Keith Emerson's Piano Concerto No. 1 was partly written in anguish after his Sussex home caught fire due to faulty wiring, with the final movement reflecting this experience.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Duke Ellington composed "New World a-Comin'" in 1943, visualizing a future world without war, greed, categorization, or non-believers, where love was unconditional.
Album & Artwork
All four works on this recording share a connection with New York City, as indicated by the album title, "Manhattan Intermezzo."
Composer Biography
Keith Emerson, a British keyboardist, developed a personal style combining classical music, jazz, and rock, and was one of the first musicians to perform live on the Moog synthesizer.
Interpretation
Pianist Jeffrey Biegel performs the complete original solo part of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," which includes over fifty measures deleted from the published version.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Neil Sedaka's "Manhattan Intermezzo" is a journey through the musical diversity of Manhattan, incorporating sounds from Latin, Asian, Russian, Broadway, and historical New York.
Recording & Production
This recording features the second recording of Duke Ellington's "New World a-Comin'" as arranged by Maurice Peress, and a reinterpretation of "Rhapsody in Blue" by Jeffrey Biegel.
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