Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin & Jeffrey Siegel - Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue, an American in Paris (2015)

Tracklist

01. Concerto in F major: I. Allegro
02. Concerto in F major: II. Andante con moto
03. Concerto in F major: III. Allegro agitato
04. Concerto in F major: Lullaby (Arr. for Strings)
05. Concerto in F major: Cuban Overture
06. Concerto in F major: Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra
07. Concerto in F major: Promenade (Arr. for Orchestra)
08. Concerto in F major: Rhapsody in Blue
09. Concerto in F major: Variations on "I Got Rhythm"
10. Porgy and Bess, Act 1: Introduction
11. Porgy and Bess, Act 1: Porgy Sings
12. Porgy and Bess, Act 1: Fugue
13. Porgy and Bess, Act 2: Hurricane
14. Porgy and Bess, Act 3: Good Morning, Brother
15. Porgy and Bess, Act 3: An American in Paris



George Gershwin had a reputation for not following the rules. He began to take piano lessons as a child and enjoyed a fairly substantial musical education thereafter – with his teacher Charles Hambitzer hailing him a ‘genius’. Hambitzer acknowledged that Gershwin was particularly interested in ‘jazz and whatnot’, but made a point of teaching him the foundations in classical music first. Despite this, and to their great advantage, Gershwin’s compositions frequently relied on intuition rather than the rule book. This gave way to the creation of many celebrated works that continue to delight audiences around the world.

This special collection is a must-have for the Gershwin enthusiast and lovers of American orchestral music. Take a musical tour through the compositional life of one of the most popular composers of the 20th century and revel in the unmistakeable jazz and blues influences of each of the works. The collection comprises many favourites from the great composer’s oeuvre, including Lullaby, Gershwin’s first ‘serious’ work, a composition for strings; Catfish Row, the suite from the acclaimed opera Porgy and Bess; the famed Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris. The works are performed by the renowned Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and eminent conductor, Leonard Slatkin.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]