The Making of a Rhapsody: an interview with composer Peter Boyer and pianist Jeffery Biegel
The iconic opening clarinet slide. The triumphant, rollicking ending. The joyful blend of classical and jazz. From concert halls to airline commercials, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue has been an instantly recognizable classic for a century. With its joyful melting pot of musical influences, it’s an aural snapshot of life in the 1920s that in many ways has spoken to our sense of national identity since it was first composed. Today, 100 years after its premier, it is perhaps one of the most beloved 20th century piano pieces ever written—one enjoyed by musicians and non-musicians alike.
Several years ago, as the 100 year anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue approached, pianist Jeffery Biegel had the idea to commission a new rhapsody—one that paid homage to Gershwin’s classic yet reflected America today. He contacted composer Peter Boyer with the idea and eventually Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue was born. This new piece for solo piano and orchestra is “wide format” music with huge horizons and expanding possibilities. It celebrates the multi-cultural heritage of America, our country’s exuberant energy and drive, as well as our capacity for open-hearted warmth. In an increasingly fractured society, Rhapsody in Red White and Blue is a musical reminder that there’s still room for common ground; there’s still a place for connection and for hope.
Jeffery Biegel has been touring with Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue and has either performed it (or will perform it) in all 50 states in the nation. In addition, the recording he and Peter Boyer made of the piece with the London Symphony Orchestra is reaching audiences beyond Biegel’s live performances. When the announcement about the recording appeared in my inbox, I asked if I might be able to interview either the composer or the pianist. When both agreed, I welcomed the chance to ask them about the creation of the piece from both their perspectives. It is an honor to feature Jeffery Biegel and Peter Boyer on No Dead Guys.
Jeffery Biegel, pianist
You’ve had a long relationship with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, including your critically acclaimed recording of the 1924 version the piece. Why did you feel this iconic American composition needed a companion composition?
Since I have based my life in music with compositions written by past living composers, during my journey, I have learned music by living composers. At age 12, I learned Meyer Kupferman's Sonata Mystikos (1973) and played it for the composer. During the years which followed, piano competitions required us to include works commissioned for the competition, or selected from a list of contemporary works.
In 1988, I played the Ballad of Revolt by Norway's Harald Saeverud who was more than 90 years of age at the time of my performance. He met with me backstage and grabbed my arm, accentuating the harsh accents. He said those short notes reflected the gun shots during the war he lived through. Other composers include Lalo Schifrin, whose piano concerto The Americas we recorded together with Lalo conducting. We also performed Beethoven's 'Emperor' Piano Concerto together, which was wonderful because Lalo treated it like a fresh, new work. Add these experiences together and I felt the inspiration to create commissioning projects with living composers.
The Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Millennium Fantasy project was the first largest consortium of orchestras commissioning new music in 2000. Just after this, in late 2000, I decided to create the first 50 state project without buy-ins from orchestras. Charles Strouse's Concerto America project was taken to every orchestra in the US. The Boston Pops and Honolulu Symphony orchestras signed on, but the tragic events of 9-11-2001 directed me to cease that mission. The two orchestras performed the brilliant work, but I decided to put the 50 state idea away for a later time. More projects evolved, bringing Europe and Canada into American composer projects.
In 2017, I had the first thoughts about celebrating the centennial of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. In late 2019, I began approaching composers about the idea to celebrate the centennial with a new Rhapsody by a living composer. I came up with the title, Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue since we share our existence under the same flag representing the United States of America. I felt this would be a great way to celebrate the past, the present, and have a new Rhapsody for the future.
When did the idea for Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue occur to you and why did you feel Peter Boyer was the right composer to commission for the project?
As shared above, late 2019 was the time when I first created the idea for the Rhapsody. Peter Boyer has composed music reflecting American themes, including immigration and mileposts in American progress. I thought he might have some interest and sense of belonging to this mission.
I understand that finding funding for this project was a labor of love on your part. Where did you uncover the money you needed for this project and how did you approach potential donors with this idea?
Some donors were friends who had commissioned music before, and had the trust in me necessary to move this idea forward. The Billy Rose Foundation has played a huge part in the Rhapsody National Initiative and supported the cost of recording the new Rhapsody with the London Symphony Orchestra. One of the foundation trustees loves the music by George Gershwin. This helped tremendously.
Congratulations on booking performances of Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue in all 50 states! Why did you feel this was an important thing to do?
The 50 state concept was designed to bring orchestras together to celebrate our unique unity through our inclusive diversity, celebrate the centennial of the Rhapsody in Blue and introduce the new Rhapsody to their audiences. Music has the unequivocal power to bring people together
I was thrilled to read that you have reached out to many smaller symphonies with whom to perform this piece. Do you feel this model of grassroots music-making is an effective way to introduce audiences to new compositions?
Yes. This is the model I created with the Millennium Fantasy Project. In this Rhapsody National Initiative, we have professional orchestras of varying budgetary levels, university orchestras, community orchestras, youth orchestras and a summer academy orchestra. This is the landscape of America, the gathering of musicians from all stages of rural and city environments. All are equally contributing to their communities.
You’ve been touring with Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue since you debuted the piece in June, 2023. What has audience reaction been to it thus far?
In every performance, audiences leap to their feet and scream with pride and joy. The music sparks a flame within reflecting American pride—no matter what that means to each person. It is that core emotion that draws them together. It is a beautiful sight to see.
The recording you and Boyer made with the London Symphony Orchestra of Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue sparkles with energy and joy. Why did you choose to record it with the London Symphony Orchestra?
This was Peter's idea, and brilliant. The London Symphony has a very special sound for American music, and deep respect for American music. Perhaps because they are not born of American soil, their respect and dedication brings forth a unique sound that pays tremendous homage to American values.
Do you plan to take Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue to international audiences?
I would love to, if international orchestras will invite me to share it with them for their audiences.
What advice can you offer others pianists on creating and funding large-scale projects such as this one?
I follow this premise: it's not about you, the pianist, it's not about the composer, it's not about the orchestra. It's a team effort for the greater good of music and the evolution of music. It is for today's listeners, tomorrow's pianists and tomorrow's audiences. Everything we do in this regard becomes our legacy for future generations to enjoy and build up on for their future.
Peter Boyer, composer
It has been stated that you are a composer who is “obsessed with American history.” How do you think Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue reflects this interest?
Maybe “obsessed” is too strong a word (though it makes a good headline), but I certainly have a longstanding strong interest in American-themed material. My works such as Ellis Island: The Dream of America, Fanfare for Tomorrow, The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers, and Balance of Power all reflect that aspect of my work, in terms of focus. With Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue, what makes it somewhat different from the others is that its commission celebrated an anniversary of both a specific composer and a specific work.
I understand that you hesitated when Jeffrey Biegel approached you about composing Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue. Why?
From Jeffrey’s concept for the project and his chosen title, it was immediately apparent that whatever work I might compose would be compared to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, an iconic, beloved American work — and indeed would be performed repeatedly alongside it — so I thought that might be setting an impossibly high bar. But Jeffrey is very persistent, and eventually he persuaded me that I was the right composer to try to undertake this significant challenge.
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is one of the most iconic American compositions. Why do you feel it is so beloved and what elements of it did you choose to reflect in your companion piece, Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue?
I think that there are many reasons why Rhapsody in Blue is so beloved and iconic. It captures its era, America and specifically New York City in the mid-1920s, in an utterly unmistakable way. It combines “jazz” and “classical” elements in a way that is uniquely and identifiably the young genius George Gershwin. It has catchy and infectious tunes, a beautiful, lyrical theme, and brilliant piano writing. While I contemplated including musical quotations from the Gershwin in my Rhapsody, I decided that a better approach would be to “tip my hat to George” by including some stylistic elements, such as a “Charleston-esque” rhythm, bluesy harmonies and scales, and some specific kinds of piano writing (fast repeated notes alternating between hands), but to try to find a way to use these elements within a piece that had plenty of my own stylistic elements.
If Rhapsody in Blue reflected New York City in the 1920s, how do you feel Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue reflects America 100 years later?
With another full century of American music that has elapsed since Gershwin composed Rhapsody in Blue, there is even more material on which to draw, and another century of history. Of course, no piece could come anywhere close to reflecting all of those developments, but I tried in this work to both pay homage to the original Gershwin work, and to evoke something of America in the 2020s. This is a very subjective idea, but one thing I can say is that I tried to focus on the uplifting possibilities, rather than focus on any of our current strife and difficulties. I think my Rhapsody reflects an American optimism in a clear way.
One of the things I enjoyed most about Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue is the exuberant energy and drive, huge horizons, and expanding possibilities. It invites everyone in. Were you reflecting specific American characteristics? If so, which ones?
Thanks — you have expressed some of the qualities I tried to capture, and it’s good to hear that this is how you have perceived the work. American optimism, energy, and a “can do” outlook were some of the qualities I sought to convey in much of the work; and in the lyrical section, there are also qualities of reflection and nobility which hopefully can be felt.
Another element I love about this composition is how cinematic it sounds. Do you think this helps audiences, who may be new to modern classical music, connect with the piece?
This is one way in which my Rhapsody is different from Gershwin’s: the big, sweeping, “cinematic” feeling, of the lyrical section in particular, reflects a connection to repertoire that had not yet been composed in the 1920s, but is one part of the musical background of many composers, including myself, who grew up hearing such qualities in film scores. Yes, this may be a point of connection to many contemporary listeners.
I’m thrilled that Jeffrey Biegel is touring this piece to every state in the union and that most of the scheduled performances are with lesser-known orchestras. How challenging was it for you to compose an orchestral score for players who may be volunteer or student musicians?
Jeffrey’s “Rhapsody National Initiative” will indeed embrace orchestras in all 50 states, and these orchestras run the gamut, from some major, prominent orchestras (such as the Utah Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Pacific Symphony) to regional, community, and even student orchestras. I composed the piece as I felt it should be, and didn’t compromise or attempt to make things especially easy. My music is not technically terribly difficult, but nor is it particularly easy. I think that all the professional orchestras will have enough to sink their teeth into, so to speak, and the community and student orchestras will have some challenging passages, but I think they will do fine.
How do you hope Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue helps listeners feel more connected to their American identity?
We are living through some very difficult, divisive, and often disheartening times in our country. Music can be a vessel for optimism, and for building community. By celebrating the centennial of a beloved musical work, and by having performances with orchestras in all 50 of the United States (as well as being broadcast extensively), hopefully my new Rhapsody can provide some modest opportunities for Americans to come together and experience some moments of joy and togetherness around this music.
Peter Boyer, left, Jeffery Biegel, right
Peter Boyer is one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation. His works have received over 600 public performances by more than 200 orchestras, and tens of thousands of broadcasts by classical radio stations around the United States and abroad. He has conducted recordings of his music with three of the world’s finest orchestras: the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His major work Ellis Island: The Dream of America, for actors and orchestra, has received over 250 performances by more than 100 orchestras, and was nationally televised with the Pacific Symphony on PBS’ Great Performances. Naxos Records recently released Boyer’s fourth album, with the London Symphony Orchestra under his direction, which spent four consecutive weeks on the Billboard Classical Chart, and was critically praised by Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine.
Boyer has received commissions from prestigious American institutions and ensembles, including the Kennedy Center for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the Boston Pops, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the Cincinnati Pops, the Pacific Symphony, and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, which premiered his Fanfare for Tomorrow at the inauguration of President Biden. Other orchestras which have performed Boyer’s music include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Nashville Symphony. He served as Composer-in-Residence of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the Pasadena Symphony. In 2010, Boyer composed the Boston Pops 125th anniversary commission, The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers, which was narrated by acclaimed actors including Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Alec Baldwin.
In addition to his work for the concert hall, Boyer’s career has included work in the film and television music industry. He has contributed orchestrations to more than 35 film scores from all the major movie studios, for several leading Hollywood composers. He has arranged music for the Academy Awards, and composed music for The History Channel. His music has appeared in documentary films, short films, and a variety of television programs. He holds the Helen M. Smith Chair in Music at Claremont Graduate University. In 2019, Boyer received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is officially recognized by both Houses of Congress as one of the most prestigious American awards. In 2023, his work Today We Ask, commissioned by ORA Singers to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, was premiered at St. Paul’s, Covent Garden, London, and broadcast by Classic FM. More information can be found at PropulsiveMusic.com.
In an age when many artists' fortunes begin with a meteoric ascent and quickly cool with the inexorable free-fall, pianist Jeffrey Biegel has managed to buck that trend, fashioning a career of steady success studded with concerts at major venues with major orchestras, a Grammy winning recording, and more than 25 commissioned works by living composers. His life takes its roots from age three, barely able to hear nor speak, until corrected by surgery. The 'reverse Beethoven' phenomenon explains his lifelong commitment to music, having heard only vibrations in his formative years. The pandemic year of 2020 focused on composing original "Waltzes of Hope", "Sonatina", and "Three Reflections: JFK, RBG and MLK" for solo piano, and for piano and orchestra, orchestrations by Harrison Sheckler. 2021 saw the world premieres of his "Reflection of Justice: An Ode to Ruth Bader Ginsburg" with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg" for mezzo-soprano, piano and orchestra in tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. Also, the world premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Shadows" newly arranged for piano and seven players with the Idaho State Civic Symphony. In 2022, he premiered Jim Stephenson's 'Piano Concerto', Daniel Perttu's 'A Planets Odyssey' for piano and orchestra, Farhad Poupel's "The Legend of Bijan and Manijeh" for piano, orchestra and chorus, his own concerto, 'Three Reflections: Freedom (JFK), Justice (RBG) Equality (MLK)', and Christopher Marshall's 'Thanksgiving Variations on "We Gather Together"'. For 2023, The 50-state Rhapsody National Initiative begins, with the Utah Symphony leading a three-season effort with Peter Boyer's "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue", with a world premiere recording of the new Rhapsody with Peter Boyer conducting the London Symphony Orchestra for a February 2024 Naxos digital release. The 2024-25 season foresees a new work for piano and orchestra by Adolphus Hailstork with the Pacific Symphony, Carl St. Clair conducting, and Grammy winning singer/songwriter, Melissa Manchester's 'AWAKE' for piano and orchestra (premiere tba).
Considered the most prolific artist of his generation, Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA, conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters upon Mr. Biegel in 2015, for his achievements in performance, recordings, chamber music, champion of new music, composer, arranger and educator. In 2019, Kenneth Fuchs's "Piano Concerto: 'Spiritualist'" with the London Symphony Orchestra led by JoAnn Falletta received a Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium, featuring Mr. Biegel as its soloist. In 2019, the first digital recordings were released on Mr. Biegel's Naturally Sharp label: "Cyberecital: An Historic Recording", "A Pianist's Journey", and the September 2021 release of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" 1924 version with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Bruce Kiesling conducting.
Mr. Biegel created the first largest consortium of orchestras in 1998 for Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's 'Millennium Fantasy' premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2000, followed with Charles Strouse's 'Concerto America' with the Boston Pops, Lowell Liebermann's 'Concerto no. 3' with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, William Bolcom's 'Prometheus' for piano, orchestra and chorus, with the Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale, Richard Danielpour's 'Mirrors' with the Pacific Symphony, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's 'Shadows' with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Jake Runestad's 'Dreams of the Fallen' with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, Lucas Richman's 'Piano Concerto: In Truth' with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, recorded with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Kenneth Fuchs's "Piano Concerto: 'Spiritualist'" with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MA). He also premiered and recorded Giovanni Allevi's 'Concerto for Piano and Orchestra' and commissioned Christopher Theofanidis's "Concerto no. 2 for Piano and Orchestra" with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, the "Peanuts Concerto" by Dick Tunney, based on music by Vince Guaraldi, Jimmy Webb's 'Nocturne for Piano and Orchestra' and, PDQ Bach's 'Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra' by Peter Schickele with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Bringing new music to youth orchestras saw the world premiere of Daniel Dorff's 'Piano Concerto' with the Etowah Youth Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gagliardo.
He studied at The Juilliard School with Adele Marcus, herself a pupil of Josef Lhevinne and Artur Schnabel, and is currently on faculty at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College.