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MMD > Archives > November 2002 > 2002.11.26 > 11Prev  Next


Tempo of "Rhapsody in Blue"
By Dan Wilson, London

If the two Duo-Art rolls of Gershwin playing "Rhapsody in Blue"
are glued together, with the inserted resolving chord at the end of
roll 1 replaced by a suitable pause, they play for 16-17 minutes.

But I believe George's mother was said to be very proud that her son
had written a piece "19 minutes long" -- and orchestral recordings
tend to be around that length.  Perhaps an orchestra gets in the way ?

Dan Wilson, London

 [ Somewhere I read that Gershwin felt that symphony orchestras didn't
 [ play the piece as fast as he preferred.  I've heard piano concerto
 [ performances wherein I felt the piano soloist was 'pushing' the
 [ beat, attempting to accelerate the orchestra.  -- Robbie


(Message sent Tue 26 Nov 2002, 19:26:00 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  Blue, Rhapsody, Tempo

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