- Audio CD (Nov 3 1998)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: EMI Classics
- ASIN: B00000IGWV
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #80,360 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Details |
Track Listings
| 1. Rhapsody In Blue |
| 2. Rhapsody In Blue: An American In Paris |
| 3. Piano Concerto In F: I. Allegro |
| 4. Piano Concerto In F: II. Adagio - Andante con moto |
| 5. Piano Concerto In F: III. Allegro agitato |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
The best Gershwin pianists are able to fuse a solid classical technique with an innate feeling for jazz timekeeping. André Previn is ideal in both respects. He knows that Gershwin's lyrical musings need not be distended, as one might do in a Tchaikovsky or Liszt concerto. Previn also accents syncopated figures without overemphasizing them, or beating them into the ground. On the other hand, Previn can't help monkeying around with the text, but many Gershwin pianists have done worse. The London Philharmonic matches their soloist-conductor in verve and swagger. Fine as the concerted works are, An American in Paris takes the cake in a performance that truly evokes a wide-eyed tourist swept up in the bustle and allure of any vibrant city. The 1971 sonics haven't aged a bit, and EMI's newly minted transfer will please the most exacting audiophile. --Jed Distler
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Superb performances of lightweight works.,
By Augustus Caesar, Ph.D. (Eugene, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rhap In Blue/An American In Pa (Audio CD)
George Gershwin remains one of the finest songwriters of the 20th century. As a melodist, he had few peers, and he left a body of work that remains a monument to his talent. In "Porgy and Bess," he created one of the few American operas to find a niche in the repertory, and songs like "Summertime" and "Bess, You is My Woman Now" made "Porgy" a truly great work. It is when one gets to Gershwin's excursions into orchestral music that problems arise, at least in my opinion. Don't get me wrong--there are many wonderful things about "Rhapsody in Blue," "An American in Paris," and the Piano Concerto in F. At their best, they abound in melodic invention and a swaggering jazzy charm. Unfortunately, it must be said that they also have a tendency to meander in search of where to go next, and to rely on heavy doses of bombastic horn sforzandos and quick scalar piano runs in place of real ideas or development. For this listener, Gershwin's penchant for compensating for a lack of ideas with noise proves very tiresome, and weighs down the positive qualities of his concert music. As far as the performances on this disc, you cannot do better than Andre Previn and the LSO. Previn's background as a jazz pianist and Hollywood orchestrator and arranger is ideally suited to the music at hand, and both the pianism and orchestral playing are outstanding. They are, indeed, as good as this music deserves.
3.0 out of 5 stars
The LSO ain't a great jazz ensemble,
By
This review is from: Rhap In Blue/An American In Pa (Audio CD)
If this is the only rendition of these Gerswhin pieces you've heard, then you'll probably be satisfied; however if you have a copy of Jeffrey Siegel with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony, then you might be less charmed by Previn's approach and you could well be downright disappointed by some of the orchestral playing, particularly the brass and woodwinds. The sound quality is not ideal either, the piano relentlessly dominant, and the orchestral details indistinct, and despite the very recent remastering there is an edginess to the sound that is unnatural and distracting. For mine, definitely not one of the great recordings of the century.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overrated interpretation/performance,
By A Customer
This review is from: Rhap In Blue/An American In Pa (Audio CD)
I found Previn's "Rhapsody" a grave disappointment.The orchestra, particularly the brass, is sloppy and frequently downright inappropriate-- bombastic percussion, weak horns, and so on. As for interpretation, from beginning to finish Previn-- both as conductor and as pianist-- seems perpetually rushed, as though Gershwin's music were merely a means to a higher end. I found this interpretation devoid of profundity in any emotional realm; thoroughly un-groovin' and un-movin'. Don't bother.
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