Bernstein’s fast, sparkling and witty overture to Candide starts with a bang and never lets up. It quickly became one of his most popular works. Gershwin wrote his next concerto hot on the heels of the success of Rhapsody in Blue. Conceived as a New York Concerto, it intones the bright lights of Broadway and its exuberant rhythms represent the enthusiastic spirit of America. New York is also the backdrop for Bernstein’s On the Town. Jazzy riffs in constant motion conjure the youthful enthusiasm of the city so good they named it twice! Influenced by his eclectic background, Libertango symbolises Piazzolla’s bold departure from tradition. Its catchy bandoneon melody, syncopated rhythm, and rich chromatic harmonies made it instantly recognizable. Inspired by a Cuban dance, Márquez’s Danzón No.2 has a rhythmic quality at its centre with accents that shift throughout making it feel as if the tempo is constantly changing. West Side Story stands tall in the history of American theatre. Bernstein revisited the score and extracted nine sections to from the Symphonic Dances. The suite opens with the confrontation of the Jets and the Sharks, the haunting strains of Somewhere contrast with the lively Latin dances of the Mambo and Cha-cha and the Cool fugue, before the deadly gang-fight in Rumble. A solo flute plays I Had a Love which ends, like the musical, on a haunting, unresolved chord.
Works and composers
