Rhapsody in Blue
George Gershwin
Work background
Researched classical background
Gershwin wrote Rhapsody in Blue for Paul Whiteman's concert experiment combining popular idioms with concert music. The first performance featured Gershwin at the piano and Ferde Grofe's orchestration for jazz band. Its opening clarinet slide introduces a work that shifts between rhythmic drive and broad melody. Later arrangements helped make it familiar in symphony halls as well as band settings.
Inspiration and creative background
Gershwin described the conception as a musical panorama of American life, developed while traveling by train.
Rhapsody in Blue - LA Phil
Work identity, chronology where stated, and the specific musical or historical context summarized in this entry. | Reviewed 2026-10-19
A listening guide
Compare the piano's solo passages with the ensemble's responses, and note the different colors in jazz-band and symphonic versions.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Solo piano and jazz band or orchestra, depending on version
Premiere: 1924
The premiere used Ferde Grofe's jazz-band orchestration; later orchestral versions have different scoring.
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Date, title and version notes
The original jazz-band score and later symphonic orchestrations are not identical.
Rhapsody in Blue - LA Phil
Work identity, chronology where stated, and the specific musical or historical context summarized in this entry. | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
Rhapsody in Blue - LA Phil
Work identity, chronology where stated, and the specific musical or historical context summarized in this entry. | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Browse by year
1960-2025. Each year contains 150 selections.