New World A'Coming [Duke Ellington with Erich Kunzel & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra]

New World A 'Coming was premiered at Carnegie Hall on December 11th, 1943.
This work's title and content were inspired by Roi Ottley's best-selling book on the Negro in America. Ottley looked forward optimistically to better conditions for his people after World War II, and his final statement was that "in spite of selfish interests, a new world is a-coming with the sweep and fury of the Resurrection." Ellington visualized this new world "as a place in the distant future where there will be no war, no greed, no categorization, no non-believers, where love is unconditional, and no pronoun is good enough for God." His composition emerged as a kind of piano concerto, and it was performed for the first time by the composer and his fifteen-piece band. Subsequently, it was orchestrated for symphonic performance, and Ellington recalls that even Don Shirley, a pianist of prodigious technique, had trouble with a ragtime "Iick" for the left hand.
- Stanley Dance

Duke Ellington, piano
Erich Kunzel, conductor
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Recorded in May 28, 1970. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Видео New World A'Coming [Duke Ellington with Erich Kunzel & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra] канала Reminiscing In Tempo