An American in Paris is a jazz-influenced orchestral piece by American composer George Gershwin first performed in 1928. It was inspired by the time that Gershwin had spent in Paris and evokes the sights and energy of the French capital during the Années follescode: fra promoted to code: fr. Gershwin scored the piece for the standard instruments of the symphony orchestra plus celesta, saxophones, and automobile horns. He brought back four Parisian taxi horns for the New York premiere of the composition, which took place on December 13, 1928, in Carnegie Hall, with Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Philharmonic. It was Damrosch who had commissioned Gershwin to write his Concerto in F following the earlier success of Rhapsody in Blue. He completed the orchestration on November 18, less than four weeks before the work's premiere. He collaborated on the original program notes with critic and composer Deems Taylor.
Genre | Orchestral jazz |
Form | Rhapsody |
Composed | Spring 1928 |
Date | December 13, 1928 |
Location | Carnegie Hall, New York City, New York, US |
Conductor | Walter Damrosch |
Performers | New York Philharmonic |
About An American in Paris
Musical comedy that sees three friends in search of jobs in Paris. Hilarity ensues when two of three fall head-over-heels for the same woman. The film was directed Vincente Minnelli.
Achievement of An American in Paris
The film won six Academy Awards and has been selected for preservation by the United States Library of Congress.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About An American in Paris
Compositions by George Gershwin.. Music commissioned by the New York Philharmonic.. Music about Paris.. Symphonic poems.. Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients.
Latest information about An American in Paris updated on January 04 2023.