Albany Symphony, pianist to celebrate Gershwin’s true ‘Blue’

George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” was published in January 100 years ago, something the Albany Symphony Orchestra is celebrating with a concert Saturday at Proctors.

What makes featuring this work on the program even more special is that it will be the first time audiences will hear the piece as Gershwin actually wrote it.

“I knew of the heavy editing of Gershwin’s orchestral works, so in 1979 I went to the Library of Congress and had three hours of access to his original manuscript,” said pianist Kevin Cole, who will play the piece on Saturday. “I did notice the piano part had extra measures and wondered why they hadn’t been published. I found out later that after 1924 when the piece was published, editors who were of the old school thought he was repeating what totaled 50 measures when they actually provided bridges into new themes. It affected mostly only the piano part.”

Cole, who has been a Gershwin specialist for decades (Gershwin died in 1937), also learned by the 1990s that others had also discovered these “lost” measures. That led to an initiative supported by the Gershwin estate at the University of Michigan to go through all of Gershwin’s scores to restore them back to the originals.
Meanwhile, Cole contacted ASO music director David Alan Miller roughly 20 years ago, and together they began sleuthing through the original manuscripts.

The result is a Naxos recording made in 2020 with the National Orchestra Institute Philharmonic that includes those restored 50 measures. That’s what concert-goers will hear Saturday.

“They’ll hear harmonies not heard before and a big lushness,” Cole said. “The piece hasn’t changed, only subtly, but the piano and orchestra were not working as George had intended on what we’ve heard all these years. But now it’s the convergence of the stars.”

“We’re thrilled to be able to capture Kevin’s incredible interpretations,” Miller said.

“He has a deep knowledge of the style of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. No one plays with such authority. He’ll be lean, brilliant, shining and fresh — a 1920s Broadway approach.”

This will not be the only premiere. Principal trombonist Greg Spiridopoulos will perform Jack Frerer’s “Simon Says.” The onemovement piece, which Spiridopoulous said has “a lot of humor and fits well for the trombone,” has the trombone as a teacher and the orchestra as the students who try to emulate what the “teacher” says but never quite get it right.

While trombonists don’t usually get the solo spotlight — “We sit in the back and you feel anonymous” — Spiridopoulos has become more comfortable out in front of the orchestra.

“I really enjoy it even though audiences are not quite used to seeing a trombonist as the soloist,” he said, laughing.

The piece is also Frerer’s first orchestral work for the ASO, although he has written several for the Dogs of Desire.

“He’s a favorite of mine and he’s incredibly in tune with the American pop style, rock and jazz. He writes very urbane music that ties into the Gershwin tradition,” Miller said.

Also on the program is Carlos Simon’s “AMEN,” which Miller said uses gospel traditions but in a symphonic way, and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”

Albany Symphony Orchestra
WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Proctors
HOW MUCH: $20-$68
MORE INFO: 518-694-3300; albanysymphony.com