How Gershwin Wrote His GREATEST Piece...In 5 Weeks

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[bgZ]

I cannot describe the emotional journey every teenaged clarinetist goes through seeing the opening bars of this sheet music for the first time. The dawning horror of “you want me to play *what*?!?” to realizing it’s gonna be ok, it’s just a scale. Then you do the mental math and realize the speed and technical implications of what fingering needs to happen. And then you weep. Then you try it. And it’s not as bad as you thought? But good god do you have to flub the last, highest bit for a while before you can get it in time….

[TBlev]

When Gershwin premiered this, his fingers literally bled on the keys by the time he was finished. His hands were bandaged to thundering applause.

[nicholasz]

Rhapsody in Blue's original instrumentation was actually just an expanded jazz big band-- Ferde Grofé, the orchestrator of the version popular today, deserves a lot of credit as well!
edit: as pointed out by replies, Gershwin actually just wrote a 2-piano reduction and Grofé even orchestrated the 1924 jazz band version too

[Someonepleasestopme]

I played this at the 1984 opening ceremony for the Los Angeles Olympics (along with 83 other pianists). Still have the memories and the powder blue tuxedo.

[marco_cee_]

Gershwin and Grofe really defined the sound of that era. Unmistakable.

[moskillz]

Today Rhapsody in Blue turns 100 years old. A timeless classic that will remain relevant for another 100 years.

[general_hayes]

Wrote a paper on this concerto back in college...like a separate comment mentioned Fantasia 2000 bringing this concerto back to the public. One of my favorite remarks I remember researching was...that the piano part wasn't written until 'after' the concert...and that Gershwin improvised the entire performance. Not to mention the opening slide was originally envisioned as a scale and Whiteman's clarinet player changed it as a joke into the iconic slide/glissando.

[susanelliott]

The cymbol player living his best life. I'd be grinning like an idiot.

[redyankeerose]

This is my favorite song. I was so excited a a kid when I heard it in Fantasia. So much imagery! Glad you’re covering it!!

[healdogtoec]

Chills E V E R Y time I hear this. If its a recording with an audience, tears will flow. Nothing like hearing the applause of a bunch of people transported by great music.

[melissafrye]

I "found" this piece when I was a child and played it over and over again on my cassette player... I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rhapsody in Blue. <3

[randomizerca]

Thank You, Thank You for showing Leonard Bernstein's performance where he conducts AND plays. This is - in my opinion - the best performance out there. Bernstein nailed it perfectly - ok, not perfectly - which makes me love it more.

BTW, tell us about An American In Paris sometime. That iconic final melodic line (which we have to wait almost to the end to hear) is one of the best closing phrase ever written. F - E flat - B flat - G - G flat - slide back up to F.

[bestiekyla]

This piece makes me cry every single time. Somehow Gershwin managed to put every single emotion in this song. Chills, tears, smiles, anger. They're all in there. Love it.

[sgoingonfit]

Man, your energy and enthusiasm in this video is contagious. This was one of your most fun videos to watch just because of how much fun you were having.

[swysocki]

This was the favorite song of my father and me. I would help him prepare dinner and this would come on the radio. He and I would be conducting while we cooked. The best memory!

[thomasjamison]

"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time." - Leonard Bernstein

[youtubesmulmans]

It’s a great piece, and really enjoyable to play piano-solo.
A much more recent composer who fused classical and jazz that I still would like to see discussed on this channel is Nikolai Kapustin. If you haven’t heard his work before, you’re in for a treat 😊

[eirikstave]

Thank you for this video! I´m currently studying music in Copenhagen, and this was the first complete piece I ever played with an orchestra. It really is a masterpiece!

[nathanwall]

Man, I just can't stop hearing the inspired train elements throughout the piece. I never knew that! +1 more thing to love about Rhapsody in Blue.

[noncrediblecase]

This and American in Paris are two of my favorite pieces of symphonic music. The jazz influences and the beautiful orchestrations that are present in these melodies are just out of this world.