Jurgen Goering wrote, "Just a week ago I attended a concert by the
piano duo Anagnasson and Kinton, in which they played Rhapsody in Blue.
According to them, Gershwin originally composed this piece for two
pianos."

Yes, that is true; the problem was Whiteman announced the performance
of a Jazz Concerto played by George Gershwin at Carnegie Hall in three
weeks.  Gershwin saw that announcement in the paper and called up
Whiteman saying, "You'd better get me the music to this concerto if you
want me to play it." The response was, "You have to write it first."

So Gershwin wrote Rhapsody in Blue in 21 days, in a two piano form.
Ferdi Grofe (Grand Canyon Suite, The Donkey Serenade) did the
orchestration, and the performance went on on schedule.

The Paul Whiteman orchestra was hardly the symphonic behemoth that
performs it today.  It was originally a twenties big band type
orchestra.  On the same bill was Zez Confrey playing "Kitten on
the Keys" for the first time.

D. L. Bullock    Piano World    St. Louis