While I know it isn't the main focus of your wonderful piece, I would just like to add a brief comment about the often failed attempts to bring "jazz" into the "classical" world. I remember barely getting through one listening of Milhaud's "Le création du monde". I just tried again and had the same response. But there have been times when I've been pleasantly surprised. Bernstein's "Cool" for "West Side Story" works for me. At least I don't utter under my breath the phrase, "fake jazz" when I hear it. For me, the best of the bunch by far is Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto". It's such a clever distillation of the some major jazz elements without trying to cut and paste from one world into another. I do wonder what you think about that piece...
I think that, if there is ever going to be a convincing combination of these two elements it's going to come from the jazz world. I've been listening to many incredible jazz players/improvisers who are apparently steeped in the tradition yet who also compose incredibly well in the - I really don't know what to call this anymore. "Classical" doesn't really do it but what does? - "non-jazz" area. I find this music interesting, exciting, and quite fresh.
One last note...I have to imagine that you already know this but Gershwin supposedly approached Schoenberg for composition lessons but was turned down. The story goes that Schoenberg thought that studying with him might in some way destroy Gershwin's melodic gift.
So much gnashing of teeth over this one—you'd think you kicked Gershwin's dog! What's funny is the jazz fans acting like RiB should be beyond criticism for what seems like mainly nostalgic reasons, vs. the classical fans who are completely proving your point: "how can you say I don't appreciate jazz—I love Rhapsody in Blue as a light palate cleanser after some Beethoven!"
I haven’t read the New York Times comment section (never read the comments is a good rule) but the fact that there are 650 comments indicates that there is lively discussion. On Twitter several people have gone after me personally in an unpleasant fashion.
Just got off the horn with Dick Fregulia, who plays a couple nights after you do in the Palo Alto series—- actually in my speech tonight written in advance, but I will pretend to be doing it off the top of my head. I mentioned Herb Wong of Palo Alto records. Fregulia recalls being kicked out of the practice room at Stanford in the late 50s for playing jazz on a classical piano. I am 60. Fellow Aquarius, I share birthdays with Alan, Alda, Mike, Kyle Barrish, Nova, and Klaus Oldenberg. Who will be famous under those names once AI replaces EI as the biggest brain in the universe
“Get up off that piano stool and let the real players take over, you tomato.”
While I know it isn't the main focus of your wonderful piece, I would just like to add a brief comment about the often failed attempts to bring "jazz" into the "classical" world. I remember barely getting through one listening of Milhaud's "Le création du monde". I just tried again and had the same response. But there have been times when I've been pleasantly surprised. Bernstein's "Cool" for "West Side Story" works for me. At least I don't utter under my breath the phrase, "fake jazz" when I hear it. For me, the best of the bunch by far is Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto". It's such a clever distillation of the some major jazz elements without trying to cut and paste from one world into another. I do wonder what you think about that piece...
I think that, if there is ever going to be a convincing combination of these two elements it's going to come from the jazz world. I've been listening to many incredible jazz players/improvisers who are apparently steeped in the tradition yet who also compose incredibly well in the - I really don't know what to call this anymore. "Classical" doesn't really do it but what does? - "non-jazz" area. I find this music interesting, exciting, and quite fresh.
One last note...I have to imagine that you already know this but Gershwin supposedly approached Schoenberg for composition lessons but was turned down. The story goes that Schoenberg thought that studying with him might in some way destroy Gershwin's melodic gift.
Thanks for continuing write...
So much gnashing of teeth over this one—you'd think you kicked Gershwin's dog! What's funny is the jazz fans acting like RiB should be beyond criticism for what seems like mainly nostalgic reasons, vs. the classical fans who are completely proving your point: "how can you say I don't appreciate jazz—I love Rhapsody in Blue as a light palate cleanser after some Beethoven!"
I haven’t read the New York Times comment section (never read the comments is a good rule) but the fact that there are 650 comments indicates that there is lively discussion. On Twitter several people have gone after me personally in an unpleasant fashion.
Just got off the horn with Dick Fregulia, who plays a couple nights after you do in the Palo Alto series—- actually in my speech tonight written in advance, but I will pretend to be doing it off the top of my head. I mentioned Herb Wong of Palo Alto records. Fregulia recalls being kicked out of the practice room at Stanford in the late 50s for playing jazz on a classical piano. I am 60. Fellow Aquarius, I share birthdays with Alan, Alda, Mike, Kyle Barrish, Nova, and Klaus Oldenberg. Who will be famous under those names once AI replaces EI as the biggest brain in the universe