Gershwin's Greatest Hit

This week finds the St. Louis Symphony tackling a true American classic: Rhapsody in Blue, the timeless piece by composer George Gershwin. Heralded in 1924 as a tide-turning composition, Rhapsody would become a staple in the Great American Songbook through the innovative blend of the then relatively new jazz sound and its preceding traditional classical structure. Through its florid rolling piano and triumphant clarinet glissando, Rhapsody rose to critical acclaim, cementing Gershwin as a respected composer. In this rendition, budding new talent Sarina Zhang takes Gershwin’s seat at the piano, with Ward Stare holding the reins as conductor at Powell Symphony Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard; 314-533-2500). Additionally, the orchestra will perform three of the Slavonic Dance pieces from Dvorák as well as Leonard Bernstein’s "Symphonic Dances" from West Side Story. The performance begins tonight at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $25 to $55. For more information, visit www.stlsymphony.org.
Fri., May 18, 7:30 p.m., 2012