Gershwin: Preludes (3)

Renowned as a virtuoso jazz clarinetist and legendary bandleader, Benny Goodman is also remembered for the works he commissioned from leading composers of his day. Poulenc’s strikingly beautiful Clarinet Sonata was his last composition, while Bernstein’s was his first published piece. Both Gershwin and Stravinsky added their distinctive stamp to the swing vibe which was all the rage in the early 20th century. The jazz flavour of Morton Gould’s Benny’s Gig is heightened by the unusual coupling of clarinet and double bass, while pungent folk rhythms define Bartók’s virtuoso Contrasts.

This is of course a disc of outstanding music, and it is shown in a new light by pianist Corinna Simon. She presents to us as yet entirely unknown treats from Gershwin’s magnificent piano world with selected songs from his papers – performed on the legendary “Manfred Bürki” Steinway of 1901, perhaps even qualifying as a New York Steinway.

Sono Luminus presents this uniquely engaging collection of music that embodies the American spirit in Americana, the latest release by Modern Mandolin Quartet. The package will be a 2-disc set, containing a Blu-ray™ Surround Sound disc as well as a standard CD.

Expressing their opinion on their choices of musical selections for this album, the quartet writes, “This music attracted us because of the wonderful way it sounds on our instruments, particularly the Dvorák. Since the musical character of the pieces is based on various forms of American music, it lends itself extremely well to the mandolin. While many selections for piano and string music rely on idioms and techniques that may not transpose well to the mandolin, the pieces included on this disc were chosen for their vitality and the way they jumped right off the page.”

Fanfare Magazine exclaims, “MMQ play dead-straight, spot-on, and packed with freshness and vitality of a kind that is rare in material of this type. These are not down-scaled, make-em-easy, just-for-kicks charts either - they are a Major Thing. TRIPLE MUST!”

The Modern Mandolin Quartet was formed in 1985 to give a new voice to that most American of musical instruments, the mandolin. Following the tradition of the mandolin orchestras and chamber groups from the early twentieth century, the MMQ uses the instruments of the mandolin family which correspond to the conventional string quartet (two mandolins, mandola, and mandocello). To date the Quartet has arranged and performed over 90 works originally written for orchestra, chamber ensemble, piano, guitar, and string quartet.

Louis Moreau Gottschalk (born in 1829) was a composer-pianist best known as a virtuoso performer of his own works. He spent most of his working career outside of the United States. Although he became extremely famous in Europe and America when he died his reputation did not survive for very long afterwards.

He showed an early aptitude for music and, at the age of five, was given private lessons. When only 13 years old he was taken to Paris to continue his studies but was turned down by the head of the piano department at the Conservatoire, owing to prejudice against Americans. Such was his prodigious talent that early obstacles were overcome and, at 16, he gave his first recital at the Salle Pleyel, after which Chopin declared that he would become "the king of pianists".

His first composition to gain recognition was Bamboula (track 6 on disc 1 of this set) and this lead to a string of 'hits' wherever he performed. On returning to America he began to tour extensively and slowly to build as great a reputation there as he had in Europe. In 1865 he was forced to leave his native country because of a sex scandal involving a female student and never returned. The final years of his short life were spent touring the countries of the Caribbean and South America. He died in Rio de Janeiro in 1869 after collapsing at the piano.

The second disc here contains the remainder of Pennario's Capitol recordings of music by Gottschalk and continues with a selection of popular pieces by Scott Joplin (1867-1917), an African-American pianist-composer who became known as the "the king of rag". Like that of Gottschalk, the popularity of Joplin's music went into decline after his death but received a revival in the 1970s, largely due to the efforts of Joshua Rifkin and the film 'The Sting'. This second CD ends with some of George Gershwin's piano music played by Leonard Pennario.

Leonard Pennario (1924-2008) was an American virtuoso pianist who recorded over 60 LPs, most of them of composers dating from Chopin and later. He is perhaps best known for championing certain composers such as George Gershwin, Rachmaninov, Miklós Rózsa, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and Sergei Prokofiev. In 1958, he equalled Walter Gieseking in terms of sales of classical records by pianists.

One of the most sought-after trios in the world, the Eroica Trio thrills audiences with flawless technical virtuosity, irresistible enthusiasm and sensual elegance. Whether playing the great standards of the piano trio repertoire or daring contemporary works, the three young women who make up this celebrated ensemble electrify the concert stage with their passionate performances. The Trio's self-titled debut CD, which features works by Ravel, Benjamin Godard, a commissioned arrangement of the Gershwin Preludes, and Paul Schoenfield's Café Music, was awarded NPR Performance Today's "Debut Recording of the Year" and featured in Time Out New York's "Top Ten Recordings" of 1997.

Acclaimed duo partners Jon Manasse and Jon Nakamatsu turn their attention to American composers in this jazz-inflected programme of music for clarinet and piano.

Bernstein’s sonata was his first published work. It is a stylish blend of neo-classical formalism and Bernstein’s keen understanding of popular sensibilities. Gershwin is represented here in two arrangements by James Cohn: firstly the evergreen Preludes for piano, followed by a transcription of the iconic song ‘I Got Rhythm’ from the musical Girl Crazy as the disc’s encore. Also featured are two world premiere recordings – John Novacek’s 4 Rags for 2 Jons, a modern take on the style made popular by Scott Joplin, and jazz clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera’s The Cape Cod Files, written in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Cape Cod Chamber Music festival, of which Jon Manasse and Jon Nakamatsu are Artistic Co-Directors. Individually, Jon Manasse and Jon Nakamatsu have developed vast repertoires and lengthy discographies. Jon Manasse has served as the principal clarinetist of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the orchestra of the American Ballet Theater, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center and New York City’s Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He is currently on the faculty at the Juilliard School, the Eastman School of Music and at Lynn Conservatory. Jon Nakamatsu was the Gold Medalist in the 10th Van Cliburn Competition and maintains a rigorous touring schedule.

Arguably the best-known of all 20th-century composers, George Gershwin's music encompasses with equal skill both the classical and popular genres. He was born Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn, New York City, in September 1898 to immigrant Jewish parents. He died at the early age of 38 from a tumour in the brain.

Gershwin started to show an interest in music from about the age of ten and, although receiving some piano tutelage, was largely self-taught in composition. It was only later in his career that he received some formal instruction in composition.

Gershwin's first employment was as a song plugger for a New York music publishing company. His first song was published in 1916 and a year later he had his first commercial successes with the rag Rialto Ripples. This was followed, in 1919, by his first big international hit, Swanee. Now established as a successful composer of popular songs, between 1919 and 1933, Gershwin produced, in collaboration with his elder brother Ira, some of the most successful Broadway musicals.

In 1924 he was commissioned by the band leader Paul Whiteman to produce what was to be his first 'serious' composition, the Rhapsody in Blue. This was followed a year later by the Piano Concerto in F and, in 1928, by An American in Paris. His opera Porgy and Bess was first performed on Broadway in 1935.