Program Notes: Gershwin's An American in Paris

SoundWaves with The Florida Orchestra

A jazzy program of music by groundbreaking composers. Gershwin captures beautiful sights and intense sounds in his postcard from An American in Paris. A rare Tuba Concerto, by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, features our own TJ Graf in a playful work with a great sense of humor. Duke Ellington’s grand masterpiece Black, Brown and Beige -- a broad tale of African-American history -- has been hailed as one of the most significant works in American orchestral music. Rounding out the program is Filipino composer Joshua Cerdenia’s Feuertrunken (Fire-Drunk), stimulating waves of sound inspired by Dante’s take on purgatory. These program notes include music excerpts.
Masterworks 6: Performances: Jan. 6-8, 2023