September 2010
Beginner
376 pages
12h 7m
English
In 1923, a well-known bandleader named Paul Whiteman asked Gershwin to write a concerto for Whiteman’s jazz orchestra. Gershwin casually agreed to the idea and resumed his other projects. A short time later, the composer was quite shocked to read an announcement from Whiteman in the newspaper saying the concerto would be premiered in six weeks at a New York event called “An Experiment in Modern Music.” Amazingly, Gershwin finished the work in under a month, and his arranger, Frede Grofe, prepared it for the band in time for the program. Rhapsody in Blue was an overwhelming ...
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