1928 Oscar Levant Rhapsody in Blue

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estott
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Re: 1928 Oscar Levant Rhapsody in Blue

Post by estott »

VanEpsFan1914 wrote: Fri Jan 06, 2023 9:58 am The Columbia Masterworks set by Levant is absolutely excellent, if you want to hear how he interprets this piece a bit later. Excellent-quality 1940s recordings too, but they play very well on something like an Orthophonic Victrola with soft-tone needles.

This is the one I use as a reference copy for Rhapsody in Blue, even though I have the 1924 Victor acoustic w. Gershwin leading Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, and the black label 1928 scroll remake. The 12" singles are good, and of course they are Gershwin--but Levant really shines there interpreting his friend's music; plus they play long enough to get the full piece in there.
Gershwin did not lead that orchestra on either recording.

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Re: 1928 Oscar Levant Rhapsody in Blue

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

I've not dug out the two copies I have, but on the two 1920s Victor 12" discs, they are marked with "The Composer himself at the piano."

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Re: 1928 Oscar Levant Rhapsody in Blue

Post by Inigo »

VanEpsFan1914 wrote: Fri Jan 06, 2023 9:58 am Gershwin did not lead that orchestra on either recording.
The 1924 acoustic I don't know, but the latter orthophonic remake in two sides credits Gershwin as pianist, and Whiteman as leader. Neither that is true, for it's been said that Whiteman came into a row with someone and left the study, so the second part was directed by no other than Nat Shilkret. That's what I remember from an old thread in 78-L. Maybe I'm wrong, but there's a story about that....
Last edited by Inigo on Mon Jan 09, 2023 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 1928 Oscar Levant Rhapsody in Blue

Post by 52089 »

VanEpsFan1914 wrote: Mon Jan 09, 2023 12:36 pm I've not dug out the two copies I have, but on the two 1920s Victor 12" discs, they are marked with "The Composer himself at the piano."
Yes, Gershwin was at the piano, but he did not direct the orchestras. Paul Whiteman conducted the 1924 recording, Nat Shilkret the 1927 version, though Whiteman's name appears on the label of both.

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Re: 1928 Oscar Levant Rhapsody in Blue

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Awesome then. Thank you @52089, @Inigo, and @estott. That clears this up wonderfully.

Nat Shilkret is probably one of my favorite conductors of a lot of things.

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Re: 1928 Oscar Levant Rhapsody in Blue

Post by Inigo »

Shilkret was a phenomenal enormous musician. there's a good no of him somewhere in the web... I'll try to find it and post the link here...
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