While attending a lecture on the compositional history of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at the Library of Congress, I overheard two elderly women speaking to each other about the first time they heard the piece. As I eavesdropped on their discussion of the sound of vinyl records and the act of paying money for a physical copy of recorded music, I thought of two things. First, I became painfully aware that I was the youngest audience member in the room by at least two decades. Second, I thought back on my first time hearing the piece. For my ego’s sake, I shelved the first, somewhat unnerving thought, and gave my attention to the second.
I heard the piece for the first time when I was four years old. I was on a United Airlines flight from Sydney, Australia, where my family and I were living at the time, traveling to San Francisco, where we were going to visit my grandparents. As I sat in my economy class seat waiting for the flight to take off, the sounds of Rhapsody in Blue came over the speakers to accompany the safety presentation. What United Airlines lacks in customer service, meal quality and bathroom cleanliness, they more than make up for in playlist selection. From that moment on, Rhapsody in Blue was etched in my mind as an object of wonder and awe.
As I listened to the lecture and learned about the piece’s history, I reflected on my personal connection to Rhapsody in Blue. For me, the jazzy, modern, sounds of the composition have represented America ever since I boarded that plane. The piece’s unwavering boldness, incredible variety, and endless flexibility have always seemed perfectly fitted to my ideals about America.
Walking home from the lecture, I caught a glimpse of the Washington Monument before passing the Supreme Court and the Capitol Dome, all iconic symbols of America. American symbols are everywhere in Washington, and I thought about their importance for a brief moment, but none of these structures moved me to patriotism. Perhaps this is a character flaw on my part. No matter. I put in my headphones and listened to the piece of music I first heard on an uncomfortable international flight, and felt an enormous sense of pride for my country.
This is just awesome. I salute you.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were Pittsburghers, and had some slight connection to Oscar Levant, the pianist who played Rhapsody in Blue at its premiere, who was also a Pittsburgher. I'll never forget the first time I heard it, and I agree it makes a patriotic American's heart pump a little more vigorously. Maybe it should be our national anthem.