Gershwin by Grofé: Symphonic Jazz - Rhapsody in Blue, Songs, I Got Rhythm

Harmonie Ensemble;
Steven Richman

HMU 907492

Nakład wyprzedany, ostatnie 2 egzemplarze

I think we have something rather special here...With players of this calibre in the ensemble it s small wonder that the playing throughout is razor-sharp. Steven Richman clearly has this music in his blood and he directs crisply and with evident affection for the music. The production values associated with this CD are superb. The recorded sound is clear and up-front, as you d want for music such as this but not in an aggressive way. The booklet and sleeve contain a wonderful selection of atmospheric black-and-white photographs. The booklet includes an interesting essay by Don Rayno but this is only a précis of a much more substantial article that s available to download from the Harmonia Mundi website. Though it s a much longer read I d strongly recommend accessing the full article. It s packed with information and it reads very well. Your appreciation of the recordings will undoubtedly be heightened by reading Mr Rayno s full comments and it s only there, for example, that you ll learn about the splicing that s been achieved in the clarinet solo in Rhapsody. I found the Harmonia Mundi site difficult to navigate a bit too clever for its own good, to be honest but this link should take you direct to the article. This disc offers relatively short paying time but that s its only shortcoming . On one level it s hugely entertaining. However, the disc does much more than this. The performances, though they wear their scholarship lightly, are every bit as historically informed as, say, a performance of a Handel concerto grosso on baroque instruments. As such, it adds greatly to our understanding and appreciation of Gershwin, that tragically short-lived genius. This is not only a mandatory purchase for all Gershwin fans but also should excite many other collectors. --Classical Music Reviews - September 2010 MusicWeb-International.html

Works:

• Gershwin: Fascinatin' Rhythm
• Gershwin: I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise
• Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
• Gershwin: Somebody Loves Me
• Gershwin: Summertime (from Porgy and Bess)
• Gershwin: Sweet and Low-Down
• Gershwin: That Certain Feeling
• Gershwin: The Man I Love
• Gershwin: Variations on I Got Rhythm
• Gershwin: Yankee Doodle Blues

CD

Muzyka klasyczna

Harmonia Mundi

04-05-2010

93046749224