I don’t even have words. I believe Gershwin was 24 when he composed it!!! From wiki: “Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered in a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music" on February 12, 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York City.[2][3] Whiteman's band performed the rhapsody with Gershwin playing the piano.[4] Whiteman's arranger Ferde Grofé orchestrated the rhapsody several times including the 1924 original scoring, the 1926 pit orchestra scoring, and the 1942 symphonic scoring.” ❤️❤️❤️🎵🎵🎵🎵
Just think, 2024 marks the centennial of "Rhapsody in Blue" which is still a masterpiece of modern music. Gershwin was a genius, and Bernstein's conducting and piano playing were out of this world. Incredible performance.
I just like the tune. I am fortunate enough in that I have seen and heard a live performance by the BBC Concert Orchestra, with Dudley Moore at the piano. A real privilege.
I am an 81 year old woman. My second husband, Jim Hollingsworth, who has now passed away introduced me to his favorite music Leonard Bernstein playing Rhapsody in blue. He was invited to lead the Dallas Orchestra when he was 16 years old and of course this was the song. I was delighted that Rhapsody in blue was played at his memorial service June 8, 2013 . He told me the story of his life over the phone while playing Rhapsody in blue. It all fits beautifully most especially the romantic interlude. Thank you so much for this memory Sharon Ashworth Hollingsworth.
Thank you for all of the kind replies to my memories of a wonderful love affair to remember, knowing that our heavenly father placed us together in our later life. We went to high school together and he was best friends with my first husband!
@@justindrucker6267 whaooo incredible maybe one day via zoom or teams help him to do a piece that he likes the most and stream it so people that love what he does can enjoy him. Let me know
It's 1945. You're moving to the United States after the end of the war and after going through the whole immigration process, you've made it. The crossroads of the world, the city that never sleeps, the big apple, the place where dreams become reality. New York City. From the constant bustle of people to the striking scale of the buildings and architecture, it's all too incredible. When the sun turns to moon bright lights shine all across the skyline, and the city comes alive. From the streets to the rooftops, a city so big is somehow so filled with life. When I listen to Rhapsody in Blue, that's all I can imagine, is not just New York City, but THE City. Though the idea of such a life has been lost to time, it is things like music that will never be lost, and can create so vividly an image for us.
It’s August of 2024. I just wrapped up a 35 year career with, and retired from United Airlines. I fell in love with Gershwin and Rhapsody in Blue, in my high school music appreciation class. That was just over 50 years ago. I came to absolutely hate the piece when it was adopted by United Airlines for marketing and internal propaganda purposes. Now that I’m retired, I hope that I can learn to love it again. Watching Bernstein simultaneously conduct and play, is a thing of beauty. Thanks for sharing this video.
I learned of the piece because of United. I traveled a lot for business then and the scenes of family moved me to tears every time. I do thank United for that, for whatever its worth. : )
I remember Lenny as if I saw him yesterday - I am turning 100 next year. We are from the same town (Lawrence, MA) and went to the same grammar school for a year. He was not a musical prodigy at that point but seeing him blooming as a legend of the 20th century music was quite mesmerizing.
THANK YOU FROM EIRE MS.PARKE FOR THIS EXCELLENT PERSONAL INSIGHT 👌👌👌👌👌👌MAY YOU STAY FOREVER YOUNG IN MIND BODY AGUS SPIRIT 🇺🇸🤝🇨🇮🙂🌑🙃🇨🇮🇨🇮💎💚💎🇨🇮🇨🇮✌🐕 P.S.HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COME!!🥳🥳🥳🎩🧣🎩💎💚💎🐕
That clarinetist is Stanley Drucker. He was principal clarinetist for the New York Philharmonic for over 40 years. Bernstein called him Junior. Probably one of the few clarinetists in the world who could have looked Bernstein in the face and say I got this
@@balancedactguy no, it was a military orchestra in France, they were excellent otherwise and maybe the guy was making it perfect during rehearsals 👍 That same night they played "in the stone" (EWF) perfectly.
After a decade of scraping by in NYC, I was ready to call it quits. But I wasn't ready to give up - I had grown up with this romantic idea of the City and I didn't want to admit defeat. But it's a young man's town, and it was time for me to move on. But during those last days, I would listen to this song as my subway car crossed the East River and remember just what brought me there in the first place. Today I can't help but tear up every time I hear it remembering what NYC meant to me as a young man, a place of endless possibilities and excitement. Thank you, George and Lenny.
Can you imagine the sheer joy Bernstein feels as he's playing this, with the orchestra right there, at his disposal, like an extension of the piano itself? Would be a magnificence unlike any other felt by ordinary gods and souls. Glorious.
My dad had a reel to reel tape recorder. When I was four or five he would sit me next to the speakers and he would point out how all the instruments were calling out to each other in this music. The music was telling a story. So pleased United Airlines keeps this music front and center. It is from the great American songbook.
Nothing like the quintessential American music, played by a preeminent American orchestra, and having the soloist being the Dean of American music. I sure hope the British audience at the Royal Albert Hall appreciated it!
Age 23 house sitting in a tiny isolated mining town and I played this on the owners stereo. Utterly Utterly blown away!!! he gave me the record and I still have it (since 1975) Thanks for posting xxx
You can’t appreciate the genius of Gershwin without the full orchestral presentation of the piece. You can’t appreciate the genius of Bernstein until you watch him perform AND CONDUCT so seamlessly and magnificently. Perfectly complementary to show their extraordinary talents.
This clarinet intro is the sexiest that has ever been written! I have always loved this incredibly dynamic piece since I was a child watching American in Paris with my parents, Gene Kelly was incredible..but George Gershwin was an absolute maestro to write such a piece of history..thst clarinet intro blows me away...the trumpet, bassoon and every other instrument the musicians are incredible! Leonard Bernstein's utter perfection as the Maestro...absolutely the only person to recreate exactly as it was written and played. Bravo!🎉🎉
Great, yes, but I prefer the original with Gershwin at the piano and the inimitable Paul Whitean on clarinet. PERFECTION th-cam.com/video/VxNbAtTMZXc/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
My mom was about twenty years old when the original recording came out and my dad, then her boyfriend, bought it for her. With the Walt Whitman Band. This was in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1925. It was still playable in the post WWII era. She was the closest thing to a flapper in Ark then.
@DG Schwal. Young children are very open and impressionable. I developed a love for West Side Story at about the same age. Looking forward to the remake in early December.
When I was eleven years old my dad sat me down and asked me to listen to "An outstanding bit of music." Rhapsody in blue. 1964l It is my all time favorite to this day. (Thanks dad!)
@@indrawanjunaidi5356Haha I heard Tom and Jerry too, but not there😅 they definitely make an appearance in the last section of the Love Theme, from 14:45-15:43. Those are the same notes from the earlier sweeping violin part if you pay attention, but they sound so unlike each other I didn't even notice until today. All I could think about was Tom and Jerry 😂
Doesn't 10:40 through about 13:30 almost sound like how this piece would sound if Sergei Rachmaninoff had composed it? It has that same sort of passion and romanticism.
I hear the inner voice of a black man who came up to New York during the first Great Migration, between 1900 and 1930, who's just worked another long, hard day. He's bone-tired and missing his boyhood in coastal Louisiana or maybe Georgia.
Amazing to think a group of people can come together to play this so beautifully. And then to think one man wrote it just amazing. I can barely put my pants on the correct way!
While Leonard Bernstein was best known as a conductor, one must remember that he was also a first class concert pianist. Add the fact that he was also a great composer who wrote music in just about every musical genre you can imagine it becomes clear that Bernstein is probably the greatest musician the United States has ever produced. Also, it's great to see the great Stanley Drucker playing the clarinet licks in this piece. I. got to know his art when I was first introduced to the John Corigliano "Clarinet Concerto", a maniacally difficult piece for the soloist that he makes sound effortless to play.
Yet SHAME on TH-cam for chopping it into pieces with commercials! This is an unforgettable piece of the American songbook which should never be interrupted.
I was there that night with my parents and brother. My dad had a tear in his eye...Loved it! He was 3 years old when it was written and it was his first time at a live performance of it. I am now booked to see Marin Alsop conduct it at the Royal Festival Hall in October - wonderful memories! 5:29
It's become all to constant that I begin to cry when I "know what's to come." The first notes of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams," beginning measures to Dvorak's "New World Symphony" (No.9), and of course Beethoven's 5th -- turn on my "waterworks." My daughter (now 36) was raised on Disney movies; the one that held my attention longest (to this day) is "The Lion King." Loved its Buddhist "circle of life," everything's interlinked message; but, oh!, the music. My family made the "mistake" (for me) to see a live theatrical performance at our local performing arts center. When the animals charged down the aisles, from the lobby of the theater to the stage, and the magnificent live orchestra belted out the first notes of the overture (Simba's presentation to Mufasa's kingdom) -- I LOST IT! Good thing I brought along a handkerchief, two actually! Magnificence! I'm a sucker for emotional music and stagecraft!
With all the great music, and all of the amazing genres in American compositions.... This is the GREATEST piece of music ever written by an American, and in my opinion, one of the greatest songs ever composed. Gershwin was magical.
This has to be one of the best Performances of Rhapsody in Blue EVER...Lenny was Outstanding in Every way. What makes this amazing is how he plays the piano. The tempo Lenny uses is UNMATCHED. Others often try to play the music too fast. Lenny is in complete control with his tempo and the Orchestra is completely in SINC. This is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING> There were no computers or synthesizers in 1976. WHAT YOU SEE, IS WHAT YOU GET!!!! PERFECTION!!!
I was living and going to school in Philly when this concert was performed. I was so poor... barely making it. I would have given anything in the world to have had the money to go into New York, to buy a ticket and to have been there for this magnificent performance.... I always loved Bernstein and I loved Gershwin since 1958 when I was 8 years old and my grandma would always play him. I still love this masterpiece.
+Ester Balbi this man was a myth, not only one of the greatest composers of the last century, but also one of the greatest directors and a great performer too.. Mother Nature has been prodigal in talents to him.
Ha ha ha... sorry for this language error... you are perfectly right. In Italian you can say the word "myth" referring to someone who was or is existing as a compliment, "so good to become a myth". While the opposite: a "legend" refers to someone or something that is not sure to have existed. Language differences... But we all love Leo, don't we ?
+Sergio Bonfiglio It is Interesting that more than 1,000 years ago an illiterate Chinese general said the following: you are only truly dead when the living stop remembering you. Bernstein and Gershwin live on!
I watched him on PBS when we had Wonderful Cultural Diversity on our airwaves…How do we get that back. And the Science for all ages….I was fortunate that my parents let me listen watch indulging my curiosity.
I am so grateful to have lived in the times when we had superb musicians like Gershwin, Bernstein, Goodman, Sammy Davis, Brubeck, Heifetz, Perlman, and Ellington, and Fitzgerald and Vaughn, and on and on...How lucky I am.
Fortunately the music lives on, a legacy for the ages. Now if only people would learn to appreciate the old pianos! Baldwin in the US, Gerard Heinzman in Canada (pre-1932), Bluthner and so many others that have no compare today. Such a treat to hear something other than a Steinway or worse, Kawai or Yamaha.
I saw the Baltimore Symphony do this recently. Incredible clarinetist. After the performance there was this little kid in the aisle so excited. He kept saying “I love the clarinet!” And the audience screamed for the clarinetist like the Beatles were up there. YaoGuang Zhai.
Classical music meets jazz in a most sublime form. Such a perfect match of drama, tenderness, love, beauty and grandeur. This gift of genius wants only to be heard. All of us who have heard it surely must be moved. What inspiration and vitality! It lives.Thanks George Gershwin. You will be everlasting in the hearts of your countrymen. Thanks @UCcATZsQUgI3SEeoEp6Hwgtg for posting this.
you still cooking? Hi, this is Charles. Listening... to this master work... and how Lenny and George.... moved through various time periods... together.... in New York.... and in certain social and musical Societies. It is know. Same with Michael Tillson Thomas. Excellence is self-evident... Teachers, teachers, friends, Teachers, and. Beauty speaks for it Self. So can Truth. Memory can't forget. Or can it? The Answer.... is ...... three g's and an E flat. Yes.... (musical notes.). Set upon Time and Eternity... and everybody knows it. !!! !
Gershwin in his own words on how he wrote the piece, 'It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty bang, that is so often so stimulating to a composer - I frequently hear music in the very heart of the noise.... And there I suddenly heard, and even saw on paper - the complete construction of the Rhapsody, from beginning to end. No new themes came to me, but I worked on the thematic material already in my mind and tried to conceive the composition as a whole. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston I had a definite plot of the piece, as distinguished from its actual substance'. The work was completed within a few weeks.
Even JK Rowling came up with Harry Potter on the train, and Ayn Rand wrote an entire book on how the railways are the life and soul of a nation, in all of these contexts, literally and metaphorically, these transcontinental/national railways represent the diversity of the people and the struggle.
It definitely represents Americana! This is a timeless piece, a classic from a true genius, played by a virtuoso and a magnificent orchestra. I just want to know who the plebeians and Neanderthals were who gave this a thumbs down. What, exactly, were they expecting? I can understand someone's critiquing a few minor technical flaws, but, come on, how bad could this have been, really? Some people's children! They must have some unimaginatively high standards to thumb this down, that's all I can say. It's a masterpiece, in my view.
Thank you. Yes, it's what America USED to be. Now the country is overrun with scarwwwdy cats, afraid of their own shadow. Creative? Nope, a person has to be politically correct creative, not real creativity. Color? Nope, has to be a correct color. Vitality? Nope, vitality is seen as incorrect.
The finest rendition of this favorite George Gershwin classic. Leonard is playing exactly what George wanted from the pianist- I cant get enough of this. 2x a week whether I need it or not 😊. Such a moving composition. Thank you, Gershwin & thank you Maestro Bernstein!!💗
The best music ever. I have loved Gershwin's music since I was a child. Leonard Bernstein is a master, I felt exhausted from watching. Just incredible.
This music shows the amazing things humans can do together, united by our love for each other instead of divided by hatred. Gershwin is so clearly influenced by the jazz of the 20's in his composition, and many at the time would have written of that jazz as negro music and paid it no mind or shunned it because of reacism. Gershwin recognized the genius of that music and by combining it with the classical tradition of Europe he created something entirely new and fantastic. Its amazing the beauty we create when we build bridges instead of walls...
@@ReginaldDaniel-x4b It is when you think about it. It is part of the soundtrack of the greatest city in the world. I wish I could write music like this. My tunes combine my eclectic musical upbringing. Check out my channel if you are curious. I just released a jazz number. Thanks and take care! G.
@@BuzzbeeDC I bet you fell in love with it, too. It can do that to you, but beware. Like NYC natives, it'll have a hard time returning your love. Many of my songs were written for my NYC man, especially "Push Me, Pull Me." Check out all of my original music on my TH-cam channel. Thanks for your reply and take care.
Since I was a child of about 5 years old, when I first heard this, I found the clarinet in this song utterly lovely. I still go into ecstasies when I hear it. An utterly beautiful composition in which the elements of blues, jazz and classical are brilliantly blended. (As a 5-year-old, though, I only know that I loved it ... that was 60 years ago.)
Apesar de ouvir desde jovem esta obra magnífica, agora aos meus 73 anos que fui arrebatado por uma intensa emoção de derramar muitos lagrimas doces, me senti abençoado pelo despertar e agradeço a minha assistente virtual, a Alexa, que conhece minhas músicas prediletas. Muito obrigado.
My dad taught clarinet lessons when I was a kid and I remember his students playing that opening to Rhapsody in Blue. It was the craziest thing I ever heard, I thought it was some kind of trick or tuning exercise.. lol. I visualized the mouthpiece popping off the clarinet and rising up to the ceiling. Later I asked my dad if he could "make the mouthpiece go up to the ceiling" and he knew exactly what I meant. I have a number of recordings, including I believe this Bernstein version on vinyl, and one I can't remember the name of where the opening clarinetist drags that gliss waaaaayyyy out, it's the longest and slowest performance I've ever heard of it, and no clue who the player was. It takes a tremendous amount of control. I've mostly played saxophone and I have trouble even doing a short gliss - like the opening to "Yakkety Sax". My dad played a very hard reed - a Vandoren 5 that he worked down to his liking. Amazing he could make it go "to the ceiling and beyond" with such a hard reed.
I LOVE THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE FULL ORCHESTRAL VERSION !!!...A Thouroughly American Composer From New York , Being Performed By America's Greatest Conducter , And Orchestra , ( The New York Philharmonic !! ) One Could Not Help But To Believe That Everyone Performing This Piece , Was Actually BORN FOR THIS MOMENT IN TIME !!!..
Neither von Karajan, nor Haitink, nor Toscanini, nor Dudamel, nor Gardiner, nor Solti, nor Temirkanov could come anywhere near this level of piano performance in a live production as does Bernstein. Lenny is the greatest ever---teacher, performer, composer, and above all...conductor. Beloved Maestro Bernstein, may your days in infinite repose be the promise of peace, love, and musical fervor. You Are The Best! Many thanks.
Whenever I hear this song I feel like I've been transported to the roaring 20s in a time machine. The perfect combination of jazz and piano concerto. Truly one of the greatest American compositions of all time.
Those of you with parents or grandparents who lived in NYC or across the Hudson, in the 20's, like my dad's mom and dad - Gershwin's music makes you feel the whole experience, vibe, mindset and feelings of NYC at that time. My grandpa used to talk about Gershwin and Frankie from Hoboken all the time at our Sunday dinners at grandma's house back in the 60's, here in San Diego.
@@linlongtin6404 oh Lin. I went to a friend's funeral today. He was only 49. Before going I listened to this and made my decision. Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely fantastic. I am crying watching and listening and missing my mama who played this piece also. She played beautifully She has been gone for a decade and a half now😢.
I went to P.S. 6 in Manhattan and was extremely lucky to have Mr. Bernstein come to our school to hold a Childrens Young People's Concert. He was fun and made us fall in love with classical music, a true genius and great teacher.
This was breath taking. And it was given to me... as mine. My "Rhapsody" in blue, the American Rhapsody.... in many colors, Our 'spirit'. Historic. Listen.... then and now. OURS! Thanks George. ... and lenny for the spirit that lives behind the notes.
NEVER there been a piece of music which equals the majesty of Gershwin‘s “Rhapsody in Blue.” If you’re not familiar with it, look it up & listen to the entire 17-min. piece. Millions of people have loved it; many people have hated it; some find it controversial. For me it is a masterpiece!
I have to come back every once in awhile to again immerse myself in the majesty of George Gershwin’s mind. Magnificent. Absolutely magnificent. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Hard to believe that this piece is nearly 100 years old. It premiered in April, 1924 at the Aeolian Hall in New York as part of a programmer of modern Music. Don't recall anyone remembering anything else that night other than this self-styled masterpiece. I watched this telecast live in 1976.
My college roommates and I listened to the Paul Whiteman Orchestra version over and over. Our friend, Diane, would lift the needle off the record just before the end of the initial clarinet run to groans from the crowd. I am 75 and I have listened to every version that was available, most of them over and over.. This has amounted to hundreds of listens. I never tired of it. If this is played at my funeral, I might rise from the dead.
Thank you for posting! This performance never fails to please! I saw him in concert with his orchestra in the mid 70's. He spoke to me during intermission and, when he learned I was an aspiring percussionist, waved a tympani player down to show me how to tune them. I was 8 or 9 at the time and never forgot it. He was a giving teacher and a real class act!
His 'Young People's concerts' changed my life. I remember his explanation and performance of "Carmen" and "Peter and the Wolf" made me a life-long lover of classical music, at the same time as I was falling in love with the Beatles. Those were magical times.
An American classic! The performance characterizes the great American way. New York City's attributes shine through. The orchestra knows exactly how to dazzle a capitvated audience. As someone who lived in New Jersey for 3 years as a student at The Lawrenceville School -- I'm honored & delighted to express my feelings about this powerful showcase of bravado and grace! Love it! * Robert Cavalier; Forest Grove, OR; 22 Sept., 2022.
An excellent summary. I feel like it captures a time & place that no longer exist, but are somehow familiar. A more accurate musical encapsulation of New York City is not possible.
how amazingly beautiful! i can see the buildings and trains. i can see the bridges and all the lights and the traffic in the streets. the people walking on fifth avenue and the theater lights in times square. yes, i'm a native new yorker. gorgeous, just gorgeous, gershwin was a genius and bernstein was the best.
I'm from Africa and you made me see this song in a different light. It truly encapsulates everything American of the era. How better to portray the energy and vibrancy of New York than with this genius music?
I love what you wrote. Same. I am from New York too. This composition takes my breath away every time I hear it. My son got to perform this with his youth orchestra in Shanghai a few years ago, on July 4 no less. I was worried this would all come across as a little too American, but the audience loved it and gave them a standing ovation. Maybe they could see their city in it too.
My grandfather’s funeral song. Such a sensation, to feel the mystifying grandeur journey of that piano lead my ears somewhere beautiful whilst leading my face to a flood of tears.
I’m 80 ……… this is so beautiful. I’m blubbering. I love it s much. The best score ever.
Blubber away. It is deserving of the blubbering.😩😩😩
It is emotional. I feel the same❤
I don’t even have words. I believe Gershwin was 24 when he composed it!!! From wiki:
“Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered in a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music" on February 12, 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York City.[2][3] Whiteman's band performed the rhapsody with Gershwin playing the piano.[4] Whiteman's arranger Ferde Grofé orchestrated the rhapsody several times including the 1924 original scoring, the 1926 pit orchestra scoring, and the 1942 symphonic scoring.”
❤️❤️❤️🎵🎵🎵🎵
@@maralynfarber2068 for someone without words, you did a masterful expose. 👍
@Harris I agree with you completely , there will never be another like him , he is missed.
Just think, 2024 marks the centennial of "Rhapsody in Blue" which is still a masterpiece of modern music. Gershwin was a genius, and Bernstein's conducting and piano playing were out of this world. Incredible performance.
Amen!!!
I'll 2nd that!
The Bret "Hitman"Hart of musical compositions,the best there is,the best there was,the best that ever will be.
So true!
Agreed!
Who's here simply because this is a truly timeless piece of music by a man who was in a class all of his own.
I just like the tune. I am fortunate enough in that I have seen and heard a live performance by the BBC Concert Orchestra, with Dudley Moore at the piano. A real privilege.
2.12.2024 I'm here for the one hundredth anniversary of the premiere of this masterpiece.
I put this on to drink my first cup of coffee with!!! ❤
I'm here because Brian Wilson said he loved this song and I can see why
I sometimes wonder how someone with this kind of music running around in their brains keep from just exploding.
I am an 81 year old woman. My second husband, Jim Hollingsworth, who has now passed away introduced me to his favorite music Leonard Bernstein playing Rhapsody in blue. He was invited to lead the Dallas Orchestra when he was 16 years old and of course this was the song. I was delighted that Rhapsody in blue was played at his memorial service June 8, 2013 . He told me the story of his life over the phone while playing Rhapsody in blue. It all fits beautifully most especially the romantic interlude. Thank you so much for this memory Sharon Ashworth Hollingsworth.
What a beautiful tribute to your late husband, how wonderful your life together must have been.
Yes, well done Sharon xxxx
Nice tribute Sharon! Sending hugs to you!
Thank you for all of the kind replies to my memories of a wonderful love affair to remember, knowing that our heavenly father placed us together in our later life. We went to high school together and he was best friends with my first husband!
@@sharonashworth6700 . . God bless you Sharon xx
The man on the clarinet is killing it..... mad respect.
That’s my grandfather, Stanley Drucker! He’s 93 and still playing every day. Thanks for your kind comment, I’ll be sure to pass it along 🙏
Amazingness!!! Touches me soul to hear him play so beautifully
Justin Drucker that’s crazy!
@@justindrucker6267 whaooo incredible maybe one day via zoom or teams help him to do a piece that he likes the most and stream it so people that love what he does can enjoy him. Let me know
It's amazing how good music join Nice people together
It's May 2024.No matter how many times I listen to this, I never get tired of it ..... from Fort Worth, Texas
Amen
I am listening in Ft Worth as well. Iconic piece of music from Americana.
We fell in love in the 5th grade with this song. It was this song and the peppermint twist that our teacher hid because she was tired of hearing them.
Me too. One of my faves since childhood
June 3 2024, ditto
You know you’re a legend when you can conduct and play piano at the same time
And without any score
Amen to that!
@@signorscimmia2624 Yes, I noticed that too - this level of music mastery is not of this earth.
Absolutely genius
Genius doesn't come close to describing this man's acumen.
It's 1945. You're moving to the United States after the end of the war and after going through the whole immigration process, you've made it. The crossroads of the world, the city that never sleeps, the big apple, the place where dreams become reality. New York City. From the constant bustle of people to the striking scale of the buildings and architecture, it's all too incredible. When the sun turns to moon bright lights shine all across the skyline, and the city comes alive. From the streets to the rooftops, a city so big is somehow so filled with life. When I listen to Rhapsody in Blue, that's all I can imagine, is not just New York City, but THE City. Though the idea of such a life has been lost to time, it is things like music that will never be lost, and can create so vividly an image for us.
you write extremely well
never read before something of more pleasurable,about a city-congrats,here Davide from northern italy
It’s August of 2024. I just wrapped up a 35 year career with, and retired from United Airlines. I fell in love with Gershwin and Rhapsody in Blue, in my high school music appreciation class. That was just over 50 years ago. I came to absolutely hate the piece when it was adopted by United Airlines for marketing and internal propaganda purposes. Now that I’m retired, I hope that I can learn to love it again. Watching Bernstein simultaneously conduct and play, is a thing of beauty. Thanks for sharing this video.
Congratulations on your retirement. I hope you can fall in love with this masterpiece again. 😊
Enjoy this beautiful chapter and fill it with everything you love. Congrats
Without any sheet music in front of him!!!
I learned of the piece because of United. I traveled a lot for business then and the scenes of family moved me to tears every time. I do thank United for that, for whatever its worth. : )
Congratulations on your retirement! Leave your heart open to hear this beautiful music all over again. Wishing you all the best!
I remember Lenny as if I saw him yesterday - I am turning 100 next year. We are from the same town (Lawrence, MA) and went to the same grammar school for a year. He was not a musical prodigy at that point but seeing him blooming as a legend of the 20th century music was quite mesmerizing.
wow what a piece of history you have lived
It is such an honor to witness a man who has lived through a world war
Thanks for this personal memory, Jean.
Jean Parke - thank you for sharing such a fantastic story. Happy Early Birthday! 🎂 💯‼️
THANK YOU FROM EIRE MS.PARKE FOR THIS EXCELLENT PERSONAL INSIGHT 👌👌👌👌👌👌MAY YOU STAY FOREVER YOUNG IN MIND BODY AGUS SPIRIT 🇺🇸🤝🇨🇮🙂🌑🙃🇨🇮🇨🇮💎💚💎🇨🇮🇨🇮✌🐕 P.S.HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COME!!🥳🥳🥳🎩🧣🎩💎💚💎🐕
Okay. No pressure. Just the clarinet intro to Rhapsody in Blue with Leonard freakin' Bernstein. I got this....
That clarinetist is Stanley Drucker. He was principal clarinetist for the New York Philharmonic for over 40 years. Bernstein called him Junior. Probably one of the few clarinetists in the world who could have looked Bernstein in the face and say I got this
I thought the same thing. One wrong note and EVERYONE in the the house would have known it! That's Pressure!
I was at s concert once. The clarinettist botched the intro 😐
@@jean-baptiste6479 That must have made you and the audience cringe. I wonder if he moved a "Few Chairs Down" after that?
@@balancedactguy no, it was a military orchestra in France, they were excellent otherwise and maybe the guy was making it perfect during rehearsals 👍
That same night they played "in the stone" (EWF) perfectly.
After a decade of scraping by in NYC, I was ready to call it quits. But I wasn't ready to give up - I had grown up with this romantic idea of the City and I didn't want to admit defeat. But it's a young man's town, and it was time for me to move on. But during those last days, I would listen to this song as my subway car crossed the East River and remember just what brought me there in the first place. Today I can't help but tear up every time I hear it remembering what NYC meant to me as a young man, a place of endless possibilities and excitement. Thank you, George and Lenny.
Can you imagine the sheer joy Bernstein feels as he's playing this, with the orchestra right there, at his disposal, like an extension of the piano itself? Would be a magnificence unlike any other felt by ordinary gods and souls. Glorious.
yes, yes I can!
Completely
Gershwin's music is glorious. Pure genius.
Having heard a variety of arrangements over the years, the Philharmonic adds expression and character beyond what I've heard before.
A genius met a genius in one of the high points of American created music
My dad had a reel to reel tape recorder. When I was four or five he would sit me next to the speakers and he would point out how all the instruments were calling out to each other in this music. The music was telling a story.
So pleased United Airlines keeps this music front and center. It is from the great American songbook.
This one of the best ever pieces. I have always loved it. Thank you.
Nothing like the quintessential American music, played by a preeminent American orchestra, and having the soloist being the Dean of American music. I sure hope the British audience at the Royal Albert Hall appreciated it!
Of course we appreciate it. Great music is great music. This is incredible.
Age 23 house sitting in a tiny isolated mining town and I played this on the owners stereo. Utterly Utterly blown away!!! he gave me the record and I still have it (since 1975)
Thanks for posting xxx
It’s just so American and so New York. A masterpiece.
so true
It IS New York, for me.
Mandatory Martini.
Where would early American music and Hollywood be without the Jewish talent
@@hildagertler7736 Agreed , but be careful, some SJW may find issues with that comment.
he makes the solo in the beginning look so easy to play on the clarinet....
and the transition from clarinet to trumpet is absolutely flawless
It's a trombone
@@vol770😂
@@vol770 that is a muted trumpet, not a trombone
@@PhantomViper49he’s not talking abt that
@@GrassWasTakenAgain 1. You're editing your comment imagine. 2. Yes, I re watched it and saw now my mistake :D
There’s a special place in hell for whoever put an ad smack in the middle of this
Absolutely, straight to execution!
Amen to that!
PAY.
Thanks Tyler.
cast the devil away with your savior called adblocker.
You can’t appreciate the genius of Gershwin without the full orchestral presentation of the piece. You can’t appreciate the genius of Bernstein until you watch him perform AND CONDUCT so seamlessly and magnificently. Perfectly complementary to show their extraordinary talents.
Absolutely correct
❤❤❤❤
Well said!
Hard to believe it’s been 100 yrs.
This clarinet intro is the sexiest that has ever been written!
I have always loved this incredibly dynamic piece since I was a child watching American in Paris with my parents, Gene Kelly was incredible..but George Gershwin was an absolute maestro to write such a piece of history..thst clarinet intro blows me away...the trumpet, bassoon and every other instrument the musicians are incredible! Leonard Bernstein's utter perfection as the Maestro...absolutely the only person to recreate exactly as it was written and played. Bravo!🎉🎉
It's been 100 years since its premiere, and you still want to listen to it.
Great workmanship🌷
It is probably one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, and so evocative of 1920s New York. This piece is wonderful...
Reminds of 50s New York in the movies
He wrote it on a train to Boston
This is absolutely incompetent, by no means "great" and definitely not "greatest".
@@Whatismusic123 you don't even know what incompetent means lmao
@@haarry2206 yes I do, it's you who does not know what "great" means.
Now THAT, ladies and gentlemen is the best performance of Rhapsody in Blue EVER!!! ❤🎉❤🎉❤
Yep!
Without a scintilla of doubt whatsoever.
Great, yes, but I prefer the original with Gershwin at the piano and the inimitable Paul Whitean on clarinet. PERFECTION
th-cam.com/video/VxNbAtTMZXc/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
Absolutely, Bernstein and his orchestra showed how its done.
My mom was about twenty years old when the original recording came out and my dad, then her boyfriend, bought it for her. With the Walt Whitman Band. This was in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1925. It was still playable in the post WWII era. She was the closest thing to a flapper in Ark then.
It’s a tragedy that George Gershwin died so young. “The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long”.
Che triistezza..a soli 39 anni.. Stessa sorte del compianto Chopin, ed ancor più giovane, il grande Mozart, a soli 35 anni.. 😔
Or maybe vice versa? "The candle that burns half as long burns twice as bright."
@@nancyarnott699 I think Rossini composed very few works after age 40, and he lived to 76 so maybe?
George who?
@@afridgetoofar1818 George mama
I first heard this on a recording at my aunt's home when I was 7 years old. I loved it then and at 72 it is still my favorite piece of music.
Really ?
@DG Schwal. Young children are very open and impressionable. I developed a love for West Side Story at about the same age. Looking forward to the remake in early December.
And my favorite since 12y to 61 y old. Almost 50y and more 20 i hope.😃
Me too
I was 6 years old (1942) when I first heard Rhapsody in blue. It was etched in my memory forever.
The very best conducter, piano player, as well as composer! I miss him so very much, no one compares to him.
When I was eleven years old my dad sat me down and asked me to listen to "An outstanding bit of music." Rhapsody in blue. 1964l It is my all time favorite to this day. (Thanks dad!)
Awesome! I was born in 1964 (🙂) and in 1975 when I was 11 my dad did the same sit-down-and-listen-to-THIS moment with me! Frickin' blew my mind!
Lord God I wish I could see this live👵🏻🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
1924 new york went crazy when this banger dropped
so original
@@qekruxt5089 blow it out your ass
I hope there is celebration in 2024 when the The Rhapsody turns 100.
I thought the same.
I thought the same thing as well!
And we will get 45 back.
I'm gonna start celebrating now, just to be on the safe side!
It would be very appropriate, respectfull & honorable to George Gershwin & those members of his family to do so.
I'm sobbing! For the way this country was, or the way we thought it was, and can it ever be in the future for everyone?
The goal being unreachable is not a reason to stop reaching for it. We are often defined not by achievement, but by struggle
You know what and who's destroying it. Do the right thing next vote...
🖖🏻🇨🇵😎🇨🇵😎🇨🇵🖖🏻
It’s amazing how it switches between piano and full orchestra constantly and never seems to lose any power in the transitions
Ritornello: 0:00
Train: 4:38
Stride: 5:18
Shuffle: 9:37
Love: 10:40
Stride again: 15:43
Ritornello again: 16:24
For my own personal use and sanity
5:46 - 6:03 Tom & Jerry
Please keep your sanity
@@indrawanjunaidi5356Haha I heard Tom and Jerry too, but not there😅 they definitely make an appearance in the last section of the Love Theme, from 14:45-15:43. Those are the same notes from the earlier sweeping violin part if you pay attention, but they sound so unlike each other I didn't even notice until today. All I could think about was Tom and Jerry 😂
I just saw this performed tonight by Rami Bar-Niv from Israel, piano solo. Heavenly!
Doesn't 10:40 through about 13:30 almost sound like how this piece would sound if Sergei Rachmaninoff had composed it? It has that same sort of passion and romanticism.
Arguably the best composition of the 20th century.
What about Copeland?!
As much as I do love Gershwin and Copeland, I’d like to have a couple of Shostakovich's pieces shortlisted for consideration.
Best composition ever.
Certainly not. It is a great work but the orchestration master was Maurice Ravel.
,
no
Whenever I hear Rhapsody in Blue, what cames to my mind is New York City in 1920s and 1930s. George Gershwin is great!
I hear the inner voice of a black man who came up to New York during the first Great Migration, between 1900 and 1930, who's just worked another long, hard day. He's bone-tired and missing his boyhood in coastal Louisiana or maybe Georgia.
Great music always paints a picture.
The music reminds of Native American Indians in their reservations reminiscing how their grandfathers were murdered by cowboys.
What about Fantasia?
The United Airline commercials back in the 70's come to my mind 🙂
Amazing to think a group of people can come together to play this so beautifully. And then to think one man wrote it just amazing. I can barely put my pants on the correct way!
Simply put, one of the greatest pieces of music ever written.
And, one of the most original...first American jazz based piece ever and a bombshell in the classical music world. People were blown away by it.
Without a doubt.
My half Jewish father could never listen to Gerswin in public since he broke out in tears. Now 60 years later I finally understand why....
@@erikwesterberg7220 I love Gershwin.
Me too, Nita
While Leonard Bernstein was best known as a conductor, one must remember that he was also a first class concert pianist. Add the fact that he was also a great composer who wrote music in just about every musical genre you can imagine it becomes clear that Bernstein is probably the greatest musician the United States has ever produced.
Also, it's great to see the great Stanley Drucker playing the clarinet licks in this piece. I. got to know his art when I was first introduced to the John Corigliano "Clarinet Concerto", a maniacally difficult piece for the soloist that he makes sound effortless to play.
This is the best version of Rhapsody in Blue on TH-cam. No exceptions.
Yet SHAME on TH-cam for chopping it into pieces with commercials! This is an unforgettable piece of the American songbook which should never be interrupted.
My father played this on Sunday mornings, as I do and I am 81 now.
Wonderful the best evers.
@@leewhite2830 I got lucky and didn't get a single ad. Praise be
This is the music that should get billions of views.. where the craft of making and performing music is presented and put at the first place
I've been a professional musician for years. I was raised on this genius. Thanks Mom.
Me too as a baby I heard Gershwin from Mom. From Pop Miles Davis , then I became a drummer.
My favorite piece of music of all time. The blend of European classical music and American jazz. Gorgeous as performed by Bernstein.
v. v. mllx
Queen-queen
Mine, too! This piece is what turned me on to classical music at a VERY young age. I still cry every time it gets to the slow theme...
Wendy Arrington
Me too, Wendy -- I saw Bernstein perform this live in concert when I was 16, and I still get chills.
I was there that night with my parents and brother. My dad had a tear in his eye...Loved it! He was 3 years old when it was written and it was his first time at a live performance of it. I am now booked to see Marin Alsop conduct it at the Royal Festival Hall in October - wonderful memories! 5:29
It's become all to constant that I begin to cry when I "know what's to come." The first notes of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams," beginning measures to Dvorak's "New World Symphony" (No.9), and of course Beethoven's 5th -- turn on my "waterworks." My daughter (now 36) was raised on Disney movies; the one that held my attention longest (to this day) is "The Lion King." Loved its Buddhist "circle of life," everything's interlinked message; but, oh!, the music. My family made the "mistake" (for me) to see a live theatrical performance at our local performing arts center. When the animals charged down the aisles, from the lobby of the theater to the stage, and the magnificent live orchestra belted out the first notes of the overture (Simba's presentation to Mufasa's kingdom) -- I LOST IT! Good thing I brought along a handkerchief, two actually! Magnificence! I'm a sucker for emotional music and stagecraft!
Jealous LOL ! Hope you enjoyed !
@TheImp5901- it was magical. Marin Alsop contemporary version also - I'm so lucky ❤
You were blessed to witness this!
Thank you God for blessing me with healthy ears and sensitivity to appreciate such a beautiful piece .....
With all the great music, and all of the amazing genres in American compositions.... This is the GREATEST piece of music ever written by an American, and in my opinion, one of the greatest songs ever composed. Gershwin was magical.
CONCERTO in f (for piano and orchestra) by GERSHWIN (the composer's favorite)
This has to be one of the best Performances of Rhapsody in Blue EVER...Lenny was Outstanding in Every way. What makes this amazing is how he plays the piano. The tempo Lenny uses is UNMATCHED. Others often try to play the music too fast. Lenny is in complete control with his tempo and the Orchestra is completely in SINC. This is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING> There were no computers or synthesizers in 1976. WHAT YOU SEE, IS WHAT YOU GET!!!! PERFECTION!!!
I completely agree! So many other musicians totally mess up the tempo. L.B.'s pacing is exquisite! It might even be better than G.G.'s!
Exactly how I always felt. Well said.
Yes , the "notebots" of today won't match this musically. Ever. Yu Ja Wang has the heart to play this ... with Lenny conducting this orchestra.
Combine that with being impeccably filmed and recorded...where are the mics?! It all sounds so frigging perfect...
Pink Floyd were using synthesizers in 1975
February 12, 2024. Happy Centennial George Gershwin on this iconic musical composition! Beautiful as always.
Who’s here for the 100th birthday of this piece🎵🎶
Me
Estoy aquí por un vídeo de Alan Becker
Deberías verlo puede que te guste
My uncle is selling the original music sheet for this on ebay. That's what brought me here.
I’m only 68 and this is something I grew up with. Leonard Bernstein and Gershwin. Such great childhood memories!
Begeistert denke ich an eine Aufführung im Mainz
I was living and going to school in Philly when this concert was performed. I was so poor... barely making it. I would have given anything in the world to have had the money to go into New York, to buy a ticket and to have been there for this magnificent performance.... I always loved Bernstein and I loved Gershwin since 1958 when I was 8 years old and my grandma would always play him. I still love this masterpiece.
Bernstein playing and conducting Gershwin's masterwork 'Rhapsody in Blue' - perfection.
Has anyone ever heard of Gershwin plays Gershwin? He plays his most popular on solo on an upright piano It's pretty cool.
@hardingtess
The entire Bernstein Family was musical a protege. An American Institution.
I agree
Bernstein was a towering talent, but I don't like his take on the piano solos. Too pompous and aggrandized.
And composer!
I am a classical music lover but this makes my heart soar and sing and cry
Whenever I hear Gershwins masterpiece, I think of a New York skyline as the sun is rising. Magnificent!!
Spectacular. A really spectacular performance. Leonard will remain in our hearts forever.
Leo, we miss you so much....
+Sergio Bonfiglio
I gree with you!! the best!! so wonderful and magic!!
+Ester Balbi this man was a myth, not only one of the greatest composers of the last century, but also one of the greatest directors and a great performer too.. Mother Nature has been prodigal in talents to him.
+Sergio Bonfiglio I think you mean legend, not myth, he DID exist.
Ha ha ha... sorry for this language error... you are perfectly right. In Italian you can say the word "myth" referring to someone who was or is existing as a compliment, "so good to become a myth". While the opposite: a "legend" refers to someone or something that is not sure to have existed. Language differences... But we all love Leo, don't we ?
+Sergio Bonfiglio It is Interesting that more than 1,000 years ago an illiterate Chinese general said the following: you are only truly dead when the living stop remembering you. Bernstein and Gershwin live on!
It’s not so easy to remember, more than 30 years after his death, how incredibly talented Leonard Bernstein was as a musician.
Yes indeed. From classical music to West Side Story, he was extraordinary.
Not was, is!
@@jpkatz1435Past tense, since he is now deceased.
I watched him on PBS when we had Wonderful Cultural Diversity on our airwaves…How do we get that back.
And the Science for all ages….I was fortunate that my parents let me listen watch indulging my curiosity.
I am so grateful to have lived in the times when we had superb musicians like Gershwin, Bernstein, Goodman, Sammy Davis, Brubeck, Heifetz, Perlman, and Ellington, and Fitzgerald and Vaughn, and on and on...How lucky I am.
Possibly the greatest era to live through.
Bill I love your comment.
I am 78 and it is these type of performances that make me believe I was so very lucky to grow up when I did!
Fortunately the music lives on, a legacy for the ages. Now if only people would learn to appreciate the old pianos! Baldwin in the US, Gerard Heinzman in Canada (pre-1932), Bluthner and so many others that have no compare today. Such a treat to hear something other than a Steinway or worse, Kawai or Yamaha.
@@valluscott8616indeed
I saw the Baltimore Symphony do this recently. Incredible clarinetist. After the performance there was this little kid in the aisle so excited. He kept saying “I love the clarinet!” And the audience screamed for the clarinetist like the Beatles were up there. YaoGuang Zhai.
Classical music meets jazz in a most sublime form. Such a perfect match of drama, tenderness, love, beauty and grandeur. This gift of genius wants only to be heard. All of us who have heard it surely must be moved. What inspiration and vitality! It lives.Thanks George Gershwin. You will be everlasting in the hearts of your countrymen. Thanks @UCcATZsQUgI3SEeoEp6Hwgtg for posting this.
The Rhspsody at 95 years old in 2019. It is just as beautiful, inspirational, and relevant as ever. A magical performance for the ages. Bravo Meastro.
This means it falls into the public domain on January 1, 2020.
@@padraicfanning7055 That is correct.
@@scottstuit9305 You could live forever, sir.
you still cooking? Hi, this is Charles. Listening... to this master work... and how Lenny and George.... moved through various time periods... together.... in New York.... and in certain social and musical Societies. It is know. Same with Michael Tillson Thomas. Excellence is self-evident... Teachers, teachers, friends, Teachers, and. Beauty speaks for it Self. So can Truth. Memory can't forget. Or can it? The Answer.... is ...... three g's and an E flat. Yes.... (musical notes.). Set upon Time and Eternity... and everybody knows it. !!! !
la beauté,ABSOLUE;
Gershwin in his own words on how he wrote the piece,
'It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty bang, that is so often so stimulating to a composer - I frequently hear music in the very heart of the noise.... And there I suddenly heard, and even saw on paper - the complete construction of the Rhapsody, from beginning to end. No new themes came to me, but I worked on the thematic material already in my mind and tried to conceive the composition as a whole. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston I had a definite plot of the piece, as distinguished from its actual substance'.
The work was completed within a few weeks.
Truly genius thankful Gershwin was with us on earth if even for a very short while*
I hope that this account of Gershwin's thought process is accurate, because it's WONDERFUL!
The best medicine to remind people what America is and should always be.
Even JK Rowling came up with Harry Potter on the train, and Ayn Rand wrote an entire book on how the railways are the life and soul of a nation, in all of these contexts, literally and metaphorically, these transcontinental/national railways represent the diversity of the people and the struggle.
...unreplicated national pep....
One of most satisfying pieces of music ever. I've viewed this video at least a dozen times and never tire of it.
I'm Brazilian and I don't mind saying that I love the United States. This piece breathes American vitality, color and creative power.
Sou americano mas falo português 😀
+Paulo V
Thank you for appreciating US.
It definitely represents Americana! This is a timeless piece, a classic from a true genius, played by a virtuoso and a magnificent orchestra. I just want to know who the plebeians and Neanderthals were who gave this a thumbs down. What, exactly, were they expecting? I can understand someone's critiquing a few minor technical flaws, but, come on, how bad could this have been, really? Some people's children! They must have some unimaginatively high standards to thumb this down, that's all I can say. It's a masterpiece, in my view.
Thank you. Yes, it's what America USED to be. Now the country is overrun with scarwwwdy cats, afraid of their own shadow. Creative? Nope, a person has to be politically correct creative, not real creativity. Color? Nope, has to be a correct color. Vitality? Nope, vitality is seen as incorrect.
I'm from Spain and I hate USA but this is one of my favorite piece of music ever
I feel Leonard Bernstein was a real blessing and a joy to listen to, thank God he's on video for future generations!
He was definitely something very special gift to humanity!
The finest rendition of this favorite George Gershwin classic. Leonard is playing exactly what George wanted from the pianist- I cant get enough of this. 2x a week whether I need it or not 😊. Such a moving composition. Thank you, Gershwin & thank you Maestro Bernstein!!💗
The best music ever. I have loved Gershwin's music since I was a child. Leonard Bernstein is a master, I felt exhausted from watching. Just incredible.
This music shows the amazing things humans can do together, united by our love for each other instead of divided by hatred. Gershwin is so clearly influenced by the jazz of the 20's in his composition, and many at the time would have written of that jazz as negro music and paid it no mind or shunned it because of reacism. Gershwin recognized the genius of that music and by combining it with the classical tradition of Europe he created something entirely new and fantastic. Its amazing the beauty we create when we build bridges instead of walls...
I have no words this is simply the best music piece ever created
Ah, this is so New York. Bernstein playing Gershwin. It doesn't get much better.
I grew up in NY and when I was a kid, I thought this was about New York.
@@ReginaldDaniel-x4b It is when you think about it. It is part of the soundtrack of the greatest city in the world. I wish I could write music like this. My tunes combine my eclectic musical upbringing. Check out my channel if you are curious. I just released a jazz number. Thanks and take care! G.
@@ReginaldDaniel-x4bit is 😊
I swear it reminded of the first time I was in New York ❤
@@BuzzbeeDC I bet you fell in love with it, too. It can do that to you, but beware. Like NYC natives, it'll have a hard time returning your love. Many of my songs were written for my NYC man, especially "Push Me, Pull Me." Check out all of my original music on my TH-cam channel. Thanks for your reply and take care.
This will have the same staying power in 1000 years as it does in 100.
Since I was a child of about 5 years old, when I first heard this, I found the clarinet in this song utterly lovely. I still go into ecstasies when I hear it. An utterly beautiful composition in which the elements of blues, jazz and classical are brilliantly blended. (As a 5-year-old, though, I only know that I loved it ... that was 60 years ago.)
Apesar de ouvir desde jovem esta obra magnífica, agora aos meus 73 anos que fui arrebatado por uma intensa emoção de derramar muitos lagrimas doces, me senti abençoado pelo despertar e agradeço a minha assistente virtual, a Alexa, que conhece minhas músicas prediletas. Muito obrigado.
My dad taught clarinet lessons when I was a kid and I remember his students playing that opening to Rhapsody in Blue. It was the craziest thing I ever heard, I thought it was some kind of trick or tuning exercise.. lol. I visualized the mouthpiece popping off the clarinet and rising up to the ceiling. Later I asked my dad if he could "make the mouthpiece go up to the ceiling" and he knew exactly what I meant. I have a number of recordings, including I believe this Bernstein version on vinyl, and one I can't remember the name of where the opening clarinetist drags that gliss waaaaayyyy out, it's the longest and slowest performance I've ever heard of it, and no clue who the player was. It takes a tremendous amount of control. I've mostly played saxophone and I have trouble even doing a short gliss - like the opening to "Yakkety Sax". My dad played a very hard reed - a Vandoren 5 that he worked down to his liking. Amazing he could make it go "to the ceiling and beyond" with such a hard reed.
His version of R. in Blue was one of the first classical pieces I came to appreciate in my teens and still do.
Me too!!!!
I LOVE THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE FULL ORCHESTRAL VERSION !!!...A Thouroughly American Composer From New York , Being Performed By America's Greatest Conducter , And Orchestra , ( The New York Philharmonic !! ) One Could Not Help But To Believe That Everyone Performing This Piece , Was Actually BORN FOR THIS MOMENT IN TIME !!!..
Los Angeles Phil with him is arguably better...and live to boot...but then again I'm a homer rooting for my home team! :)
@@psalmtone2008 I Ain't Mad At-Cha !!!....
Neither von Karajan, nor Haitink, nor Toscanini, nor Dudamel, nor Gardiner, nor Solti, nor Temirkanov could come anywhere near this level of piano performance in a live production as does Bernstein. Lenny is the greatest ever---teacher, performer, composer, and above all...conductor. Beloved Maestro Bernstein, may your days in infinite repose be the promise of peace, love, and musical fervor. You Are The Best! Many thanks.
The greatest song EVER and played and conducted by the virtuoso himself.
As an Australian when I hear this piece I always think of New York. It takes me there even though Ive never been.
What a genius .
One of most beautiful and enigmatic pieces of music ever written! Leonard Bernstein, a genius at his craft!
My mother would play this on our record player back in the 50's. I hear this and remember her and this incredible recording. Thanks for sharing
Whenever I hear this song I feel like I've been transported to the roaring 20s in a time machine. The perfect combination of jazz and piano concerto. Truly one of the greatest American compositions of all time.
There's some Latin influence as well !
Those of you with parents or grandparents who lived in NYC or across the Hudson, in the 20's, like my dad's mom and dad - Gershwin's music makes you feel the whole experience, vibe, mindset and feelings of NYC at that time. My grandpa used to talk about Gershwin and Frankie from Hoboken all the time at our Sunday dinners at grandma's house back in the 60's, here in San Diego.
I decided today. This will be played in its entirety at my funeral...all 17 plus minutes. Everyone get over it. You'll have to sit through it!
I had it on my dad's funeral cd. It was perfect.
@@linlongtin6404 oh Lin. I went to a friend's funeral today. He was only 49. Before going I listened to this and made my decision. Thank you for sharing.
Great idea.
Hopefully with no ads!
LOVE that idea
Absolutely fantastic. I am crying watching and listening and missing my mama who played this piece also. She played beautifully She has been gone for a decade and a half now😢.
I went to P.S. 6 in Manhattan and was extremely lucky to have Mr. Bernstein come to our school to hold a Childrens Young People's Concert. He was fun and made us fall in love with classical music, a true genius and great teacher.
Good on you. That must have been something.
Nice!
This 17 minute video told a bigger story than any other movie I've seen. Gershwin master piece.
This was breath taking. And it was given to me... as mine. My "Rhapsody" in blue, the American Rhapsody.... in many colors, Our 'spirit'. Historic. Listen.... then and now. OURS! Thanks George. ... and lenny for the spirit that lives behind the notes.
@@charlesdavis7087 don´t forget Ferde Grofé!
@@manfredlipp6410 Who's Ferde Grofel?
And you can hear George play it with a band and not an orchestra here.
@Riana Fokine Back in the 70's there was a commune called the Love Isreal Family. I knew many of them.
Gershwin and Bernstein were both geniuses. Unbelievable human execution of brilliance.
If u love Gershwin, you like his 'Cuban Overture'. These young musicians get it right!
th-cam.com/video/X_I7nf5I6yo/w-d-xo.html
Absolutamente !
I wonder if the antisemiites secretly enjoy this...I bet they do
NEVER there been a piece of music which equals the majesty of Gershwin‘s “Rhapsody in Blue.” If you’re not familiar with it, look it up & listen to the entire 17-min. piece. Millions of people have loved it; many people have hated it; some find it controversial. For me it is a masterpiece!
What is controversial about it?
Why do some find it controversial
Because people thought it was bad due to the style, but gerswhin said "You may not like it, but your kids will"
@@WhoevenaretheyBro knew! BRO FLIPPING KNEW!!!!!!!
Anyone who didn't or doesn't like this is a bitter old Karen.
I have to come back every once in awhile to again immerse myself in the majesty of George Gershwin’s mind. Magnificent. Absolutely magnificent.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I first listened to this beautiful composition when i was 17. I'm 81 and still enjoy this as much as i did way back when. ❤️
This is possibly one of the greatest pieces of music ever written and so evocative of 1920 s New York.
It is, no possibly about it
Yes it is
Hard to believe that this piece is nearly 100 years old. It premiered in April, 1924 at the Aeolian Hall in New York as part of a programmer of modern Music. Don't recall anyone remembering anything else that night other than this self-styled masterpiece. I watched this telecast live in 1976.
WOW ! I remember it too. ! We're spoiled for life ! I was 25 and it still takes my breath away.
I was born on the date of this broadcast. 🎉😊
It's so cool how the pianist is also the director
And the violinist behind him looks like Kelsey Gramer!
He was the conductor of the New York Philharmonic orchestra. They were well schooled under their maestro.
Clearly the piano score was not difficult enough, so Bernstein decided to conduct at the same time to make it challenging.
Coos Oorlog Gershwin did this in the actual original performance
---SO YARBOO AND SUCKS TO HIM
Coos Oorlog Bernstein wouldn't pass off an opportunity to conduct if he to play every single measure of the score
Coos Oorlog There are, it seems, people who are just too talented.
Coos Oorlog
Nothing screams America more than this song...
Not a song
how? lol
bernstein, gershwin, copland are the quintessential american classical composers imo
I remember seeing this performance live. What a thrill!
Have heard Rhapsody 1000's of times in 50 yrs - this is my fav.
Never tire of it!
My college roommates and I listened to the Paul Whiteman Orchestra version over and over. Our friend, Diane, would lift the needle off the record just before the end of the initial clarinet run to groans from the crowd. I am 75 and I have listened to every version that was available, most of them over and over.. This has amounted to hundreds of listens. I never tired of it. If this is played at my funeral, I might rise from the dead.
Thank you for posting! This performance never fails to please! I saw him in concert with his orchestra in the mid 70's. He spoke to me during intermission and, when he learned I was an aspiring percussionist, waved a tympani player down to show me how to tune them. I was 8 or 9 at the time and never forgot it. He was a giving teacher and a real class act!
His 'Young People's concerts' changed my life. I remember his explanation and performance of "Carmen" and "Peter and the Wolf" made me a life-long lover of classical music, at the same time as I was falling in love with the Beatles.
Those were magical times.
An American classic! The performance characterizes the great American way. New York City's attributes shine through. The orchestra knows exactly how to dazzle a capitvated audience. As someone who lived in New Jersey for 3 years as a student at The Lawrenceville School -- I'm honored & delighted to express my feelings about this powerful showcase of bravado and grace! Love it! * Robert Cavalier; Forest Grove, OR; 22 Sept., 2022.
An excellent summary. I feel like it captures a time & place that no longer exist, but are somehow familiar. A more accurate musical encapsulation of New York City is not possible.
how amazingly beautiful! i can see the buildings and trains. i can see the bridges and all the lights and the traffic in the streets. the people walking on fifth avenue and the theater lights in times square. yes, i'm a native new yorker. gorgeous, just gorgeous, gershwin was a genius and bernstein was the best.
I'm from Africa and you made me see this song in a different light. It truly encapsulates everything American of the era. How better to portray the energy and vibrancy of New York than with this genius music?
You said it, people struttin down the street....maybe in Harlem, 1930.
Very well stated! You're right on the mark!
Um, Jean, (and Dan'l, below), uh, Paris?
N'ya pas de "Fifth Avenue," ni de "Harlem" la.
Well, Josephine Baker maybe...
I love what you wrote. Same. I am from New York too. This composition takes my breath away every time I hear it. My son got to perform this with his youth orchestra in Shanghai a few years ago, on July 4 no less. I was worried this would all come across as a little too American, but the audience loved it and gave them a standing ovation. Maybe they could see their city in it too.
10:21 - 12:30 breaks my heart a little bit because it always makes me think of my mother, a classical violinist, who is gone now. Thank you, Maestro.
Every single orchestra player gets 100% of the credit. Amazing!
My grandfather’s funeral song. Such a sensation, to feel the mystifying grandeur journey of that piano lead my ears somewhere beautiful whilst leading my face to a flood of tears.