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Product Description
CD Composer: George Gershwin / Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra / Soloist: André Previn
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This CD really does live up to its label of Great Recordings of the Century.
Dating from the mid 1970s it is a shamelessly sumptuous collection of Gershwin's three most popular concert pieces, performed by what was then arguably the world's most popular, certainly most charismatic, orchestra and conductor.
The recording quality, pre-digital age, was both warm and dynamic, and from the first soaring note of the clarinet of the rhapsody to the final climactic chord of the piano concerto it had this listener, who up until then had been completely impervious to anything more classical than Cliff Richard, enthralled.
The same holds true today. I've heard many other versions of these pieces, and while all have their merits nothing beats this.
By Dr. H. A. Jones
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
Here André Previn plays and directs the London Symphony Orchestra in three works from 20th century America that are now in the standard classical repertoire: the orchestral score from 1928 that inspired the 1951 film on the same theme of An American in Paris; and two works for piano and orchestra - the First Rhapsody or Rhapsody in Blue and the Piano Concerto in F Major. Rhapsody in Blue was composed by Gershwin in 1924 under a commission from Paul Whiteman for his all-white band to play but it had to be orchestrated by Whiteman's pianist, Ferde Grofe. By the time Gershwin came to write the piano concerto the following year he had learned enough about orchestration to be able to do the job himself. Even when playing the classics, Previn seems to inject some magic from his role as jazz pianist in the light and shade of his performances. Much as I enjoy Oscar Levant's performances of these pieces in mono, my first choice for performance would have to be for Previn as soloist and conductor.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Gershwin is in my opinion one of the finest composers of the 20th centuary. Rhapsody in Blue is one of his finest compositions. The orchestra led by Andre Previn gave this and the other compositions the best I have heard for a long time. Buying from Amazon was easy, and delivery very fast,
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Rhapsody with cuts!
The very high standard of playing and recording on this disc is a recommendation - but if you want an orchestral version of the Rhapsody in Blue without cuts this will not be for... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Peter Hemsworth
4.0 out of 5 stars
GERSHWIN
RHAPSODY IN BLUE AND AMERICAN IN PARIS HAVE BEEN AMONGST MY FAVOURITES FOR YEARS. AT PRESENT I AM REPLACING MY OLD CASSETTES FOR CD'S, BUT CANNOT ALWAYS GET THE ORIGINALS LIKE I... Read more
Published 20 months ago by June Rough
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ham-fisted Previn?
I've been on the lookout for a decent rendition of Gershwin's orchestral works for ages, as my previous taped version went the way of the dodo. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2010 by Shaolin_monkey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Call me an old romantic
but I bought this CD in New York and with its obvious connotations, this particular recording of Rhapsody in Blue, hits all the right notes. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2009 by Noel Corden
3.0 out of 5 stars
LSO is excellent but Previn disappoints
The orchestral playing on this disc is top-notch, but it is unfortunately let down by bland and uninspiring pianism. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2004
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