美国名人 作曲家 乔治·格什文2.docx

美国名人作曲家乔治格什文2GeorgeGershwin:MoreoftheLifeandMusicofOneofAmerica'sGreatSongwritersplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:00repeatByShelleyGollust2005-6-11(MUSIC)VOICEONE:mBarbaraKlein.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywecontinueourreportaboutthelifeandmusicofoneofAmerica'sgreatestcomposers,GeorgeGershwin.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Aswereportedlastweek,GeorgeGershwinpublishedhisfirstsongwhenhewasjusteighteenyearsold.Duringthenexttwentyyears,untilhisdeath,hewrotemorethanfivehundredmoresongs.Healsowroteanopera,andmusicforpianoandorchestra.ManyofGeorgeGershwin'ssongswerefirstwrittenformusicalplaysperformedintheatersinNewYorkCity.Thesecomedies,withplentyofsongs,wereapopularformofentertainmentinthenineteentwentiesandnineteenthirties.OneofGershwin'smusicalplays,"GirlCrazy,"introducedayoungsingernamedEthelMerman.ShebecameoneofthemostcelebratedperformersinAmerica.Intheplay,EthelMermansangasongGeorgeGershwinwrotejustforher.Itwascalled"IGotRhythm.,(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ManysongsthatGeorgeGershwinwroteformusicalplaysandmovieshaveremainedaspopularasever.Overtheyears,theyhavebeensungandplayedineverypossibleway-fromjazztocountry.Oneexampleisthesong,"SomeonetoWatchOverMe."Itwaswrittenforthenineteentwenty-sixmusical"Oh,Kay!"Hereisamodernversionofthesong,sungbyWillieNelson.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Inthenineteentwenties,therewasadebateintheUnitedStatesaboutjazzmusic.Couldjazzzsomepeopleasked,beconsideredseriousmusic?Innineteentwenty-four,jazzmusicianandorchestraleaderPaulWhitemandecidedtoorganizeaspecialconcerttoshowthatjazzwasseriousmusic.GeorgeGershwinagreedtocomposesomethingfortheconcertbeforeherealizedhowlittletimehehadtodoit.Theconcertwasjustafewweeksaway.Gershwingotbusy.And,inthatshorttime,hecomposedapieceforpianoandorchestra.Hecalledit"RhapsodyinBlue."VOICETWO:Gershwinhimselfplayedthepianopartof"RhapsodyinBlue"attheconcert.Theaudienceincludedsomeofthegreatestclassicalmusiciansofthetime.Whentheyheardhismusic,theywereelectrified.Itseemedtocapture,forthefirsttime,thetruevoiceofmodernAmericanculture.Today,wecanstillhearGershwinplaying"RhapsodyinBlue."Anoldmechanicalpianorecordinghasbeenreproducedexactlyonthisrecording.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:"RhapsodyinBlue"madeGeorgeGershwinfamousallovertheworld.Severalhundredthousandcopiesoftheprintedmusicsoldimmediately.Gershwinwassatisfiedthathehadshownthatjazzmusiccouldbebothseriousandpopular.Gershwinalsowroteanopera,"PorgyandBess."ItwasbasedonabookbyDuBoseHeyward.ItisatragiclovestoryaboutblackAmericansalongthecoastofSouthCarolina."PorgyAndBess"openedinBoston,Massachusetts,innineteenthirty-five.Audienceslovedit.Butmostcriticsdidnotknowwhattothinkofit.Itwasnotlikeanyotheroperaormusicalplaytheyhadeverseen.Gershwinwasnotaffectedbythecritics'opinions.Hebelievedsomeofhisgreatestmusichadgoneintotheopera.Hesaidhehadcreatedanewmusicalform-anoperabasedonpopularculture.Hereisthesong"Summertime"fromalaterproductionof"PorgyandBess"innineteenfifty-two.LeontynePrice,whoplayedBess,singsthesong.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Anotherwell-knownGershwinpieceis"AnAmericaninParis."Itisalongtonepoemfororchestra.ItsfirstpublicperformancewasbytheNewYorkPhilharmonicOrchestrainnineteentwenty-eight.Hereisamodernrecordingfrom"AnAmericaninParis."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Onceagain,opinionwasmixed.Mostpeopleloved"AnAmericaninParis/'astheylovedallofGershwin'smusic.Somecriticslikedit,too.Theycalledithappyandfulloflife.Othershatedit.Theycalleditsillyandlong-winded.Still,itremainsoneofhismostpopularworks.VOICETWO:GeorgeGershwindiedinnineteenthirty-seven,justdaysafterdoctorslearnedhehadbraincancer.Hewasonlythirty-nineyearsold.Newspapersallovertheworldreportedhisdeathontheirfrontpages.Everyonemournedthelossofthemanandallthemusichemighthavewritten.GeorgeGershwinisstillconsideredoneofAmerica'sgreatestcomposers.Hisworksstillareperformedbymanysingersandgroups.TheyareprobablyperformedmoreoftenthananyotherseriousAmericancomposer.VOICEONE:AustriancomposerArnoldSchoenbergwasoneofthepeoplewhopraisedGeorgeGershwin.SchoenbergsaidGershwinwasamanwholivedinmusicandexpressedeverythingthroughmusic,becausemusicwashisnativelanguage.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyShelleyGollust.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndmBarbaraKlein.JoinusagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.