BaL 25.02.12 - Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library: Geoffrey Smith with a personal recommendation from recordings of Gershwin's Piano Concerto


Available versions:

Roy Bargy
Paul Whiteman and his Concert Orchestra, with Bix Beiderbecke (cornet). Re-scored by Ferde Grofe

Tzimon Barto (piano)
National Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach

Leonard Bernstein (piano & conductor)
Columbia Symphony Orchestra

Stefano Bollani (piano)
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly

Michael Boriskin (piano)
Eos Orchestra, Jonathan Sheffer

Raimondo Campisi
Russian Philharmonic, Dmitry Yablonsky

Shura Cherkassky (piano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Vernon Handley

Peter Donohoe (piano)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle

Bruno Fontaine (piano)
Orchestre National de Lille, David Wroe

George Gershwin (piano)
Oscar Levant

Héléne Grimaud
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman

Werner Haas (piano)
Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Eliahu Inbal

Ingrid Jacoby (piano)
Russian National Orchestra, Dmitry Liss

Katia and Marielle Labèque (version for 2 pianos)

Alain Lefèvre (piano)
Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Yoav Talmi

Oscar Levant
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini

Dorothy Lewis-Griffith (Solo piano arrangement)

Eugene List
Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Samuel Adler

Eugene List (piano)
Eastman Rochester Symphony Orchestra, Howard Hanson

Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra, Ilya Stupel

Anne Marie McDermott (piano)
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Justin Brown

Joanna MacGregor (piano)

Wayne Marshall (piano/conductor)
Aalborg Symfoniorkester

Jon Nakamatsu (piano)
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jeff Tyzik

Cristina Ortiz (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn

Cecile Ousset (piano)
Radiosinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Neville Marriner

Ian Parker (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Francis

Andre Previn (piano), Andre Kostelanetz and his orchestra

André Previn (piano & conductor)
London Symphony Orchestra [BaL choice 2007]

André Previn (piano & conductor)
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
RSO Stuttgart, Christoph Eschenbach

Pascal Rogé (piano)
RSO Wien, Bertrand de Billy

Jesus Maria Sanroma
Boston Promenade Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler

Howard Shelley (piano)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier

Jeffrey Siegel (piano)
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin

Kathryn Selby (piano)
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Hayman

Siegfried Stöckigt
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur

Gabriel Tacchino (piano)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Lawrence Foster

Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop

William Tritt (piano)
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Erich Kunzel

Boyan Vodenicharov (piano)
Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jo Alfidi

Donald Vorchees & Paul Whiteman

Orion Weiss (piano)
Buffalo Philharmonic, JoAnn Falletta

Earl Wild (piano)
Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fielder

[Pabmusic]

I have a Pearl disc (GEM 0022) of Roy Bargy playing it with Paul Whiteman's concert orchestra, recorded in 1928. Bix Beiderbecke plays the trumpet solo. Another Pearl disc (GEM 0123) is Jesus Maria Sanroma with the Boston Promenade Orchestra and Arthur Fiedler in 1940. Both are still available: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gershwin-Gro...9535371&sr=1-9 and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jesus-Maria-...9535511&sr=1-5

[Op. XXXIX]

But no mention of Earl Wild? That seems strange.

[Colonel Danby]

There are lots of good recordings to choose from, but I would still go for Peter Donohoe with Simon Rattle on EMI. What a glorious piece of music this is!

[Op. XXXIX]

There are lots of good recordings to choose from, but I would still go for Peter Donohoe with Simon Rattle on EMI. What a glorious piece of music this is!

I totally agree that the Gershwin is a glorious piece of music. But the Earl Wild recording has long been considered a classic, not only on the American side of the pond I should think. Would be curious to hear Richter.

[Pabmusic]

I totally agree that the Gershwin is a glorious piece of music. But the Earl Wild recording has long been considered a classic, not only on the American side of the pond I should think. Would be curious to hear Richter.

Earl Wild's version is still available: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhapsody-Blu...9548662&sr=8-4

[Bryn]

I recall a television presentation in which the pianist was seated at a piano in a boxing ring. I wonder if that might be available on DVD.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

But no mention of Earl Wild? That seems strange.

Thanks Op. XXXIX and Pabmusic. The list is now duly updated.

[BBMmk2]

Excellant choices there! I have the Previn/LSO recording, c/w An American in Paris and not forgetting Rhap in Blue!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Bix Beiderbecke plays the trumpet solo.

In the absence of a "jaw-drop" emoticon, will have to do!
This is unmissable: more demands on my plastic, I fear!

EDIT: Damn! I've just noticed the disc also contains Grofé! ... anyone know if the Beiderbecke is available separately? ... as a Download, even?

[Pabmusic]

EDIT: Damn! I've just noticed the disc also contains Grofé! ... anyone know if the Beiderbecke is available separately? ... as a Download, even?

We all have to make sacrifices for our art sometimes.

[cloughie]

In the absence of a "jaw-drop" emoticon, will have to do!
This is unmissable: more demands on my plastic, I fear!

EDIT: Damn! I've just noticed the disc also contains Grofé! ... anyone know if the Beiderbecke is available separately? ... as a Download, even?

Hey Ferney what's wrong with a bit of Grofe - no need to answer that, but it's the old problem I have with so many Ravel orchestral CDs, avoiding the dreaded B piece. There's always the 'make a CDR' option!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There's always the 'make a CDR' option!

Yes, this is why I asked about Download versions that I could buy without the Grofé pieces (there's over half-an-hour of the stuff, hardly "a bit"!)

[Pabmusic]

Thanks Op. XXXIX and Phabmusic. The list is now duly updated.

Good; your lists are always interesting and useful. Will you include the Bargy and Sanroma recordings, too? (post no. 2)

['Phabmusic' is very flattering, but wholly undeserved. I shall treat it as a typo, and the truth will remain our secret.]

[HighlandDougie]

I'm not sure if download-only versions count but the version with which I grew up - Roberto Szidon, LPO, Edward Downes - seems to be available still from DG. I still like it more than any other.