Rhapsody In Blue: Gershwin -

'Rhapsody in Blue,' Gershwin's musical melting pot, at 100 : NPR

Gershwin was initially reluctant to take on the challenge, reportedly only starting work after reading a news report that Whiteman was already planning the performance. Rhapsody In Blue: Gershwin

The work is characterized by five primary musical themes that repeat and expand in a call-and-response style: : The main opening theme. 'Rhapsody in Blue,' Gershwin's musical melting pot, at

: The iconic opening clarinet wail was not originally in the score. During rehearsals, clarinetist Ross Gorman played the opening scale with a humorous, sliding glissando. Gershwin loved it so much he asked Gorman to keep it as a permanent "ice-breaker" for the piece. Premiered on , at New York's Aeolian Hall,

George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue stands as a monumental achievement in American music, famously bridging the gap between classical symphonic structure and the raw, rhythmic energy of jazz. Premiered on , at New York's Aeolian Hall, the piece was commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman for a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music". Composition and Creation