Mid-term Essays Assignment. Visual & Performing Arts Essay

Mid-term Essays Assignment
Student’s Name:
School Affiliation:
Question 2: Describe Duke Ellington’s career in the context of the Harlem Renaissance and then explain the influence of Jazz on Gershwin, Ravel, and Milhaud. Use specific musical examples.
The Harlem Renaissance is regarded as one of the most notable intellectual and artistic trends of the twentieth century. It was a 1920s movement where the African-Americans scribes, musicians, artists and thinkers were on a mission to embrace black heritage and culture. Duke Ellington, one of the greatest composers of Jazz lived in this era and made a cosmic impact in the popular music towards the end of the twentieth century.
He was born Edward Kennedy Ellington but would later be known better as “Duke”. He started playing the piano as a child and by the time he turned seventeen he played professionally securing a spot for his name in Washington. Duke Ellington began composing his own music in 1923 which saw him settle in New York and formed a band of his own – the Washingtonians. Garnering a following of its own, the band got a rendezvous at the Harlem’s famous Cotton Club. This provided a platform to reach a wider fan- base through radio and recordings.
Even though Duke Ellington was majorly considered as the key personality in the history of Jazz, he often referred to his music as ‘beyond category’ and as part of the broader genre of American music. He helped nurture the soloist style and melded the different artistic skills of members of his band including Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Blanton, Billy Strayhorn; Cootie Williams and Harry Carney into the best ever orchestra since the advent of Jazz.
Duke Ellington is highly regarded for his contributions in shaping the contemporary Jazz music industry and revolutionizing the traditional modes of Jazz. He had more than fifty years in professional music within which he was nominee in the Pulitzer Prize, elected to the National Institute of Arts and letters, awarded a Ph. D of Music at the Yale University and awarded the presidential medal of freedom by President Nixon in 1969. He was, fundamentally, renowned for the strong foundations that he built, giving rise to majority of the best American music.
George Gershwin was among the first to draw influence from and incorporate the rhythm of Jazz with his piece “ Rhapsody in Blue” which is arguably the best piece to ever do so. He primarily wrote for Broadway musical theatre shows but is also quite renowned for his orchestra and piano compositions Just like Ellington. One of his best works was published by his sister Ira Gershwin after his death. “Lullaby” was delicate and its beauty transcends time. It has since become a favourite against which symphony orchestras and string quartets are benchmarked against.
In the early twentieth century many French composers were fascinated by American Jazz and included some elements of the genre in their compositions. Maurice Ravel was one such composer who found great inspiration in Jazz and in particular, through George Gershwin’s well blended music. He was a great pianist, composer and conductor who preferred to think of himself as more of a trad...