Ferde Grofé; George Gershwin - Grand Canyon Suite; Rhapsody in Blue; An American in Paris (Leonard Bernstein)

Information

Composer: Ferde Grofé; George Gershwin

• Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (orch. Ferde Grofé)
• Gershwin - An American in Paris
• Grofé - Grand Canyon Suite

New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Leonard Bernstein, piano & conductor

Date: 1959, 1958, 1963 / 1997

Label: Sony

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Review

These are performances of proven pedigree, the only reservations being Bernstein’s heavily cut and somewhat ponderous (at least in the closing pages) version of Rhapsody in Blue. Like almost everything Bernstein did, it’s full of character, but whether or not this means character of the right sort will be very much a matter of individual taste. No such reservations accompany the performance of An American in Paris, which has all of the requisite panache and not a shred of vulgarity or cheapness. It’s a loving, vital, even moving performance as memorable for the nostalgic (but not too schmaltzy) central interlude as for its brasher episodes. It is, in fact, a touch reserved in such places as the big jazz tune on trumpet that precedes the return to the opening, and serves as proof positive that Bernstein’s head was as much a factor in his performances as was his heart.

The Grofé receives a smashing performance, highly colored in the closing “Cloudburst” and deliciously sly in “On the Trail”, but again never maudlin or trashy. It goes without saying that Benny Goodman and the Columbia Jazz Combo turn in as distinguished an account of Prelude, Fugue and Riffs as any. The remastered sound doesn’t improve hugely on previous issues, but then it didn’t really have to. This is good late-’50s/early-’60s stereo that won’t win any audiophile awards but nevertheless suits the performances and never comes between the music and the listener. Very good then, if you can live with Bernstein’s (as opposed to Gershwin’s) Rhapsody–and who wouldn’t want to do that?

— David Hurwitz (reviewing SONY CLASSICAL SK 90393)

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Ferde Grofé (27 March 1892 – 3 April 1972) was an influential American composer and arranger. Raised in a musical family, he became a versatile performer and later introduced innovative arranging techniques that separated brass and reed sections, contributing to early big band jazz. As pianist and chief arranger for Paul Whiteman orchestra, Grofé orchestrated George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and helped blend jazz rhythms with classical forms. His own notable works include Grand Canyon Suite and Mississippi Suite, along with later programmatic orchestral compositions and film scores.

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George Gershwin (26 September 1898 – 11 July 1937) was a pivotal American composer who combined classical training with popular styles such as ragtime and jazz. Collaborating closely with his brother Ira, Gershwin produced enduring Broadway works and songs, including Lady, Be Good and I Got Rhythm. His concert pieces, Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and Porgy and Bess, blended jazz idioms with classical forms and gained international acclaim. Though his classical status remains debated, Gershwin is widely regarded as a significant musical innovator whose influence crossed genres and continents.

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Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the US to receive worldwide acclaim. His fame derived from his tenure as the music director of the New York Philharmonic, his concerts with most of the world's leading orchestras, and his composition. As a composer he wrote in many styles encompassing symphonic and orchestral music, ballet, film and theatre music, choral works, opera, chamber music and piano pieces. He also gave numerous television lectures on classical music.

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