Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (arranged for two pianos and orchestra); An American in Paris; Lullaby for String Orchestra; Cuban Overture [Import]

George Gershwin (Composer), Riccardo Chailly (Conductor), The Cleveland Orchestra (Orchestra), Katia Labeque (Performer), Marielle Lebeque (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Katia Labeque, Marielle Lebeque
• Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra
• Conductor: Riccardo Chailly
• Composer: George Gershwin
• Audio CD (September 1, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Decca Ovation
• ASIN: B000026CFR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #759,735 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rhap In Blue

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cleveland does it again, August 30, 2004

By 

Bruce Hodges (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (arranged for two pianos and orchestra); An American in Paris; Lullaby for String Orchestra; Cuban Overture (Audio CD)

Back in the 1970's, I had a great all-Gershwin LP with Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra, that I bought primarily for the powerful performance of the "Cuban Overture." Now the same ensemble has triumphed once again with this piece, conducted in 1987 by Riccardo Chailly, who completely nails the work's swingy, jazzy style. Among many delights, the percussion effects are particularly vivid, with waves of bongos and other drums sounding incredibly crisp and present. The Cleveland brass section carries a huge punch, too, sailing over the mix, but not so loud that the rest of the group's expert players are eclipsed.

The entertainingly brilliant Labeque sisters are the anchors at the piano -- or rather, pianos -- for a gorgeous "Rhapsody in Blue," and then the orchestra's string section gets its turn to show off in a relative rarity called "Lullaby." And the warhorse "An American in Paris" is quite well-judged, both in tempi and balance. Again, you might think Bernstein were still alive and looking over Chailly's shoulders, nodding at how admirably Chailly has assimilated Gershwin's idiom.

The sound quality is terrific, and fully captures the sound of this expert ensemble, which shows once again why its virtuosity is acclaimed all over the world. The horn-honks in "An American in Paris" just throb with vitality, the saxophone solos are exceptional, and let's not forget the luminous clarinet in the "Rhapsody" -- this is orchestral work at its very best. Just a fantastic recording, and probably essential for Gershwin fans.