PRSO performance of Gershwin classics set for TV airing
If you would like to relive the atmosphere of the Gershwin Gala concert held at the Congress Hall of Prague’s Congress Centre last year, or if you are simply a lover of George Gershwin’s music, tune in to Czech Television 2 on Saturday 22 September at 20:50.
Famous and popular Gershwin pieces, including among others Summertime, Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and The Man I Love, are played by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (PRSO), conducted by Vladimír Válek. Solos are performed by the singer Dasha and the pianist Jan Simon, while jazz accompaniment is provided by Karel Růžička (piano), Jan Kořínek (double bass), Josef Vejvoda (percussion) and Miroslav Surka (trumpet).
George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 26 September 1898. His parents encouraged him to study piano, which he mastered completely, although his professional career began as an editor at a music publishers. He gradually started publishing his own music and began to achieve recognition. After moving to Hollywood, he wrote music for the silver screen (including for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers). He died on 11 July 1937 following a serious illness.
Gershwin was a pivotal figure in modern American music, succeeding in bringing elements of jazz into great opera and symphonic works. After a number of popular musical comedies, in which he displayed his lyrical and rhythmic flair, he wrote Rhapsody in Blue in 1923–1924, achieving worldwide fame. A year later he wrote his Piano Concerto in F Major, while An American in Paris followed in 1928 and the opera Porgy and Bess was completed in 1933.
The concert Gershwin Gala offers a comprehensive overview of this unique writer.
