Promenade "Walking the Dog"

Promenade is built around a loping, syncopated tune, often introduced by solo clarinet, that mimics an unhurried walk, complete with little hesitations and side-steps in the rhythm. The orchestra passes the tune between woodwinds and strings, adding light jazzy harmonies typical of Gershwin's Broadway and Hollywood writing, while the accompaniment keeps a steady, easygoing pulse underneath. There is no dramatic buildup; the piece stays relaxed and conversational throughout, closing about as quietly as it began. Listen for the way the main tune seems to shrug and saunter rather than march, evoking its original scene of someone strolling a reluctant dog around a ship's deck.

George Gershwin wrote Promenade for the 1937 RKO film Shall We Dance, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, where it accompanied a scene of Astaire's character walking a dog around a ship's deck, which is why the piece is commonly subtitled Walking the Dog. It was one of Gershwin's last completed works before his death later that year. Though written as functional film music, its easygoing, tuneful character has made it a popular short concert piece on its own, often programmed as a light opener or encore.