“George Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ made its debut in New York on Feb. 24, 1924, and the consequences of that mash-up of classical and vernacular elements, particularly the syncopated and bluesy scent of the emerging art form of jazz, is still being felt today,” writes Mark Stryker in Sunday’s (1/31) Detroit Free Press. “Announced today, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s 2016-17 season is dedicated in large part to exploring the impact and legacy of that raucous intrusion of American popular music into the concert hall. Entering his ninth season at the helm, music director Leonard Slatkin has conceived a theme that carries through the entire season: ‘Gershwin and his Children: The Influence of Popular Culture on Classical Music.’ About 25 pieces fall under the umbrella, from those by Gershwin and other composers working in the 1920s and ‘30s … to a gaggle of contemporary works by John Corigliano, Christopher Rouse, Michael Daugherty, Gabriel Prokofiev, Ferran Cruixent and more, including five composers with deep roots in jazz—Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Michel Camilo, Chris Brubeck and the late Lalo Schifrin. The Blanchard, Camilo and Cruixent pieces are world premieres.” Traditional fare will continue to play a regular role in the season, including a three-week Mozart Festival.
Posted February 2, 2016
