An intriguing partial program on which George Gershwin plays his own Rhapsody in Blue with Paul Whiteman and His Palais Royal Orchestra, from the tour which immediately followed the premiere. No venue, no date, though the selections are nearly identical to those on Paul Whiteman’s experimental "Experiment in Modern Music" concert on February 12, 1924 at New York's Aeolian Hall. In addition to the Rhapsody, there are pieces by La Rocca, Baer, Thomas, Schonberger, Braham, Rose, Jones, Logan, McDowell, Friml, Berlin, Herbert. The first four sections are identical to those on the premiere program:"True Form of Jazz", "Comedy Selections", "Contrast - Legitimate Scoring vs. Jazzing" and "Popular Compositions with Modern Score"; then, where on the premiere program there was a Zez Confrey piano set (not present here), the present program skips straight  to "Adaptation of Standard Selections to Dance" (number 5 vs. original 9), then "Semi-Symphonic Arrangement of Popular Melodies" (number 6 vs. original 7), and "Flavoring a Selection with Borrowed Themes (number 7 vs. 6); the second half, consists of "A Suite of Serenades" (number 8 in both) and concludes with the "Rhapsody in Blue" (number 9 vs. original 10), instead of that being followed by Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance ("In the Field of Classics").  Partial program notes for just the first four sections on verso. Approx 4" x 7 3/4" on heavy paper, a single page from the program, trimmed to size, else fine. 

Very rare. Incredibly, we have not traced a single example of the original Aeolian Hall program, nor any from the subsequent tour, ever having appeared at auction and know of only one example in the trade. Likewise, we locate only three institutional holdings (New York Public Library, the George and Ira Gershwin Collection at the Library of Congress, and the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University) of the Aeolian Hall Program, and none from the tour. 

As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920's and 1930's, Whiteman produced recordings that were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz". Using a large ensemble and exploring many styles of music, Whiteman is perhaps best known for his blending of symphonic music and jazz, as typified by his 1924 commissioning and debut of George Gershwin's jazz-influenced Rhapsody in Blue. According to the notes in the premiere program (which certainly would have also appeared in this complete program as well), Whiteman intended the event at New York’s Aeolian Hall “to be purely educational,” showcasing “the tremendous strides which have been made in popular music.” Through new arrangements and original material, most notably Gershwin’s bold rhapsody, Whiteman hoped to legitimize a scored version of “modern Jazz” in the context of the classical concert hall. In the program’s opening section, titled “The Why of This Experiment,” Whiteman elevates jazz into the sphere of high culture while remaining pointedly silent on the African-American roots of that controversial genre, “which sprang into existence about ten years ago from nowhere in particular.”

By February 1924, George Gershwin was already well known for his work on Broadway, but this commissioned “jazz concerto” would be his first concert hall performance as a composer. The reviews weren't great but "Rhapsody in Blue was a hit with people at large, and the publicity surrounding the concert was a boon for both Gershwin and Whiteman. The concert itself would be repeated in the following months, both at Aeolian Hall and then, as a benefit for the American Academy in Rome, at Carnegie Hall — Whiteman’s original aim. Gershwin even made the cover of Time magazine for its July 20, 1925, issue.

It also kicked off a national tour of Whiteman’s company, for which Gershwin continued to perform for a while. Rhapsody in Blue became the group’s signature piece, and Gershwin’s fame and popularity grew well beyond New York City because of it. Whiteman and Gershwin recorded the piece on June 10, 1924, using the all-analog technology available at the time, and then again on April 21, 1927, to make use of the new electronic system of recording. Gershwin also wrote an unaccompanied solo piano version and a two-piano version of Rhapsody which were published by T.B. Harms, and he recorded several rolls for player piano. Grofé arranged new accompaniments in 1926 and 1942, each for a larger orchestra.

Aside from fame, Rhapsody also made Gershwin a rich man. Rhapsody became one of the most adapted pieces ever, with versions arranged for wind quintet, for chorus, for recorder choir, for harmonica and orchestra, and many more. Royalties from the piece flowed into his bank account for the rest of his life, and then, after his death a mere 13 years later from a malignant glioblastoma, to his estate.

It also opened up a musical world Gershwin had only dallied in previously. Before Rhapsody, he had built a career as a songwriter and pianist for the theater; after the success of Rhapsody, he aimed his sights on concert halls, writing larger, more complex pieces that melded jazz sensibilities and popular tunes with traditional symphonic music.

Porgy and Bess, largely considered Gershwin’s magnum opus, might not have been possible without Rhapsody in Blue." (Andy Hollandbeck, "A Century of Rhapsody in Blue," in The Saturday Evening Post, Feburary 11, 2024)