André Previn (1929-2019)

Biography

Andreas Ludwig Priwin was born in Berlin to a Jewish family that fled to Los Angeles in 1939. Previn studied piano and composition and became a successful film composer and conductor while maintaining a jazz piano career. He conducted major orchestras worldwide including the London Symphony Orchestra while recording jazz albums. Previn successfully navigated both classical and jazz worlds, a rare achievement. He won four Academy Awards for film scores, ten Grammy Awards, and numerous conducting honors. Previn remained active in both classical and jazz until late in life.

Musical Style

Previn’s arranging style in jazz contexts was sophisticated, drawing on his classical training and Hollywood experience. His arrangements featured lush orchestrations, advanced harmonies, and careful attention to instrumental balance. Previn approached jazz standards with fresh harmonic perspectives informed by his classical knowledge. His style was elegant and refined, never aggressive or raw. Previn’s arrangements for his own jazz trios were relatively simple, focusing on the music rather than elaborate orchestration. His big band and orchestral jazz arrangements were more elaborate, showcasing his command of orchestral resources. Previn’s style bridged jazz and classical worlds naturally—he didn’t force fusion but found common ground. His arrangements were always tasteful and professionally executed.

Orchestration Techniques

Previn’s orchestration reflects his classical conservatory training, employing spread voicings that span three or more octaves with careful attention to overtone reinforcement and acoustic balance. His brass writing frequently utilizes cup and Harmon mutes in combination, creating chamber-like transparency that allows inner voices to project clearly. Woodwind doublings in his arrangements often pair flute with vibraphone or clarinet with muted trumpet, exploiting timbral fusion techniques borrowed from orchestral practice. Previn favors quartal and quintal chord structures built from the upper extensions, typically voicing ninth chords with root and third omitted to create harmonic ambiguity. His contrapuntal approach incorporates invertible counterpoint at the octave and tenth, with secondary melodic lines constructed to function equally well as bass lines when inverted. Sectional writing in his charts employs concerted tutti passages that alternate with chamber-like duo and trio textures, creating dramatic contrasts through orchestrational density rather than dynamic extremes. Register exploitation shows particular sophistication in his use of extreme tessituras—high clarinets doubling trumpet lines two octaves below, or bass trombone pedal tones supporting upper woodwind clusters. Rhythmic notation incorporates classical-style articulation markings (portato, tenuto, staccatissimo) that bring precision to jazz phrasing without sacrificing swing feel. His textural palette ranges from unison lines with octave displacement to complex six-part voicings with independent chromatic voice leading. Dynamic architecture in Previn’s charts follows symphonic principles, with terraced dynamics and carefully notated crescendo/decrescendo markings that create long-form structural coherence across entire arrangements.

Top Albums

André Previn - “King Size!” (1959)

Previn’s arrangements for jazz nonet demonstrate his sophisticated approach. The charts feature modern harmonies and interesting instrumental voicings. What makes these arrangements notable is their balance between classical sophistication and jazz swing—Previn maintains jazz feeling while incorporating classical devices. His arrangement of “Like Young” demonstrates his gift for reimagining standards. The album represents West Coast jazz at its most refined.

André Previn - “West Side Story” (1959)

Previn’s jazz arrangements of Bernstein’s score became a surprise hit. His charts translate the musical’s complex material into swinging jazz arrangements. What’s particularly impressive is how Previn maintains the original’s sophistication while making it swing. The arrangements honor Bernstein while transforming the material into authentic jazz. This album influenced numerous attempts to arrange show music in jazz contexts.

André Previn & Russ Freeman - “Double Play!” (1957)

While a two-piano album, Previn’s arrangement concepts are evident in how he structures performances and creates contrapuntal interplay. What’s interesting is hearing Previn’s classical training applied to jazz standards in real-time. The performances demonstrate that sophisticated arranging thinking can occur spontaneously, not just in written charts. Previn’s approach influenced how classically-trained musicians could authentically engage with jazz.