Earl Wild plays Gershwin

Earl Wild (Composer, Performer), George Gershwin (Composer), Paul Whiteman (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Earl Wild
• Conductor: Paul Whiteman
• Composer: Earl Wild, George Gershwin
• Audio CD (December 10, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ivory Classics
• ASIN: B00000DFPR
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,579 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

2. The Man I Love

3. I Got Rhythm

4. Embraceable You

5. Fascinatin' Rhythm

6. Somebody Loves Me

7. Liza

8. Lady Be Good

9. Earl Wild - 'Grande Fantasy on Porgy and Bess'

10. Prelude No.1

11. Prelude No.2

12. Prelude No.3

Editorial Reviews

ARG, July/Aug. 1998

Greatest praise for Earl Wild’s piano transcriptions. They’re a marvel, as good as anything Liszt might have written.

Product Description

This historic Gershwin recording includes the first complete "Rhapsody in Blue" recorded in 1945 with Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra. Also on the disc are Mr. Wild's legendary 1976 performances of his popular piano transcriptions, "Grande Fantasy on Porgy and Bess" and "Seven Virtuoso Etudes". Completing this historic recording are the "Three Preludes" recorded in 1964.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A historic and sparkling programme!, January 29, 2005

By 

Mr. James A. Church (Berkshire, England, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Earl Wild plays Gershwin (Audio CD)

Remastered in 1997, this amazing recording displays Earl Wild at his very best.

The Programme includes: Rhapsody in Blue (recorded 1945), Earl Wild 's fantastically stunning 'Seven Virtuoso Etudes' (1976), Wild's 'Grande Fantasy on Porgy and Bess' (1976) and Gershwin's Three Prerludes for Piano (1964).

I'm learnng a few of the Virtuoso Etudes at the moment (which, by the way are his famous transcriptions of: The Man I Love, I Got Rhythm, Embracable You, Fascinating Rhythm, Somebody Loves Me, Liza & Lady Be Good) and finding them the biggest challenge I've ever had. I'm also having lot's of FUN as well!

But I was astonished when I heard Earl Wild play them Double the speed I though physically possible...!

Earl Wild is known as the last of the great Virtuostic pianis-composers. At a grand age of 90 now, he is still stunning.

The greatest recording of Earl Wild playing George Gershwin you'll ever hope to have. A fantastic listen. I spend hours listening.

Fantastic for the pianist, the aspiring pianist, the Gershwin-lover and/or the enthusiastic listener - It doesn't matter.

A historic and virtuostic delight!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Astounding pianism -- just don't listen to it in one sitting, June 2, 2007

By 

Robert L. Berkowitz (Natick, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Earl Wild plays Gershwin (Audio CD)

This CD seems to overlap with another CD on the Chesky label. Both contain Earl Wild's Fantasy on Porgy and Bess and the seven Etudes based on Gershwin's music. This disc also has Rhapsody in Blue and Gershwin's Preludes.

Wild's pianistic facility is absolutely astonishing. He does some wonderful things with Gershwin's music. Highlights include "Embraceable You" and some of the sections of the Porgy and Bess Fantasy ("Summertime", "Bess, you is my woman now" and "It aint necessarily so" come to mind). He also plays the three Preludes with conviction and panache. However, Gershwin is not Chopin, and there is only so much one can mine from this music. If one tries to listen to this entire CD in one sitting, one can become aware of the piano as a percussion instrument. I am not certain if this is a function of the music (Gershwin), the pianist (Wild) or the recording (AAD). So often when I listen to a great pianist play solo work by Chopin, Liszt or Ravel, for example, I can lose myself in the music and virtually forget the medium. That doesn't happen with this recording for me.

Still, in small doses, this is an extraordinary disc, and I'm glad to own it.