Gershwin - An American in Paris / 2022 Remastered (rfrc.: Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic)

Full Album available // Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue & An American in Paris by Leonard Bernstein
George Gershwin (1898-1937) An American in Paris
00:00 An American in Paris (Remastered 2022)

Piano & Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Recorded in 1958, at New York City
New mastering in 2022 by AB for CMRR
❤️ If you like CM//RR content, please consider membership at our Patreon page.

Gershwin's father Morris once said of An American in Paris: "It's very important music — it takes 20 minutes to play" This "important music" was largely written in Paris and Vienna during Gershwin's extended tour of Europe in 1928 and was also orchestrated by him. He saw this composition as a rhapsodic ballet and considered it his most modern music to date; in it Gershwin was not trying musically to depict any particular scenes but only wished to reflect general impressions. Nevertheless he dropped a few hints as to a slight plot (which the music critic Deems Taylor expanded into a detailed description of a stay in Paris in the program booklet for the first performance): An American is strolling through the city (the introductory Allegretto grazioso is the "promenade theme" which accompanies him from sight to sight). He hurls himself into the traffic chaos of the big city (four motor horns — at the first performance the genuine article from France! — provide the necessary local color): he hears a popular old favorite (« La Sorella » with forte trombones) in an "establishment," abandons himself to nostalgic thoughts of home in a café and "has the blues" (a muted trumpet playing an appropriate tune Andante ma con ritmo deciso), is cheered UP by a Charleston (Allegro) and once again finds pleasure in the hustle and bustle of Parisian life.

An American in Paris was given its first performance in December 13, 1928 by the New York Philharmonic under Walter Damrosch at Carnegie Hall. It was another triumph for Gershwin in spite of mixed reviews and is regarded today, along with the Rhapsody in Blue, as a milestone in the development of an independent American concert repertoire.

This recording also represents a critical juncture in the "geography of the New York Philharmonic. Since the late nineteenth century it had been performing principally in Carnegie Hall/ but the players often traveled to other venues for recordings. One of the most impressive was the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn Heights, where the Gershwin pieces on this disc were committed to tape. It was the largest hotel in New York City: by the 1 930s it had grown to comprise 2,632 rooms, a rooftop dance-parlor with sweeping Manhattan views, the "world's largest" saltwater swimming pool, and a grand ballroom that was well suited to symphonic-scale recording..

Other Album available // Schumann: The 4 Symphonies by Leonard Bernstein

[classicalmusicreference]

Full Album available // Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue & An American in Paris by Leonard Bernstein
George Gershwin (1898-1937) An American in Paris
00:00 An American in Paris (Remastered 2022)


Piano & Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
New York Philharmonic
Recorded in 1958, at New York City
New mastering in 2022 by AB for CMRR
❤ If you like CM//RR content, please consider membership at our Patreon page.

Gershwin's father Morris once said of An American in Paris: "It's very important music — it takes 20 minutes to play" This "important music" was largely written in Paris and Vienna during Gershwin's extended tour of Europe in 1928 and was also orchestrated by him. He saw this composition as a rhapsodic ballet and considered it his most modern music to date; in it Gershwin was not trying musically to depict any particular scenes but only wished to reflect general impressions. Nevertheless he dropped a few hints as to a slight plot (which the music critic Deems Taylor expanded into a detailed description of a stay in Paris in the program booklet for the first performance): An American is strolling through the city (the introductory Allegretto grazioso is the "promenade theme" which accompanies him from sight to sight). He hurls himself into the traffic chaos of the big city (four motor horns — at the first performance the genuine article from France! — provide the necessary local color): he hears a popular old favorite (« La Sorella » with forte trombones) in an "establishment, " abandons himself to nostalgic thoughts of home in a café and "has the blues" (a muted trumpet playing an appropriate tune Andante ma con ritmo deciso), is cheered UP by a Charleston (Allegro) and once again finds pleasure in the hustle and bustle of Parisian life.

An American in Paris was given its first performance in December 13, 1928 by the New York Philharmonic under Walter Damrosch at Carnegie Hall. It was another triumph for Gershwin in spite of mixed reviews and is regarded today, along with the Rhapsody in Blue, as a milestone in the development of an independent American concert repertoire.

This recording also represents a critical juncture in the "geography of the New York Philharmonic. Since the late nineteenth century it had been performing principally in Carnegie Hall/ but the players often traveled to other venues for recordings. One of the most impressive was the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn Heights, where the Gershwin pieces on this disc were committed to tape. It was the largest hotel in New York City: by the 1 930s it had grown to comprise 2, 632 rooms, a rooftop dance-parlor with sweeping Manhattan views, the "world's largest" saltwater swimming pool, and a grand ballroom that was well suited to symphonic-scale recording..

Other Album available // Schumann: The 4 Symphonies by Leonard Bernstein

[jhpvids]

Absolutely amazing. Thank you Mr. B and New York Philharmonic of this gem from George Gershwin ❤️❤️❤️❤️🎵🎶🎼

[sammcbride]

Nobody can put a smile on my face, musically speaking, like George Gershwin.

[classicalmusicreference]

Gershwin's father Morris once said of An American in Paris: "It's very important music — it takes 20 minutes to play" This "important music" was largely written in Paris and Vienna during Gershwin's extended tour of Europe in 1928 and was also orchestrated by him. He saw this composition as a rhapsodic ballet and considered it his most modern music to date; in it Gershwin was not trying musically to depict any particular scenes but only wished to reflect general impressions. Nevertheless he dropped a few hints as to a slight plot (which the music critic Deems Taylor expanded into a detailed description of a stay in Paris in the program booklet for the first performance): An American is strolling through the city (the introductory Allegretto grazioso is the "promenade theme" which accompanies him from sight to sight). He hurls himself into the traffic chaos of the big city (four motor horns — at the first performance the genuine article from France! — provide the necessary local color): he hears a popular old favorite (« La Sorella » with forte trombones) in an "establishment, " abandons himself to nostalgic thoughts of home in a café and "has the blues" (a muted trumpet playing an appropriate tune Andante ma con ritmo deciso), is cheered UP by a Charleston (Allegro) and once again finds pleasure in the hustle and bustle of Parisian life.

An American in Paris was given its first performance in December 13, 1928 by the New York Philharmonic under Walter Damrosch at Carnegie Hall. It was another triumph for Gershwin in spite of mixed reviews and is regarded today, along with the Rhapsody in Blue, as a milestone in the development of an independent American concert repertoire.

This recording also represents a critical juncture in the "geography of the New York Philharmonic. Since the late nineteenth century it had been performing principally in Carnegie Hall/ but the players often traveled to other venues for recordings. One of the most impressive was the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn Heights, where the Gershwin pieces on this disc were committed to tape. It was the largest hotel in New York City: by the 1 930s it had grown to comprise 2, 632 rooms, a rooftop dance-parlor with sweeping Manhattan views, the "world's largest" saltwater swimming pool, and a grand ballroom that was well suited to symphonic-scale recording..

Other Album available // Schumann: The 4 Symphonies by Leonard Bernstein

[jesustovar]

Thanks again, this is just what I needed, one of my favorite recordings and one of my favorite pieces, this remastering is probably the BEST, I can hear and feel every note, every instrument, this is one one of the best symphonic poems and one of the best symphonic works of 20th century, funny, exciting, smooth, you can feel that spirit of F. Scott Fitzgerald works like Great Gatsby (there were many american writers in Paris back in the day, like Gertrude Stein and of course Ernest Hemingway, along several composers like Stravinsky or Ravel, which Gershwin met, the fashion and cars of 1920s, Les Anées Folles (the crazy years).

Gershwin already demonstrated to have a mastery of orchestration here, even Nadia Boulanger, one of the most important music teachers in 20th century, said about Gershwin "he already found his own voice". I picture myself walking in the streets of Paris, hearing the traffic and street vendors, eating croissants and being in cafés, eating sweets or some other dish with a drink, walking through the squares and parks, staying in luxury hotels, thinking about home while watching the whole capitol at the afternoon and night, going to jazz clubs, talking with americna friends and dancing swing or charleston with a beautiful girl (french or american), and at the end being in a train station, saying goodbye while fireworks are launched into the sky, everyone says goodbye to me happily, and hoping that one day we will meet again.


Scenes from the 1951 film An American in Paris comes to mind, starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron (still alive at the day I'm writing this), with the pianist and actor Oscar Levant, friend an disciple of Gershwin, it would be great to have his recordings on this channel someday, that film is one of the best tributes to Gershwin if not the best, including songs of him with lyrics of his brother Ira, the ballet sequence is one of the best choreographed and staged sequences in any musical film or play.

Saludos desde Caracas, Venezuela, de un joven amante de la música clásica.

[notaire]

Erfreuliche und wunderschöne Interpretation dieses scheinbar jazzigen doch wesentlich klassisch komponierten Meisterwerks mit klar artikuliertem Klang des technisch fehlerlosen Soloklaviers sowie farbenprächtigen doch perfekt entsprechenden Tönen der anderen Instrumente. Der intelligente und geniale Solist/Dirigent leitet das hoch funktionelle Orchester im veränderlichen Tempo und mit möglichst effektiver Dynamik. Die verbesserte Tonqualität ist auch ziemlich hoch als eine Originalaufnahme von verundsechzig Jahren vor. Faszinierend vom Anfang bis zum Ende!

[ronwalker]

GEORGE GERSHWIN WAS AMERICA´S MUSICAL GENIUS, AND INCREASES WITH EACH LISTENING.

[uppityglivestockian]

Great remaster, the sound gleams. An American in Paris is among the top 5 movies of all time in my book. Big thanks for sharing, paz y salud.

[fromthesidelines]

Recorded on December 21, 1958 (in the balloom of the St. George Hotel in New York).