Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Piano Concerto in F (2010)

Among the hundreds or thousands of recordings of Gershwin favorites on the market, it's difficult to stand out. But this big-budget European release manages to do it. Even if it's not uniformly successful, there's a feeling of appreciation for Gershwin's music here that has merit on its own. Instead of trying to blend the classical and jazz elements in Gershwin, conductor Riccardo Chailly takes the novel approach of pushing each of them to extremes and, in various ways, keeping them separate. He generally -- most noticeably ... Read More

Among the hundreds or thousands of recordings of Gershwin favorites on the market, it's difficult to stand out. But this big-budget European release manages to do it. Even if it's not uniformly successful, there's a feeling of appreciation for Gershwin's music here that has merit on its own. Instead of trying to blend the classical and jazz elements in Gershwin, conductor Riccardo Chailly takes the novel approach of pushing each of them to extremes and, in various ways, keeping them separate. He generally -- most noticeably in the Piano Concerto in F -- scales back the freedom of tempo that's usual in Gershwin. Working with not just an established European orchestra but the granddaddy of them all, the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, Chailly, seems to generate rapport with the musicians, perhaps because they're not forced to move too far out of their rhythmic comfort zone. Yet these aren't carefully controlled, non-jazzy readings of the sort one sometimes hears from Europe, and, for that matter, the... Read Less