Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Daniil Trifonov / Jakub Hrůša

The unconventional star pianist Daniil Trifonov settled in New York many years ago. And in addition to his place of residence, he also shares his Russian roots with George Gershwin alias Jacob Gershovitz: Gershwin’s parents once emigrated from St Petersburg to America. His famous Concerto in F major contains clear echoes of jazz, but it is set in the classical solo-concerto form, and is the first work to be orchestrated in its entirety by the composer. The 1925 premiere in Carnegie Hall was a bombastic success for Gershwin, who was only 27 at the time. The same applies to Sergei Rachmaninov’s »Symphonic Dances«, which he wrote in 1940 on Long Island as his last work in exile. The solo role given to the saxophone in the first movement is undoubtedly more than a chance reference to jazz, which could be heard all over New York at the time.