An American in Paris (urtext)

George Gershwin's symphonic poem "An American in Paris" was composed in 1928 as one of the most significant orchestral works in American musical history. The piece characteristically combines Gershwin's unique synthesis of jazz, popular music, and European art music tradition. The vibrant musical language alternates between nostalgic melodies, rhythmically distinctive jazz elements, and impressionistic tonal colors that reveal the influence of French modernism.

Particularly striking is Gershwin's orchestration, which incorporates a saxophone section and authentic Parisian car horns alongside the large standard ensemble. This instrumentation reflects both the urban American aesthetic of the 1920s and the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Paris at that time. The harmonic language moves between traditional tonality and the characteristic blue notes of jazz.

The work stands as an exemplar of Gershwin's endeavor to create a genuinely American art music that emancipated itself from European models. "An American in Paris" is considered groundbreaking for its integration of popular American musical idioms into orchestral literature and had a lasting impact on the understanding of a national American musical language in the early modern period.