The WDR Funkhausorchester, featured on this recording, is one of Germany's most listened-to orchestras, known for its wide array of genres, including symphonic jazz and even Rap and Dubstep Crossover.
Critical Reception
At its 1924 premiere, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was announced as an 'experiment' and enthusiastically received by the audience, who recognized its unique fusion of jazz and classical symphonic music.
Performer Biography
Wayne Marshall, the conductor on this album, began mastering the keyboard by ear at the age of three, laying the foundation for his acclaimed career as an organist and pianist.
Composer's Artistic Vision
George Gershwin, the composer of several works on this album, aimed to become a 'serious' composer while still embracing popular music, a feat he achieved with Rhapsody in Blue.
Compositional Technique
Paquito D'Rivera's composition, The Elephant and the Clown, uses additional 'effect instruments' to imitate animal sounds and bird calls, alongside demanding virtuosity from standard orchestral instruments.
Composition History
The famous clarinet glissando at the beginning of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was not originally conceived by Gershwin but was inspired by clarinettist Ross Gorman during a rehearsal.
Performer Biography
Paquito D'Rivera, a clarinettist, saxophonist, band leader, and composer featured on this album, fled Cuba in 1981 and became a US citizen, going on to win over a dozen Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.
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