the city that never sleeps with youthful exuberance. We’ll also look at how this piece compares to the first Rhapsody, its relationship to the film, and explore why this piece hasn’t gotten the attention it so deserves!