George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, arguably the most popular work for piano and orchestra written by an American, came about almost by accident. Toward the end of 1923, popular bandleader Paul Whiteman asked Gershwin if he'd consider writing a jazz concerto for his orchestra. Gershwin informally agreed to do so and returned to his regular beat of writing songs for Broadway shows. Imagine Gershwin's surprise on January 4, 1924, when his brother Ira brought along that day's edition of the New York Evening Herald, wherein Whiteman announced that George's jazz concerto was to be premiered at a program at New York's Aeolian Hall entitled "An Experiment in Modern Music" on February 12. This was barely more than a month away. The four-stave manuscript of Rhapsody in Blue, now in the Library of Congress, records that George began work on the piece on January 7, 1924. It was done by February 4, 1924, when arranger Ferde Grofé ordered the orchestral parts be made up in time for rehearsals. Then as now, it was standard procedure for a Broadway composer to use an orchestrator, and Grofé was then producing most of the Whiteman band's original arrangements and leading the rehearsals. George had other help, too: Ira suggested he use the slow second theme based on a melody already composed, and Victor Herbert advised George on some of the transitional material used to hold the movement together. Whiteman clarinetist Ross Gorman improvised the famous clarinet glissando that opens the work as a gag during rehearsals and George asked him to keep playing it that way. The title, Rhapsody in Blue, is not so much related to the final form of the piece as it was inspired by a painting of James McNeill Whistler entitled Nocturne in Black and Gold. The premiere of Rhapsody in Blue was a huge success and it was clear at the outset that the work had enormous commercial potential. Grofé created three more orchestrations of it—the first being a 21-part version for theater orchestra that became the standard text of the work for the next two decades. Grofé didn't create a version for full orchestra until 1942, and this is now the version that is most familiar and most frequently recorded. About this time, Grofé created yet another incarnation of Rhapsody in Blue for symphonic band in which the piano part is optional.

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Rhapsody in Blue, for piano and jazz orchestra (tr. for solo piano)

George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra had been the talk of New York ever since its premiere at Aeolian Hall on February 12, 1924. Gershwin's publisher Harms Inc. (now part of Warner-Chappell) was anxious to capitalize on its success, and at first it brought out Rhapsody in Blue in a 21-part version for theater orchestra arranged by Ferde Grofé. Harms also produced an edition similar in form (if not identical in content) to Gershwin's original manuscript, scored for solo piano with a second piano part that represented a reduction of the orchestral parts. Also, by the end of 1924, Harms had published what it called the "Little Rhapsody in Blue," a suite of the main themes arranged for easy piano by Honora Klarmann. But what was clearly needed was a good solo piano version of the work. However, Gershwin felt that a solo piano version of Rhapsody in Blue would prove unplayable, and the closest he got to creating one himself was in the form of two Aeolian piano rolls of the work made in 1925 and 1927 with the help of Frank Milne, an expert roll editor. In 1927, Harms did finally publish a solo piano version of Rhapsody in Blue created by one of its staff arrangers. As Gershwin had predicted, it was rather difficult to play, but proved hugely successful commercially. It wasn't until 1940, after Gershwin's untimely demise, that Harms' successor company Warner Bros. Music engaged arranger Herman Wasserman to create a simplified solo piano version playable by most mortals, and this is the edition one is most likely to encounter inside the piano benches of students and amateurs. In 1996, Warner-Chappell added yet another chapter to this story by publishing what you might call a "complification" of Rhapsody in Blue edited by pianist Alicia Zizzo. This is a solo piano version that includes every note of music Gershwin wrote down relating to Rhapsody in Blue, including cut material and variant ideas. While this edition has been received only lukewarmly by many within Gershwin's critical camp, it is interesting to see where the composer may have gone with Rhapsody in Blue under different circumstances.

© Uncle Dave Lewis , All Music Guide