Leonard Bernstein / George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue / An American in Paris

Publisher: Horch House, HH01.00.22

Playing time: 35 min

Specifications: half track ¼“, stereo, RTM SM468, CCIR, 510 nWb/m, 38 cm/s

Reel(s):               1 standard metal reel, with sticker

Packaging:        1 deluxe cardboard box

Inserts:               1 insert folder with 2 insert sheets and 2 photo prints

Homepage: https://sepeaaudio.com/

Translation of the German review:

In 1898, the US composer, pianist and conductor George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn (New York City). "Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris" are among his most famous compositions. In total, he created seven works that are classified as classical music (e.g. Porgy and Bess), 13 musicals, the "Gershwin Songbook" with piano arrangements of well-known works, and songs for films. Many of his works were interpreted by famous stars of pop, rock or jazz, e.g. Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Peter Gabriel, Barbra Streisand, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis or Janis Joplin. He died at the age of 38 in 1937 in Hollywood (Los Angeles).

The American composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence (Massachusetts) in 1918. Especially with the recordings presented here, Leonard Bernstein made himself and also George Gershwin immortal. He can also boast a large list of his own works, including eleven orchestral compositions, eight stage works and musicals (e.g. West Side Story), as well as many works classified as film, piano, or chamber music. Bernstein died in New York City (New York) in 1990 at the age of 72.

In 1924, Gershwin, together with Ferde Grofé, who orchestrated the work, composed "Rhapsody in Blue" under great time pressure. Only five weeks before the premiere, bandleader Paul Whiteman persuaded Gershwin to write a jazz piece for orchestra for his event on February 12, 1924. The first manuscript, written by Gershwin for two pianos, which included the names of the soloists rather than remarks for instrumentation, was ready on January 7, 1924. Legend has it that Grofé wrote his version to suit the soloists of Paul Whiteman's Palais Royal Orchestra. The event ran under the title "An Experiment in Modern Music." Of 26 pieces performed, "Rhapsody in Blue" was the penultimate. The ventilation in the hall had failed, the audience was restless, but composers such as Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Stokovsky and Kreisler, as well as music critics, were in the hall. Since there was no notated piano score, Gershwin played the piano part himself. The title "Rhapsody in Blue" indicates the combination of concert symphonic music with blues and jazz. The world-famous melodies won over experts and audiences alike from the very beginning. This performance is celebrated as a historic event.

In 1928, with "An American in Paris," a commissioned composition for the New York Philharmonic, Gershwin processed the impressions from his stay in Paris as a so-called tone poem in free form. The premiere took place that same year at Carnegie Hall (New York City). Gershwin's editor and publisher at the music publishing house New World, Frank Campbell-Watson, changed the score considerably. As a result, the version predominantly performed today deviates from Gershwin's original in many respects, and Campbell-Watson is listed as the originator.

In 1958, Leonard Bernstein was at the conductor's podium for the legendary recording of the piece "An American in Paris", which we hear on the present tape. Under his direction, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra plays at the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn (New York City). Anyone who has ever been to Paris, especially in the days when the traffic was bustling and noisy, will relate well to this musical performance. Listening to it, I imagine Gershwin in a silent movie, accompanied by his music, getting a bit lost in the hectic bustle of the streets bar the manifold impressions to get to the next sightseeing spot. Chaotic phases are followed again and again by musical moments of relaxation in which things are orderly. This is fabulously portrayed by the composition and the orchestra. And then it's back into the traffic, including the vehicle horns. This recording conveys depth and melodiousness in just the right measure; it is not stingy with accuracy and cohesiveness. Do the carried parts show the astonishment of the traveler? Is it the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower or one of the imposing cathedrals that inspired Gershwin to this superbly played out theme? Was it his curiosity, but also his disillusionment, which are musically realized here and transferred to the listener in such a wonderful way? The theme melody, which flares up in many phases of the piece, gains more and more contour towards the end and leads the listener into a wonderful finale.

In 1959, Leonard Bernstein and the Columbia Symphony orchestra made one of the most groundbreaking recordings of "Rhapsody in Blue." The piano is played by Bernstein. The beginning of the piece can be described as a collage of instrumental parts that slowly work their way toward the theme until the first piano part becomes the center of the stage imaging, which is impeccably done in this recording. The following tutti passage already gives a foretaste of the imposingly interpreted tempo and rhythm changes, the trademark of this piece, perfectly staged by Bernstein. Thus, sensitively played dabs of sound lead a moment later to a full grip on the keys; one could hardly present this wealth of melodies better. The first half of the piece features a long piano solo that showcases the instrument's full range of playing and recording. A violin introduces the next orchestral section, which is multi-dimensional: At times polished wind sections set the tone, then again the strings and other instruments, until the music leads into the excellently played title theme, in which the entire orchestra rises to a glorious final performance.

In 2021 Christoph Stickel (https://csmastering.de) reworked the tape for the Horch House label. Only analog equalizers were used; the signal did not leave the analog level. For productions of this kind, he follows these principles: Not to change the sound of the recording, but to preserve the reproduction in its originality and in the best possible quality. If there are different original sources and/or different working or production copies, a selection is made from the best preserved tapes. Or, if possible, new masters are compiled from the best-sounding parts. If necessary, the original tape is baked so that the material, which has been stressed by aging processes, can once again be played back in its best form. In addition, an intensive listening comparison is made with original vinyl pressings. It is important to him to give the entire process an appropriate amount of time and to listen to the material over and over again until the best result is achieved. No noise removal or other restorations that affect the sound are used.

2021 I listen to this tape with respect. At a listening volume appropriate to the orchestra, I am gripped by the breathtaking dynamics of these recordings. The overriding impression is that the 1950s drama conveyed in the performance comes out of the speakers without loss. Having been incredibly bound and fascinated by these concertos for 35 minutes, I am convinced that there can be no better way to hear this highlight from an orchestral recording than from this balanced-sounding tape. The 63 years between today's date and the recording are simply pulverized.

Holding the gray jewelry box in one's hand, one notices as a label a Fujifilm Instax Mini photo (instant) pasted on the edge of the removable lid. The touch quality and modern "retro photo" alone put me in raptures, as it is veteran quality in a new guise. After removing the lid, an insert of gray cardboard follows, the closure of which is held by two red cardboard circles riveted into the hinged lid, which are closed by intertwining by means of a lace attached on one side. Two glossy color prints of the front and back of the original 1959 LP release (Columbia MS 6091) are revealed. Two thick glossy printed sheets contain information and technical data about the tape. Below follows the tape reel, snugly embedded in a soft black foam ring. Recessed grips make it easy to remove the metal reel. The tape material has been perfectly fitted with leader and tensioner tape, so that the trained eye can immediately recognize from the yellow tape that it is the pre-wound (tail out) storage.

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris" are together on one tape reel, distributed by SEPEA audio (https://sepeaaudio.com). When ordering, you can choose between the speeds 38 cm/s (15 ips) 19 cm/s (7.5 ips).

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)