Your favorite perfornance of Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue?

I have about 4 versions of this piece but I find I keep going back to this particular one:

I think that Bernstein's musical interpretation of Gershwin is superior. This, coupled with his long-standing chemistry with the New York  Phil and Columbia, make this the definitive recording for me. And I've listened to other recordings such as the Chicago Symphony but they don't capture the same beauty this album does. (No hate against Chicago Symphony, I have many friends there. It's just hard to compete with things that were meant to be .)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF 

Cool! I just ordered the Bernstein version!

 

Anyone own the Miller/Golub version?

Hmmm... I don't own that version but I looked it up on Amazon. Seems interesting and more "true to the original" but dunno how it sounds. Anyone here heard it?

There are many editions for this work.

My first version of this work is Michael Tilson Thomas' reconstruction of Jazz-band version.

I still like it very much.

It also has second rhapsody.

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So-called original Jazz band versions.

I still go to the ghost play by Gershwin himself with MTT conducting orchestra.

The combination of piano roll and orchestra actually sounds weird, but it gives a image of how Gershwin may play the work.

The recent Thibaudet version is ok, but not as Jazz mind as Gershwin.... You can still buy it for the Jazz band version of Piano concerto.

General large orchestra versions.

Bernstein version is mentioned.

Among Previn's different versions I like Pittsburg's version better.

Wild's version is also very exciting~

This is one of the few piano works which you don't really need the greatest pianist to make it work.

Even the great Sviatoslav Richter can't get it right..

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightK 

I have about 4 versions of this piece but I find I keep going back to this particular one:

 

I think that Bernstein's musical interpretation of Gershwin is superior. This, coupled with his long-standing chemistry with the New York  Phil and Columbia, make this the definitive recording for me. And I've listened to other recordings such as the Chicago Symphony but they don't capture the same beauty this album does. (No hate against Chicago Symphony, I have many friends there. It's just hard to compete with things that were meant to be .)

Funny, I was told  the Chicago Symphony version with  Berstein at the piano and conducting, was magic,

never listened though,

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonci 

 

Funny, I was told  the Chicago Symphony version with  Berstein at the piano and conducting, was magic,

never listened though,

It very well may be. But, we all have our own preferences and opinions on what we like a certain song to sound like. I personally think the NYP version was more lyrical but, in some sense, none of these renditions are wrong, just more suited towards different people. As the common saying goes, YMMV .
 

Earl Wild and Fiedler on RCA -- simply the best, freshest, most idiomatic ever done. Has real flair, style and pizzazz. There are indeed many fine versions, and few really bad ones. Bernstein's is great and coupled with his American in Paris becomes indispensable. It certainly has a lot of style and Bernstein proves himself to be a formidable pianist. But there's something unsaid here: Bernstein takes cuts in the score in the Sony version. He wasn't the first, and if I recall Gershwin even marked some possible cuts in the score himself. I don't know his DG version, but it has received rave reviews elsewhere.