Contemporary Classics September 19, 2017 Jazz Influenced Classical Music

We are opening with Darius Milhaud’s LaCréation Du Monde Op. 81a.  In theearly 1920s Mihaud spent time in New York City, haunting the dance halls andtheaters of Harlem and became infatuated with jazz.  He adapted jazz combo instrumentation for his work Lacréation du monde, which was written as ballet music for and first performed bythe Ballet Suédois in 1923.   The performance is by Leonard Bernstein & Orchestre national deFrance  from the album Milhaud:la Création Du Monde, Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit & Saudades Do Brasil  

Next we have Jacques Ibert’sDivertissement which is a lighthearted, even frivolous piece for for smallorchestra written in 1930, in 6 movements I. Introduction         II.Cortege III. Nocturne IV. Valse         V.Parade and VI. Finale   This is a performance by Eduardo Mata & Dallas Symphony Orchestra from the album Chausson:Symphony, Op. 20 – Ibert: Escales, Divertissement    

The first hour closed with Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. The concerto writtenbetween 1929 & 1931 was deeply infused with jazz idioms and harmonies.  Ravel remarked that “The most captivatingpart of jazz is its rich and diverting rhythm. … Jazz is a very rich andvital source of inspiration for modern composers and I am astonished that sofew Americans are influenced by it.” It is in 3 movements : I. Allegramente  II. Adagio Assai  III. Presto.  The show included a performance by Leonard Bernstein at the piano and conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra from the album  from the album  Schubert:Symphony No. 9 & Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major   

In the first hour we celebrated musicby French composers and this hour will feature 3 other European composers.  First the German composer Paul Hindemith.  We have his Suite”1922″.  It opens withthe satiric “Marsch,” the pianist is instructed to play it”rather clumsily.”  Thesecond movement, “Shimmy,” is based on a dance-hall variant of thefoxtrot. The central movement “Nachtstück” anticipates Hindemith’sserious and contemplative mature style. The fourth movement “Boston”– an old American dance with similarities to the waltz. And the”Ragtime” finale, Hindemith instructs the pianist to play wildly butin strict rhythm, and to “[r]egard the piano here as an interestingpercussion instrument.”   Tonight we had a performance by pianist John McCabe from the albumHindemith: Ludus Tonalis & Suite 1922. 

Next we have Czech composer ErwinSchulhoff’s  Suite dansante enjazz, WV 98 which is in 6 movements of dance number Stomp, Strait, Waltz,Tango, Slow and Fox-trot and tonightperformed by pianist Kathryn Stott from the album  Schulhoff: Suite dansante en jazz, Piano Sonata No. 1, HotMusic                 

The last work tonight is oftencalled the Jazz Suite No. 2 by Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich.  There is some debate concerning itsauthenticity.  The score to theoriginal jazz suite composed in 1938 was lost during the second world war andthere is considerable debate as to what was in it.  Many call the work you are about to hear “The Suite forVariety Orchestra”  either way itis a delicious piece of jazz influenced composition.  This work is in eight movements  I. March, II. Lyric Waltz         III.Dance 1 IV. Waltz 1 V. Little Polka VI. Waltz 2 VII. Dance 2  &VIII. Finale.  So tonight’s recording of Dmitry Shostakovich’s JazzSuite No. 2 or Suite for Variety Orchestra is performed by Dmitry Yablonsky& Russian State Symphony Orchestra from the album          Shostakovich: JazzSuites Nos. 1 – 2 – The Bolt – Tahiti Trot