MUSIC: Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin
DIONNE BROMFIELD:'What's that sound?'
DIONNE BROMFIELD:For me, that clarinet wailing is like a big, massive yawn first thing in the morning. The trumpet's half asleep too.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:But the music sneaks up on you because soon it's time to wake up.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:This is like a musical energy rush. I can hear the sounds of people hurrying down the streets to work or to school. It's like they're being chased by the piano.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:'The other instruments join the race.'
DIONNE BROMFIELD:This is music about going places. The traffic racing by, lifts going to the top of buildings faster and faster.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:The piano is the engine of this music.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:That's because it was written by George Gershwin. As a boy he loved playing the piano and he loved living in New York City.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:All the noise and bustle sounded like music to him. So, in 1924, he wrote it down and when listening to the result he called it Rhapsody In Blue
DIONNE BROMFIELD:A rhapsody is the name for one piece of music with lots of different moods. Perfect for Gershwin because he wanted to mix together all of his different feelings that he had about his home.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:Gershwin throws in lots of playful jazz piano that was heard in New York's parties and nightclubs, and mixes it up with more serious, proud orchestral fanfares.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:Listen carefully to this bit and see if you can hear both.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:And can you spot the big American train that comes rushing through the middle?
DIONNE BROMFIELD:But this is a rhapsody remember, Gershwin can change the mood at any moment so suddenly there's a new theme.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:Does this sound like a different kind of city to you?
DIONNE BROMFIELD:Gershwin wrote about what he knew, and I think that's a really good thing, especially as a singer, song-writer like myself, it's a good way to be able to express yourself.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:I can relate to Gershwin's pieces because we've kind of got something in common which a lot of artists do, is that they write about what they feel or what they see.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:I bet you've heard music that makes you think about where you live. Rhapsody In Blue is like a musical postcard from America from Gershwin to us.
DIONNE BROMFIELD:The piece may have started with the sleepy lazy clarinet, but it finishes in quite a different mood. Listen to Gershwin's big finale. How do you think he feels about the place he calls home?
Singer-songwriter Dionne Bromfield explains why 'Rhapsody in Blue' by George Gershwin is her favourite piece of classical music.
She describes how the piece captures her imagination and explains its historical background.
This short film is from the BBC series, Play On!
Teacher Notes
This short film can be used in illustrating the work of George Gershwin, and to encourage students to explore and develop their own taste in classical music.
Students could listen to ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and consider how they interpret this piece of music.
Do they imagine the same things as Dionne? How do they think Gershwin likes his home city?
Alternatively, over several days or weeks, students could explore a wide range of classical music by simply listening to some examples throughout the day.
Ask students to choose their favourite and explore it in greater depth, just as Dionne does in this short film.
Students could describe why it is their favourite, the story they believe it tells, or the pictures they imagine when they listen.
They could present their thoughts on the piece of music through a presentation, piece of writing or artwork.
If more than one student chooses the same piece of music they could discuss any differentiation in their interpretation of this piece.
Curriculum Notes
This short film will be relevant for teaching music at KS3 and KS4/GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 4 and National 5 in Scotland.
It appears in OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC CCEA and SQA.
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