When I was a kid (about 12 or so), I read a book about George Gershwin. A biography geared towards junior high types- There was a chapter devoted to Rhapsody in Blue, of course, talking about the first performance and how it was such a big step in both classical music and jazz.
I feel terrible because I can't remember the title of the book or the authors name, but it's one of those things that made a huge impression on my feeble little brain. He/she/they wrote so vividly about the piece, but in particular about the opening clarinet cadenza, that I ran to the library the next day to get a recording- which I then proceeded to listen to about 20 times in a row.
I thought of this the other night as I watched the Live from Lincoln Center News Years Eve Concert= they featured the music of Gershwin and Bernstein. During one of the intermissions they played a short film about that opening cadenza. The 54 year old me and the 12 year old me sat there spellbound.
Hoping that sets a good tone for 2012
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