Bernstein plays and conducts Rhapsody in Blue
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Leonard Bernstein conducts the New York Philharmonic and performs on the piano George Gershwin’s (1898-1937) iconic Rhapsody in Blue in this wonderful recording.
Incredibly, Gershwin composed this amazing piece of music in only 3 weeks back in 1924. As in a European-style concerto, the piece features a solo instrument, the piano, partnered with the symphony orchestra. It also has a concerto-like form, starting fast, moving to a slow section, and concluding with a fast section. It’s eminently American, though, in rhythm, melody and harmony, all of which evoke American jazz.
Gershwin pioneered bringing jazz onto the orchestral concert stage. This piece became part of any respectable orchestra’s standard repertoire. In this recording from 1976, Bernstein really got that orchestra swinging! One of the best performances of this work I’ve heard. 17 minutes.
