Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue

If there's any piece I can listen to a hundred times, it's this.

I don't have anything much else to say about it, but it's brilliant.

I've never heard a piece of music that's so layered, so catchy, so serene, so exciting, so captivating, ever. Ever. It's like raw emotion. Gershwin doesn't wait, nor does he take a breather. He just pounds you with music in an orgiastic bombardment of the best music ever.

But this is just my opinion.

What do you guys think of this piece? It's perhaps one of the "happiest" pieces of serious art music I've ever heard. It's just so funny and cheeky and serious and sappy and in your face I LOVE IT!

I have like 5 Gershwin CDs. I love Gershwin. George awas a genius, along with his wife- i believe she wrote the lyrics to some of his songs....correct me if i am wrong? Well anyways i love the piece you have named...i listen to it like all the time. Our Jazz band is currently working on "strike up the band" and i just love the arrangement.....also i love his "i got rythm" arrangement! Pure genius.....

Um, George never had a wife. Maybe you're thinking of his brother, Ira.

OMG....lol i just assumed that was his wife....wow :unsure:

Hahaha, I always thought that Ira was his wife too! wow...

Anyway, he is a genius. I love his music, and I don't think I'll ever get sick of it. Not much more to say here.

Awesome song! yea, we get to play it in our wind ensemble and one of the fathers is a professional pianist so he will be playing that part. Anyway, im out

lol that is just about the funniest thing ever. No Ira is the brother. Yes, I love Gershwin. He is one of my top favorite composers and the Rhasody is one of my favorite pieces. I can see what you mean by a cheek to cheek grin. 

It's funny. So many people have criticized his music for not following any steady form, or being just some choppy connection of one idea going to another. That it is, but its done so flawlessly. It's choppy with a purpose. That's why it rocks.

Rhapsody in Blue is a great piece, one which I am currently learning to play on the piano (or have learnt, depending on whether you want me to play the optional cut or not). However, I prefer American in Paris. Just a personal preference, they're both great.

Did you know: It was not Gershwin who orchestrated the Rhapsody, infact he wrote the basis of the composition and gave it to someone else to do it (cant remember his name) because during that time he was not educated enough to write for an orchestra and there was the deadline coming for the concert. The concert was to promote american music... or something like that.

Did you know 2: The oppening clarinet solo was not originally included in the composition. One day at a rehearsal, a bored clarinet player messed around with the main theme, jokingly, in between breaks, from that on it was decided to open the piece with a such clarinet solo (I also dont know if it was gershwin who decided this or the orchestrator).

While this is great yes, and is a timeless work of American Art, I think it's way overrated. By the way, that clarinet solo inspired me to play the clarinet.

If there's any piece I can listen to a hundred times, it's this.

I don't have anything much else to say about it, but it's brilliant.

I've never heard a piece of music that's so layered, so catchy, so serene, so exciting, so captivating, ever. Ever. It's like raw emotion. Gershwin doesn't wait, nor does he take a breather. He just pounds you with music in an orgiastic bombardment of the best music ever.

But this is just my opinion.

What do you guys think of this piece? It's perhaps one of the "happiest" pieces of serious art music I've ever heard. It's just so funny and cheeky and serious and sappy and in your face I LOVE IT!

:mellow: :blink:

Agreed, it's a fantastic piece. You have to be dead not to like it. Awesome, brilliant. Yes, extremely catchy.

I too have five Gershwin CDs. Sure, Rhapsody is amazing, and An American in Paris is quite fascinating, but those are just his two most well-known works. If you like those, you should check out his Concerto in F, the Cuban Overture, Lullaby, and his three piano preludes, not to mention his many songs. And Porgy and Bess is worth a listen too.

Also, for concert band, Warren Barker's put together an excellent medley arrangement of Gershwin's most popular themes, titled The Symphonic Gershwin.