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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 WOW!!! Mar 15, 2007
The most exhilirating and sassy Rhapsody in Blue I've ever heard.
Had me smiling all the way through, and the sound is great too.
Gershwin would have approved.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Lively and Jazzy Nov 03, 2006
This is a critically acclaimed recording of Rhapsody in Blue and I definitely agree with the critics. The interpretation is crisp and lively and with the small jazz band sound intended by the composer. Sound quality is fantastic, especially the piano solos.
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Bonding with Gershwin Sep 24, 2006
Gershwin is as American as apple pie or baseball. If you came from the old country, where you grew up on the apple strudel, you may never appreciate the apple pie. The baseball rules you never got. You have never bonded with Gershwin either.
Now you are hopeful that this CD will finally explain Gershwin to you so that you can fully assimilate this piece of Americana.
You will definitely recognize the brilliant sections of this CD, as well as its originality. This is why you are giving it five stars! However, this performance will also challenge your musical thinking and it will frustrate your musical instincts. But who said that education is easy!
You like the poetic, although nervous, "Rhapsody in Blue".
The "American in Paris" is a manic-depressive performance, you feel, with the wild contrasts in tempo. The American is not strolling in Paris, but trying to get the hell out of there! His homesickness is a full-blown depression, in which the tempo comes to a virtual halt. The orchestral fireworks are executed with a super-human nano-second precision. You wish for the smoother, more relaxing, rhythmic edges.
You definitely like Garrick Ohlsson's performance of the piano concerto. He takes a steady tempo and moves nicely. First you feel that the nervous, over-expressive and sometimes too loud orchestra should match Mr. Ohlsson's clean style, but then you find a certain attraction in this yin-yang combination. In some sections violins are standing out too much with their velvety vibrato. Mr. Ohlsson performs beautifully, and you really enjoy this concerto.
You still have a long way to go to completely bond with Mr. Gershwin, but this is a good beginning!
4 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 . . . but a subpar Concerto in F Aug 21, 2006
I am happy that the other reviewers found what they were looking for in the versions of American in Paris and Rhapsody in Blue that appear on this disc. However, those pieces are much recorded and one has many choices. Not so with the Concerto in F, Gershwin's finest and most unfairly neglected classical composition. This is partly due, of course, to the fact that the piece has no big flashy cadenza for the pianist to shine, and so soloists tend to choose other concertos to add to their repertoires. This is a shame because it's a wonderful composition.
Unfortunately, the version recorded here has a terrible fatal flaw in that the horns are so imbalanced that they overwhelm everything in the three big climaxes where the "major seven" theme is played by the full orchestra (twice in the first movement and once in the last movement). The important instruments here are the piano and the strings; the horns should be secondary. Sadly, Thomas has them blasting away as if Mahler were whispering in his ear. Because these climaxes are the crux of the concerto (certainly there are other sweet spots; the sultry and dreamy slow movement and the amazing and surprising syncopation in the finale of the first movement) the overall effect of the piece is ruined.
With due respect to the reviews below, Ohlsson's playing is wooden and Thomas' tempos are akin to metronomic. The playing does not need to be jazzy (this piece is not jazz) but the uptempo sections need to push hard, just as the slow sections need to be constantly pulled back.
For me, the disc was a huge disappointment because there seem to be so few modern recordings of this piece. One might think owning this disc is worth it to have the obviously improved audio quality offered by a modern recording, but I cannot recommend this disc due to the weaknesses of the Concerto in F and the inclusion of the two Gershwin war horses. Now, if the disc included the Second Rhapsody (which was actually orchestrated by Gershwin) it might be worth the investment. As it is, look elsewhere if you are interested in a really good recording of the Concerto in F.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Best American in Paris, better than Bernstein Jan 21, 2005
Michael Tilson Thomas is quite possibly the most underrated conductor alive today. His recordings are always astounding in their vision and power. San Francisco, although not the most powerful orchestra around, delivers one of the most convincing and most pleasing sounds today. SFSO is a bit soft on the strings, but the woodwind is marvelous and the brass rivals Chicago. However, it is the level of musicianship that Thomas and SFSO give that is so pleasing. Take, for example, this CD of Gershwin. Thomas and the symphony play these pieces with total conviction, total dedication, total beauty. They treat An American in Paris not like a trivial American showpiece but as a legitimate piece of music. And the result is nothing short of astounding. This digital recording showcases Gershwin's orchestral virtuosity fantastically. Thomas brings light to an often neglected score, allowing the listener in a way to hear An American in Paris for the first time. The brass blast, the winds chirp, the strings sing as the listener is transported to Paris. This recording is much better than Bernstein's, not only in quality of sound, but in musicianship and vision as well.
Garrick Ohlsson's Concerto is just as marvelous. The orchestra is in top form, giving a wonderfully convincing reading of the American Concerto. Ohlsson's playing isn't as jazzy as others, but it is still lively and exciting.
The Rhapsody is presented in its original "big Band" form with Thomas at the keyboard. The New World Symphony gives a wonderful accompaniment to the maestro in this all too neglected rendition of the Rhapsody. Although I do prefer Groffe's orchestral version, this recording is hard to resist! Highly recommended.
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