Its going to rain some tonight - after a week of alternating pretty dry and les deluges. The other morning after that last storm, we went down to the center of the Village right about daybreak. The streets were wet and slick clean; puddles and fog and stillness.....as the poem goes "all mudluscious and puddlewonderfull".
We talked about being in New York City years back, walking the streets at 3am or some hour that is only known to kids in college out for pizza. We thought of Gershwin and his lullaby...
This piece is so New York in the 20s or about then. Our mind's eye pocket watch isn't too accurate. The work feels the city and isn't intended to put anyone to sleep but be an ode of sorts to last call at Clancy's Bar or a cab ride after a rain - with streets glistening, puddles mirroring and night people cleaning for the dawn. We can see it in the music. Plain as day.
Get up early in the morning and see. Here are two versions - the original piano and the version for string quartet. Play it often. Walk some after a rain.