This Week in History

One hundred years ago, on February 12, 1924, at Aeolian Hall in New York, Paul Whiteman and his band premiered the work Rhapsody in Blue.

      The piece opened with a striking clarinet glissando that grabbed the listener's attention, setting the stage for a whirlwind musical journey. Throughout the composition, audience members encountered a rich tapestry of melodies and harmonies that evoked the bustling energy of urban life, punctuated by moments of introspection and contemplation. At the piano was composer George Gershwin who brought the somewhat backroom jazz style to the forefront of ‘acceptable’ popular music. Gershwin's use of lush orchestration and unexpected harmonic progressions created a sense of spontaneity and adventure, keeping the listener engaged and enthralled. The interplay between solo instruments and the orchestra adds depth and texture to the music, allowing individual voices to shine while contributing to the overall symphonic landscape. The juxtaposition of brassy brass sections and delicate strings, punctuated by the rhythmic pulse of percussion instruments, creates a sense of tension and release that propels the music forward with irresistible momentum. 
       At its core, "Rhapsody in Blue" was and is a celebration of American musical heritage, fusing diverse influences from blues and ragtime to Broadway and beyond. Granted, to today’s ears, it isn’t very “jazzy,” and in hindsight, we don’t think of an orchestra playing sheet music to be in the jazz style.  But for the music scene of the 1920s, it was groundbreaking.  For me, the beginning trill of the clarinet reminds me of an orchestra warming up, separately getting ready to play before the conductor arrives and brings everyone together. And that is not unlike what financial planning should be…a harmony of separate instruments and an interplay of solos that add depth and texture to your financial life. And yes, the occasional sense of tension is part of that too, propelling you forward to a life well lived.