Gershwin / Fazil Say, New York PO [Import]

George Gershwin (Composer, Conductor, Performer), New York Philharmonic (Orchestra, Conductor), Fazil Say (Performer, Orchestra), Fazil Say (Artist), Kurt Masur (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: George Gershwin, Fazil Say
• Orchestra: New York Philharmonic, Fazil Say
• Conductor: George Gershwin, New York Philharmonic
• Composer: George Gershwin
• Audio CD (April 25, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Warner Music France
• ASIN: B00003ZACB
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,046 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'

2. Summertime (I)

3. Summertime (II)

4. It Ain't Necessarily So

5. Rhapsody In Blue

6. Rialto Ripples, Rag

7. Impromptu In Two Keys

8. Merry Andrew

9. Three-Quarter Blues

10. Promenade

11. 'I Got Rhythm' Variations

12. Sleepless Night

13. Novelette In Fourths

14. Rubato

15. Prelude I

16. Blue Lullaby

17. Spanish Prelude

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my absolute favorite Gershwin CD's, December 26, 2001

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gershwin / Fazil Say, New York PO (Audio CD)

There's some rather rare pieces on this CD--including the wonderful cakewalk Novelette in Fourths. Gershwin wrote some wonderful jazz-style preludes for piano, but usually only three are recorded. There are a number of other short piano works that are delightful and practically impossible to find on CD. Fortunately, they are here, along with some favorites from Porgy and Bess and other piano arrangements of Gershwin songs such as the virtuoso "I Got Rhythm" variations.

What's really great is that Fazil Say plays these with humor and lightness. No heavy, pseudo-scholarly seriousness here. He makes the most of his pianistic skill and yet retains the spirit of Gershwin's playfulness and fun. This is definitely a must-have if you love Gershwin.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I heard this CD highlighted on the radio today, June 22, 2000

By 

Michael Caruso (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gershwin / Fazil Say, New York PO (Audio CD)

My local public radio station was playing cuts from this CD all morning as a way to get people interested in pledging money. I already made my donation, so I thought I would give Amazon.com some attention for a change. I was very impressed with what I heard. The arrangements are a mixture of Fazil being backed by a small quintet and the New York Philharmonic. He can play piano! Enjoy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptional CD of Gershwin's Music, November 10, 2001

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gershwin / Fazil Say, New York PO (Audio CD)

Fazil Say demonstrates his familiarity with Gershwin's music in this excellent Teldec CD. Unlike other classically trained pianists who have opted to play Gerswhin as though it was traditional classical music, Say instead performs these scores as the lively, danceable jazz tunes that they are. He does a fine job emphasizing the connections between Gershwin's music and earlier forms of jazz such as ragtime. Indeed Say demonstrates not only his familiarity with Gershwin's scores, but shows he's having much fun playing them. So do the classical musicians who accompany him on several arrangements. Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic accompany Say on "Rhapsody in Blue" and the variations on "I Got Rhythm" with excellent performances of their own. Without question, this is one of the finest CDs I've heard of Gershwin's music performed by classically trained musicians.