Walking the Dog is one of many musical numbers written in 1937 by George Gershwin for the score for the Fred Astaire – Ginger Rogers film Shall We Dance. In the film, the music accompanies a sequence of walking a dog on board a luxury liner. In 1960, the sequence was published as “Promenade” to accompany two pantomimic routines for Astaire and Rogers. This is the only part of the score besides Hoctor’s Ballet to be published for performance in the concert hall, thus far. Scored for chamber orchestra.
One of George Gershwin’s lighter numbers, Walking The Dog is a clarinet showpiece that is just as much fun as the title suggests. Walking The Dog catches George Gershwin at the very height of his powers. Rather than the bustling, complex symphonic scores he was by-now accustomed to knocking out, it’s a simple, elegant little stroll, as the title suggests. Since its use in the film, though, the ditty has taken on a life of its own and become a popular showing-off piece for clarinettists everywhere.
Most of the score from the film (composed and orchestrated by Gershwin) remains unpublished and unavailable in modern stereo recordings. In September 2013, it was announced that a musicological critical edition of the full orchestral score would be released, as a result of collaboration between the Gershwin family, the Library of Congress and the University of Michigan. The entire Gershwin project may take 30 to 40 years to complete, and it is unknown when the score to Shall We Dance (which includes Walking The Dog) will be released. It is unknown whether the critical edition will include the round section heard on the soundtrack.
