Hear today's full episode by clicking "Listen" above or find "Intermezzo" from your favorite podcast app.
Welcome to Intermezzo from Interlochen Public Radio, where we take a few minutes to bounce some ideas around about classical music.
Christy L'Esperance is cohosting this week with Peter Parra, a Lang Lang Young Scholar pianist who also happens to be a top ten national ranking competitive junior ballroom dancer.
This week, we'll learn about Latin Dances. Yesterday, we learned about the Samba. Today, we'll be exploring the Rhumba.
In February of 1932, George Gershwin visited the Cuban capital of Havana. While he was there, he was fascinated by the rhythms and the percussion instruments. Within six months, Gershwin's new composition, originally titled "Rumba" (later changed to "Cuban Overture") was already being performed with the instruments that he brought back from Havana: maracas, bongos and claves. Listen to the beginning of George Gershwin's Cuban Overture. Try to pick out the "slow quick quick" in the percussion underneath the winds.
George Gershwin - Cuban Overture
This week's Mystery Melody
It's time to test your ears. Each week we have a mystery melody that we have to figure out together. It relates to our topic. (We'll make the melody less mysterious each day.)
If you know the mystery melody, text your name and the title and we’ll give you a shout out on Friday. The number to text is (833) 490-4718.
