🇺🇸George Gershwin ： Strike Up the Band

George Gershwin’s “Strike Up the Band” combines the driving force of a march with the vitality of jazz, creating music that is clear and brilliant in character. Repeated, forceful rhythms are joined by short motifs and memorable melodies, while the musical expression changes as if scenes were shifting. In piano performance, it is important not to make the left-hand patterns too heavy, while bringing out the right-hand melody with crisp articulation. Keeping the displaced accents precise, and maintaining contrasts in dynamics and a light, lively tempo, helps bring out the festive excitement and witty character. Rather than relying on sheer momentum, giving careful expression to rests and accents makes the overall structure easier to hear.