Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris

George Gershwin (Artist), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Artist), André Previn (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B0000040WS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,790 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Performances of Gershwin's Orchestral Music, April 19, 2001

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris (Audio CD)

I don't know whether these are definitive performances of Gershwin's orchestral music, but if they're not then they should be. Previn does a marvellous job as a conductor and soloist who has a great affinity and compassion for Gershwin's music. Indeed, Previn is as much at home playing jazz music as he is conducting Rachmaninov. These are warm, no nonsense readings of Gershwin's music that lack the flamboyance of Bernstein's interpretations with the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Previn produces a warm, vibrant sound from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Once again Philips has excelled in producing a well-balanced digital recording. If you're a fan of Gershwin or 20th Century Classical Music (or both) then this splendid recording belongs in your CD collection.

55 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Superb "American in Paris"; the rest is underrehearsed, October 18, 2003

By 

John Grabowski (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris (Audio CD)

Get ready for a terrific American in Paris, filled with Previn's swagger and jauntiness. This plays like film music, and it's no wonder the conductor was at home. The rest of the disc is far more problematic. The Rhapsody is ill-conceived and sounds under-rehearsed. There's not much sense of build. This is somewhat "top-heavy" music to start with, and you have to play it for all its worth. Leonard Bernstein still does the best performance (as both conductor and pianist) I've ever heard, even though he cuts the middle section. (It's better that way; Gershwin sometimes let structure get away from him.) And the Concerto in F is an abomination. It sounds more like a rehearsal than a performance. Previn skims some notes and doesn't voice all the chords. There's no strong rhythm (essential in this work) and the accents are missing. The Pittsburghers sound like they're trudging along. They loved being conducted by Previn and they made some great recordings under his baton, but this isn't one of them.

Sound is okay, though a bit bottom-heavy and "tubby." Some of the dynamics sound exaggerated to me--the bass drum and cymbals EXPLODE through the speakers at times. All in all, you can do better for two of three of these works, so I wouldn't grab this disc unless 1) I found it used very cheap (Amazon will probably edit that remark out) or 2) I'm an "American in Paris" fanatic who is willing to pay anything for a good recording of that work.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Gershwin sound! Ten stars!, July 19, 2000

By 

Joseph Montano (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris (Audio CD)

I never really agreed with Bernstein's take on Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and American in Paris. After listening to Previn's version, I was blown away by the jazzy classic sounds of Gershwin in clear digitized sound. And I even found a new work to love: the Piano Concerto in F really steals the show! I never really cared for it until I heard Previn's conduction on this piece. As for An American in Paris, we really see Gershwin's obvious loneliness that he experienced in the fine portions of France. With the sad wailing brass sections and lonely violins. Rhapsody in Blue makes you want to go psycho out in the streets to the tunes. Umm.. See for yourself on this truly American compact disc containing crisp music from one of the greatest classical/jazz artists in America!