Three Preludes
Encyclopedia
Three Preludes are short piano
pieces by George Gershwin
and were first performed by the composer
at the Roosevelt Hotel
in New York
in 1926. Each prelude
is a well known example of early 20th century American classical music, as influenced by jazz
.
Gershwin originally planned to compose twenty four preludes for this group of works. The number was reduced to seven in manuscript form, and then reduced to five in public performance, and further decreased to three when first published in 1926. Two of the remaining preludes not published were rearranged for solo violin and piano and published as Short Story. Of the other two, the Prelude in G had been eliminated by the publisher Wyatt because somewhat similar music had already appeared in Gershwin's Concerto in F
. The other was excluded for unknown reasons.
The pieces have been arranged for solo instruments, small ensembles, and piano.
, begins with a five-note blues
motif
; virtually all the melodic material in the piece is based on this theme. Syncopated rhythms based on the Brazilian baião and chords containing flattened sevenths occur throughout; these give the piece a strong jazz
feel. Although these sounds are far from adventurous by modern standards, to the audiences of the late 1920s they were almost unheard of. Structurally, the piece is in ternary form
; however, the impression on the listener is that of a fantasia
. This effect is achieved by using snippets of various virtuoso techniques, such as repeated notes, octaves, scales
, and crossed hands, each of which is used for only a moment before the piece catches a flicker of some new idea.
, also has the distinct flavour of jazz. The piece begins with a subdued melody winding its way above a smooth, steady bassline
. The harmonies and melodies of this piece are built on thirds, emphasizing both the interval of the seventh and the major/minor duality of the blues scale
. In the second section, the key, tempo
, and thematic material all change; only the similarity of style binds the two sections together. The opening melody and bass return in the final section, more succinct but otherwise unchanged, and the piece ends with a slow ascent of the keyboard. Gershwin himself referred to the piece as "a sort of blues lullaby."
, "Spanish", but modern ears may find this description puzzling. (This is analogous to the description of Mozart’s Rondo alla turca by his contemporaries as “Oriental”; in the present day, it sounds Viennese more than anything else.) After a brief and dramatic introduction, the main theme is revealed: two melodies that together form a question-and-answer pair. This pair is used throughout to provide harmonic structure, with the question harmonised using E-flat minor chord
s, while the answer is harmonised with E-flat major chord
s. After a brief, highly syncopated
middle section, the melodic pair returns assertively in octaves, causing a battle between major and minor. Major eventually wins, and the piece concludes with a flourish.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
pieces by George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and were first performed by the composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
at the Roosevelt Hotel
Roosevelt Hotel (New York)
The Roosevelt Hotel is at Madison Avenue and 45th Street in midtown Manhattan, named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. The New York City hotel opened on September 22, 1924. The hotel closed in 1995 and reopened in 1997 after a $65-million extensive renovation.-Guest rooms:There are a total...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1926. Each prelude
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
is a well known example of early 20th century American classical music, as influenced by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
Gershwin originally planned to compose twenty four preludes for this group of works. The number was reduced to seven in manuscript form, and then reduced to five in public performance, and further decreased to three when first published in 1926. Two of the remaining preludes not published were rearranged for solo violin and piano and published as Short Story. Of the other two, the Prelude in G had been eliminated by the publisher Wyatt because somewhat similar music had already appeared in Gershwin's Concerto in F
Concerto in F (Gershwin)
Concerto in F is a composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and orchestra which is closer in form to a traditional concerto than the earlier jazz-influenced Rhapsody in Blue...
. The other was excluded for unknown reasons.
The pieces have been arranged for solo instruments, small ensembles, and piano.
1. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
The first prelude, in B flat majorB flat major
B major or B-flat major is a major scale based on B-flat, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats, B/E .Its relative minor is G minor, and its parallel minor is B minor....
, begins with a five-note blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
motif
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
; virtually all the melodic material in the piece is based on this theme. Syncopated rhythms based on the Brazilian baião and chords containing flattened sevenths occur throughout; these give the piece a strong jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
feel. Although these sounds are far from adventurous by modern standards, to the audiences of the late 1920s they were almost unheard of. Structurally, the piece is in ternary form
Ternary form
Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form, usually schematicized as A-B-A. The first and third parts are musically identical, or very nearly so, while the second part in some way provides a contrast with them...
; however, the impression on the listener is that of a fantasia
Fantasia (music)
The fantasia is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. Because of this, it seldom approximates the textbook rules of any strict musical form ....
. This effect is achieved by using snippets of various virtuoso techniques, such as repeated notes, octaves, scales
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
, and crossed hands, each of which is used for only a moment before the piece catches a flicker of some new idea.
2. Andante con moto e poco rubato
The second Prelude, in C sharp minorC sharp minor
C-sharp minor or C minor is a minor scale based on C, with the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of four sharps .Its relative major is E major, and its parallel major is C-sharp major....
, also has the distinct flavour of jazz. The piece begins with a subdued melody winding its way above a smooth, steady bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
. The harmonies and melodies of this piece are built on thirds, emphasizing both the interval of the seventh and the major/minor duality of the blues scale
Blues scale
The term blues scale is used to describe a few scales with differing numbers of pitches and related characteristics. See: blues.The hexatonic, or six note, blues scale consists of the minor pentatonic scale plus the 4th or 5th degree...
. In the second section, the key, tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, and thematic material all change; only the similarity of style binds the two sections together. The opening melody and bass return in the final section, more succinct but otherwise unchanged, and the piece ends with a slow ascent of the keyboard. Gershwin himself referred to the piece as "a sort of blues lullaby."
3. Agitato
Early listeners called the third Prelude, in E flat minorE flat minor
E minor or e-flat minor is a minor scale based on E-flat, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. In the harmonic minor, the D is raised to D. Its key signature consists of six flats ....
, "Spanish", but modern ears may find this description puzzling. (This is analogous to the description of Mozart’s Rondo alla turca by his contemporaries as “Oriental”; in the present day, it sounds Viennese more than anything else.) After a brief and dramatic introduction, the main theme is revealed: two melodies that together form a question-and-answer pair. This pair is used throughout to provide harmonic structure, with the question harmonised using E-flat minor chord
Minor chord
In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor triad....
s, while the answer is harmonised with E-flat major chord
Major chord
In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad...
s. After a brief, highly syncopated
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
middle section, the melodic pair returns assertively in octaves, causing a battle between major and minor. Major eventually wins, and the piece concludes with a flourish.