Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, An American in Paris

1	Rhapsody in Blue, for pia
2	An American in Paris, ton
3	Concerto in F, for piano
4	Concerto in F, for piano
5	Concerto in F, for piano
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, An American in Paris
1.	Rhapsody in Blue, for piano & orchestra (orchestrated by F. Grofé) 17:25
	Composed by George Gershwin
	Performed by Thomas, New World Symphony and Jerome Simas
	Conducted by Thomas
2.	An American in Paris, tone poem for orchestra 18:19
	Composed by George Gershwin
	Conducted by Thomas
	Performed by San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
3.	Concerto in F, for piano & orchestra 33:30
	Composed by George Gershwin
	Conducted by Thomas
	Performed by Garrick Ohlsson and San Francisco Symphony Orchestra

All Music Guide

Most familiar in the lush arrangement for piano and full orchestra by Ferde Grofé, George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is often exaggerated by flamboyant pianists and conductors to resemble a full-blown Romantic piano concerto. However, this performance by Garrick Ohlsson and Michael Tilson Thomas follows Grofé's 1924 version for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, a leaner and much less pretentious score. With the rowdy interpretation it receives here, replete with distinctive jazz timbres, "Rhapsody" sounds remarkably fresh and appealing. Conducting a scaled-down "New World Symphony," Tilson Thomas takes the piece at a fast clip and delivers it in a bawdy big band style, with especially strong blues inflections in the winds. Emulating Gershwin's brisk, no-nonsense piano style, Ohlsson plays efficiently with a crisp, bright tone, and makes no grandiose displays of bravado or sentimentality. Similarly uptempo and vigorous, "An American in Paris" is almost as exciting as the "Rhapsody," though some may find that the hurried pace deprives the work of much of its sensuality. The "Concerto in F" benefits from Ohlsson's clear-headed and robust approach, and Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony provide an energetic accompaniment to match. In this 2004 reissue, "Rhapsody in Blue" has terrific sound, but "An American in Paris" and the "Concerto in F" are less clear and vibrant. Blair Sanderson

Birmingham Post

No one can deny the natural flair of [Tilson Thomas's] response to these masterpieces of new world/old world integration. Christopher D. Morley