Earl saves the day. This is Grofe orchestration and I hear things never heard before. The great Toscanni gave it his best and the performance is winning in many ways. Must thank the maestro for talking Samuel Barber into enlarging Adagiio from string quartet into symphonic strings. Another American masterpiece.
@MrTimber101 Just shows Goodman was less than comfortable in a classical music setting--even playing in his jazz style. But Goodman was stubborn and NEVER stopped studying the clarinet to improve--he and I shared the same teacher in 1970's New York! (Leon Russianoff) Goodman commissioned many great concert works and performed with symphony orchestras until then end of his life. This is a lusty performance--individual, energetic and far from a standard interpretation. Gorgeous @ 11:25 on.
La rapsodia in Blue è stata scritta nel 1924 per pianoforte e Big Band (le origini parlano di un brano intitolato American Rhapsody per 2 pianoforti), la versione per orchestra prima e per orchestra sinfonica poi è venuta molto dopo, sempre ad opera di Ferde Grofe. Ed è per questo che ritengo (lasciando perdere le esecuzioni originali d'epoca) la versione della Columbia Jazz Band diretta da Michael Tilson Thomas la miglore esecuzione possibile, pur amando Toscanini, la sua versione non è nemmeno lontanamente paragonabile, pur passando sopra alla memorabile stecca di uno alquanto spaesato Benny Goodman.
This is better than it has any right to be. Unlikely as it might seem, Toscanini had an affinity for Gershwin, and showed his respect by playing the music straight, though the Americans in his orchestra, notably Harry Glantz on trumpet who had just joined from the NY Philharmonic where he had played under Toscanini. Besides the Rhapsody, Toscanini also conducted the piano concerto with Oscar Levant and An American in Paris, making a studio recording of the last.
Excerpt from a 1974 interview with Artie Shaw: "I ran into him [Benny Goodman] on Seventh Avenue one afternoon, and he made a point of trotting over to me to tell me that Toscanini had picked him for the Rhapsody broadcast. I don’t know what he expected me to say, but what I did say was, 'Really? Well, you’ll be so nervous that you’ll f*ck up the opening solo, and millions of people will hear you squeak when you f*ck it up.'" "Which is exactly what he did-and that cracked note, that out-of-tune squeak, is there for posterity. On any other day, he could play that solo part easily. But I got inside his head, and he f*cked it up on the air. He’ll never live that down."
Aside from Benny Goodman's brief flub in the opening clarinet solo (which must have been a big disappointment to him and the Maestro), this is a remarkably wonderful performance by a conductor who was a latecomer to Gershwin's music. Earl Wild was quite young when he played the piano solo in this performance.
Second best after Hancock/Dudamel (not including original version). I appreciate how Toscanini follow Goodman jazz mood and don't put to much Verdi fortissimo style on it. Unfortunately most of version of Rhapsody in Blue have become a classical hit and are a musicology horror without any swing.
"Swing" is irrelevant to this piece. It was written in the 20s years before swing music existed. Listen to Gershwin's own recordings. Toscanini is much closer to that than to, say, Bernstein.
@@bbailey7818 after this I am troubled: I thought Previn nailed the definitive version some way. Now I hear Toscanini was first. Too bad the recordings from '42 don't make it justice.
Earl saves the day. This is Grofe orchestration and I hear things never heard before. The great Toscanni gave it his best and the performance is winning in many ways.
Must thank the maestro for talking Samuel Barber into enlarging Adagiio from string quartet into symphonic strings.
Another American masterpiece.
Instablaster
Una potenza indescrivibile. Grandissimo Toscanini
Even the current version, flub and all, brought tears to my eyes.
Excellent Performance. Thanks. Out.
@MrTimber101 Just shows Goodman was less than comfortable in a classical music setting--even playing in his jazz style. But Goodman was stubborn and NEVER stopped studying the clarinet to improve--he and I shared the same teacher in 1970's New York! (Leon Russianoff)
Goodman commissioned many great concert works and performed with symphony orchestras until then end of his life.
This is a lusty performance--individual, energetic and far from a standard interpretation. Gorgeous @ 11:25 on.
WONDERFUL ! ! ! Thank you for posting !
Europeans who try to play this very American jazz inspired piece should hear this.....the Real Thing😊
La rapsodia in Blue è stata scritta nel 1924 per pianoforte e Big Band (le origini parlano di un brano intitolato American Rhapsody per 2 pianoforti), la versione per orchestra prima e per orchestra sinfonica poi è venuta molto dopo, sempre ad opera di Ferde Grofe. Ed è per questo che ritengo (lasciando perdere le esecuzioni originali d'epoca) la versione della Columbia Jazz Band diretta da Michael Tilson Thomas la miglore esecuzione possibile, pur amando Toscanini, la sua versione non è nemmeno lontanamente paragonabile, pur passando sopra alla memorabile stecca di uno alquanto spaesato Benny Goodman.
This is better than it has any right to be. Unlikely as it might seem, Toscanini had an affinity for Gershwin, and showed his respect by playing the music straight, though the Americans in his orchestra, notably Harry Glantz on trumpet who had just joined from the NY Philharmonic where he had played under Toscanini. Besides the Rhapsody, Toscanini also conducted the piano concerto with Oscar Levant and An American in Paris, making a studio recording of the last.
Add after "the Americans in his orchestra": showed more flair.
Excerpt from a 1974 interview with Artie Shaw:
"I ran into him [Benny Goodman] on Seventh Avenue one afternoon, and he made a point of trotting over to me to tell me that Toscanini had picked him for the Rhapsody broadcast. I don’t know what he expected me to say, but what I did say was, 'Really? Well, you’ll be so nervous that you’ll f*ck up the opening solo, and millions of people will hear you squeak when you f*ck it up.'"
"Which is exactly what he did-and that cracked note, that out-of-tune squeak, is there for posterity. On any other day, he could play that solo part easily. But I got inside his head, and he f*cked it up on the air. He’ll never live that down."
Aside from Benny Goodman's brief flub in the opening clarinet solo (which must have been a big disappointment to him and the Maestro), this is a remarkably wonderful performance by a conductor who was a latecomer to Gershwin's music. Earl Wild was quite young when he played the piano solo in this performance.
Andrew Rose's new Pristine transfer of this concert has fixed the flub. PASC 495
Second best after Hancock/Dudamel (not including original version).
I appreciate how Toscanini follow Goodman jazz mood and don't put to much Verdi fortissimo style on it.
Unfortunately most of version of Rhapsody in Blue have become a classical hit and are a musicology horror without any swing.
Historic a n d wonderful...great to hear Earl on ...a Steinway.....as his Rachmaninoff Concerti......😅
♥️♥️👏🌹
0:47 For anyone wanting to skip the introduction
Sorry, Toscaninians. List good, conductor generalized, especially the hectoring ending, which has about as much swing as a Swiss alarm clock.
"Swing" is irrelevant to this piece. It was written in the 20s years before swing music existed. Listen to Gershwin's own recordings. Toscanini is much closer to that than to, say, Bernstein.
@@bbailey7818 You are quite right
@@bbailey7818 after this I am troubled: I thought Previn nailed the definitive version some way. Now I hear Toscanini was first. Too bad the recordings from '42 don't make it justice.
You placed an AD in the middle of this masterpiece?! Cretin. Thumbs down. Unsubscribe.
I'm not the one to decide this. but youtube grant it to whoever owns the copyright of this recording, so you must blame them, not me