{"product_id":"23519-gershwin-george-whiteman-paul-rhapsody-in-blue-1924-premiere-tour-program","title":"Gershwin, George. (1898–1937) \u0026 Whiteman, Paul. (1890–1967) \"Rhapsody in Blue\" 1924 Premiere Tour Program","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eAn intriguing partial program on which George Gershwin plays his own \u003ci\u003eRhapsody in Blue\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003cspan\u003ePaul Whiteman’s experimental \u003c\/span\u003e\"Experiment in Modern Music\" concert on February 12, 1924 at New York's \u003cspan itemprop=\"publisher\"\u003eAeolian Hall\u003c\/span\u003e. In addition to the \u003ci\u003eRhapsody\u003c\/i\u003e, 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. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eVery 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. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eAs 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 \u003ci\u003eRhapsody in Blu\u003c\/i\u003ee. \u003cspan\u003eAccording 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.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThrough 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.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe reviews weren't great but \"\u003cem\u003eRhapsody in Blue \u003c\/em\u003ewas 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 \u003cem\u003eTime\u003c\/em\u003e magazine for its July 20, 1925, issue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt also kicked off a national tour of Whiteman’s company, for which Gershwin continued to perform for a while. \u003cem\u003eRhapsody in Blue \u003c\/em\u003ebecame 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 \u003cem\u003eRhapsody\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAside from fame, \u003cem\u003eRhapsody\u003c\/em\u003e also made Gershwin a rich man. \u003cem\u003eRhapsody \u003c\/em\u003ebecame 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt also opened up a musical world Gershwin had only dallied in previously. Before \u003cem\u003eRhapsody\u003c\/em\u003e, he had built a career as a songwriter and pianist for the theater; after the success of \u003cem\u003eRhapsody,\u003c\/em\u003e he aimed his sights on concert halls, writing larger, more complex pieces that melded jazz sensibilities and popular tunes with traditional symphonic music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePorgy and Bess,\u003c\/em\u003e largely considered Gershwin’s \u003cem\u003emagnum opus\u003c\/em\u003e, might not have been possible without \u003cem\u003eRhapsody in Blue.\" (\u003c\/em\u003eAndy Hollandbeck, \"A Century of Rhapsody in Blue,\" in The Saturday Evening Post, Feburary 11, 2024)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Schubertiade Music and Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46093849034911,"sku":"23519","price":2000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/4826\/7423\/files\/GershwinWhitemanRhapsodyinBluePremiereTourProgram23519a.jpg?v=1722437211","url":"https:\/\/www.schubertiademusic.com\/products\/23519-gershwin-george-whiteman-paul-rhapsody-in-blue-1924-premiere-tour-program","provider":"Schubertiade Music and Arts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}