Rhapsody in Blue
1924 composition by George Gershwin / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered in a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music" on February 12, 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York City.[2][3] Whiteman's band performed the rhapsody with Gershwin playing the piano.[4] Whiteman's arranger Ferde Grofé orchestrated the rhapsody several times including the 1924 original scoring, the 1926 pit orchestra scoring, and the 1942 symphonic scoring.
Rhapsody in Blue | |
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by George Gershwin | |
Genre | Orchestral jazz |
Form | Rhapsody |
Composed | January 1924 (1924-01) |
Published | June 12, 1924 (1924-06-12) Harms, Inc.[1] |
Premiere | |
Date | February 12, 1924 (1924-02-12) |
Location | Aeolian Hall, New York City, US |
Conductor | Paul Whiteman |
Performers |
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Audio sample | |
The United States Marine Band's 2018 performance of the 1924 jazz band version, with pianist Bramwell Tovey | |
The rhapsody is one of Gershwin's most recognizable creations and a key composition that defined the Jazz Age.[5][6][7] Gershwin's piece inaugurated a new era in America's musical history,[8] established his reputation as an eminent composer and became one of the most popular of all concert works.[9] In the American Heritage magazine, Frederic D. Schwarz posits that the famous opening clarinet glissando has become as instantly recognizable to concert audiences as the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.[10]