Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, as it was first recorded...

Posted By: 
Max Grinnell
Posted On: 
Sunday, November 12th, 2006

Today, most people know Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue through the greatly abbreviated version that is used for a rather large passenger airline company's TV ads. Back in 1924, Gershwin sat down and recorded the piece for the first time with Paul Whiteman's Orchestra. The good folks at The Internet Archive have placed that rather compelling recording online, and it's worth a listening. Gershwin breezes through his part, and the clarinet glissando is miles away from the overly sappy versions one hears in more contemporary recordings. It's definitely worth a listen!