Ravinia 2026 Issue 5

Morning (no such painting exists) instead of Mourning under the Cross (1876). These mixed references partly account for this Étude-tab- leau ’s unofficial nickname—“A Gloomy Morn- ing.” Though “tableau” suggests extra-musical inspiration, Rachmaninoff consciously avoided descriptive titles or narratives for the Études-tab- leaux . When a music critic requested clues to their meaning, the composer responded, “I do not believe in the artist disclosing too much of his images. Let them paint for themselves what it most suggests.” Polichinelle in F-sharp minor, op. 3, no. 4 Rachmaninoff ’s graduation exercise at the Mos- cow Conservatory enjoyed the type of dizzying success that either overwhelms a promising mu- sician or catapults him to a stellar career. The one-act opera Aleko earned highest honors, and, on the strength of his compositional and pia- nistic prowess, Rachmaninoff became only the third student in the history of the conservato- ry to receive the Great Gold Medal. Following commencement ceremonies on May 31, 1892, the young musician confidently launched his career as a “free artist.” Regrettably, his initial appointment at the estate of the landowner Ivan Konovalov, situated in the Kostroma district some 200 miles from Moscow, fell far short of his professional expectations. Rachmaninoff spent much of the summer of 1892 in abject boredom. His only official duty involved piano lessons for Konovalov’s son. Signs of hypochon- dria also emerged: Rachmaninoff interpreted a mild illness as cholera, quarantined himself, and ordered twice-daily disinfections of his room. Rachmaninoff returned to Moscow on Au- gust 25 and moved into the house of his cousins, the Satins. Inspiration quickly returned. Within a few days, he composed the Prélude in C-sharp minor, the second of five pieces that would form the Morceaux de fantaisie , op. 3, for solo piano. Polichinelle , the fourth piece in the set, portrays the stock commedia dell’arte character Pulcinella, a figure who can be both naive and cunning, sacred and profane, rogue and master. Rachmaninoff captured this duality of person- ality in the combination of structural simplici- ty—ternary, or ABA, form—and tonal ambigu- ity, all suffused with Pulcinella’s passione per la vita . Rachmaninoff dedicated the Morceaux de fantaisie , op. 3, to Anton Arensky, professor of harmony and counterpoint at the conservatory. Gutheil published the complete score in 1892. GEORGEGERSHWIN (1898–1937) Three Preludes George Gershwin spent his tragically short life- time exploring the intersection of American vernacular music (jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley songs) with “classical” structures, techniques, and instrumentations. Enduring masterpieces such as Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess testify to his success. Musical colleagues realized something extraordinary in Gershwin. Irving Berlin once quipped, “George Gershwin is the only songwrit- er I know who became a composer.” Gershwin composed three piano preludes for a concert series sponsored by contralto Marguerite d’Alvarez at New York’s Hotel Roosevelt. An am- bitious plan, announced in Vanity Fair , to write 24 preludes patterned after Chopin never reached full fruition. Gershwin performed five preludes at the Hotel Roosevelt on December 4, 1926: the three eventually published, and two others that may have been revised as the violin and piano piece Short Story (1925). When Gershwin and d’Alvarez reprised their recital in Boston a month later, a sixth prelude (now lost) was performed. Of the three surviving preludes, two received nicknames from the composer: No. 2 is the “Blues Lullaby,” and No. 3 the “Spanish Prelude.” EARLWILD (1915–2010) Virtuoso Etude No. 7 after Gershwin’s “Fascinating Rhythm” American pianist Earl Wild was widely regarded as one of the last great Romantic virtuosos in the tradition of Liszt and Horowitz. Growing up in Pittsburgh, he took lessons with Selmar Janson before continuing his studies with Egon Petri, Marguerite Long, and Helene Barere. As a teenager, he appeared as soloist in a perfor- mance of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Minneapolis Orchestra. Wild was hired as staff pianist of the NBC network in 1937, frequently collaborating with the NBC Symphony Orches- tra and its conductor, Arturo Toscanini. Two years later, he became the first pianist to per- form a solo recital on American television. Wild served in the United States Navy during World War II, frequently soloing with the United States Navy Band Symphony Orchestra. After com- pleting military service, Wild joined ABC as a staff pianist, conductor, and composer. Wild holds the unequaled distinction of performing for six consecutive US Presidents, from Herbert Hoover to Lyndon B. Johnson, and he appeared as soloist with the National Symphony Orches- tra during the inauguration ceremonies for John F. Kennedy. His memoir, A Walk on the Wild Side , was published posthumously in 2011. Wild sustained a long relationship with George Gershwin’s music. When Toscanini engaged him to perform Rhapsody in Blue with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in 1942, a nationwide ra- dio audience was introduced to the 27-year-old American pianist. Continuing a 19th-century keyboard tradition of virtuoso transcriptions and concert paraphrases, Wild transcribed six popular Gershwin songs for solo piano in 1954. His attention later turned to the folk opera by George and Ira Gershwin in the Grand Fantasy on ‘Porgy and Bess ’ (1973) . That same year, Wild revised and expanded his earlier transcriptions into the Seven Virtuoso Etudes based on Gersh- win Songs —“Liza,” “Somebody Loves Me,” “The Man I Love,” “Embraceable You,” “Oh, Lady Be Good,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “Fascinating Rhythm.” Finally, in 1989, Wild composed the Theme and Three Variations on Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me.” The relationship between brothers George (1898–1937) and Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) pre- cariously balanced creativity and competition. George, younger than Ira by 13 months, added creative energy to their collaborations, while Ira provided a stabilizing force. Author and librettist DuBose Heyward described their unusual modus operandi during work on the opera Porgy and Bess : “They would get at the piano, pound, wran- gle, swear, burst into weird snatches of song, and eventually emerge with a polished lyric.” Before George’s tragic death at age 39, the Gershwins had collaborated on 13 musicals, one opera, five film scores, and countless independent songs. The first Broadway collaboration between George and Ira came with the musical come- dy Lady, Be Good , which opened at the Liberty Theater on December 1, 1924. Based on a book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, this musi- cal provided star vehicles for Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele, who played onstage siblings Dick and Susie Trevor. After surviving various intrigues and deceptions, Dick realizes his love for the tender young Shirley, and Susie falls for the millionaire Jack Robinson. The showstopper in Lady, Be Good was a cameo number sung by Ukelele Ike called “Fascinating Rhythm.” –Program notes © 2026 Todd E. Sullivan Earl Wild RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 85