Three Preludes
George Gershwin, arr. Dave Hall
Composed:
1926 Arranged:
2008 Grouping:
SSAATTBb
Gershwin spent much of his early career as a jazz pianist, and it was only with the performance of Rhapsody in Blue that his compositions gained any sort of public prominence. Throughout the remainder of his career (he died at the age of 38), he composed pieces for both jazz and classical audiences, but it is for the 'cross-over' of the two that he is best remembered.
Originally five preludes for piano, Gershwin's three preludes have remained one of his more popular works for solo piano. Heavily influenced by Jazz, the suite of preludes matched the classical idea of a dance suite. The first movement is essentially based on a single blues riff, which is transformed in the slow second movement. The third has been referred to as 'Spanish' sounding.
© 2008 Dave Hall
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