The pianist performing in the recital was Fazil Say, accompanied by the North German Philharmonic. They performed “Rhapsody in Blue”. The piece was composed in 1924, during the modern period of music, by George Gershin (Lewis, allmusic.com). The concert took place in Laeiszhalle Hamburg on July 31, 2015. “Rhapsody in Blue” consists of only one movement.
The piece had a lot of variance in tempo of the single main melody. There were very sudden changes between very fast and slow enough for there to be pronounced pauses between notes. As the tempo was sped up, there were sometimes extra notes and layers of complexity added to the melody. There were also moments where the orchestra and pianist were coordinating and setting different tempos that added lots of excitement to the piece.
The piano was mostly responsible for the melody, but in a couple places kept rhythm for the melody of the orchestra. The same melody was heard throughout the majority of the piece. “Rhapsody in Blue” had lots of scales played slowly up and down the keyboard. Some chords were played in these sections but the majority was composed of single notes. The piece contained a lot of minor notes and chords, with one section containing a different melody that seemed to be played in a major key.
The piano often played in softer tones, and the orchestra would join in much louder. In some parts, the orchestra would be supporting the piano and in other parts the piano was almost completely drowned out. There was one section when the second melody was played where the piano and orchestra would alternate parts and play off each other that was very exciting. Both parts were beautiful and engaging but the piano part was especially prominent in that section. There were also lots of solo sections for the piano that were very interesting. The finale of the piece was very dramatic and loud, with the piano and orchestra playing together. The pianist mostly played legato, but there was one very loud section where there were a lot of staccato notes played to contribute to its suspenseful mood.
The mood of the piece was very relaxed and felt like a traditional jazz piece. In the middle section, the tone changed to become more dramatic and thrilling. It also morphed into a completely different melody. The piece became very lively and upbeat and was reminiscent of circus music. Overall the mood of the piece was very enjoyable and the changing throughout kept it exciting and engaging.
The posture and actions of the pianist were very prominent throughout the piece. During the more relaxed and slow sections in the beginning, he had a very relaxed posture with loose arm movements as he played. His expressions were peaceful and relaxed as well. During the faster and more dramatic parts, he was much more rigid and hunched over. His arm movements were very stiff and purposeful as opposed to the swinging of his arms in earlier parts.
His expression was much more serious and he even looked angry at times. During the more lively melody, he was smiling and bobbing his head as he played. He often seemed to sing along with the notes he was playing. In sections where he didn’t play, his posture was striking as he sometimes sprawled his arms and torso across the piano as he waited for his next part.
I really enjoyed the repeated melody in this piece and all the ways the notes and tempo were changed. The melody itself was very beautiful and the variations also kept the piece exciting and interesting. It was also pleasant to hear the contrast between the constant melody and the different melodies heard. They each contrasted with the main melody in interesting ways, and the more lively melody was particularly fun to hear. One part I didn’t enjoy was right after the piano solo near the middle of the piece, when the pianist was playing extremely high notes to contrast the orchestra. The notes were all very screechy and unpleasant to hear.
Overall, I felt this piece was very fun and enjoyable to listen to. The pianist, along with the orchestra and conductor, seemed to be enjoying themselves as they played. Their enthusiasm was infectious, as I felt very happy and satisfied throughout the entire performance. The jazzy melodies were simple but the little changes and layers added to them made the piece very exciting and something I never got tired of hearing.
