etc.

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Earl Wild's first performance of Rhapsody in Blue was a live 1942 broadcast with Toscanini, which effectively typecast the young pianist as a Gershwin specialist. Three years later Wild was invited by Paul Whiteman (who premiered and first recorded the work with the composer at the keyboard) to participate in the work's first uncut recording, reissued for the first time here on CD. True, Glenn Osser's re-orchestration with an added 16-voice choir borders on kitsch; and Whiteman's conducting, though snappily paced, has the subtlety of an avalanche. Wild's breezy fingerwork and stylish flair, however, saves the day. The pianist serves up his own Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Gershwin songs and his Grande Fantasy on Porgy and Bess with slightly more dash and abandon in these 1976 recordings than his later Chesky remakes, and he delivers the Three Preludes with uncluttered directness. A delicious reissue. --Jed Distler

Tracks:

Rhap in Blue
Seven Virtuoso Etudes: The Man I Love
Seven Virtuoso Etudes: I Got Rhythm
Seven Virtuoso Etudes: Embraceable You
Seven Virtuoso Etudes: Fascinatin' Rhythm
Seven Virtuoso Etudes: Somebody Loves Me
Seven Virtuoso Etudes: Liza
Seven Virtuoso Etudes: Lady be Good
Grande Fant on Porgy and Bess
Three Plds for Pno: Pld I. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Three Plds for Pno: Pld II. Andante con moto e poco rubato
Three Plds for Pno: Pld III. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso

Amazon.com

Earl Wild's first performance of Rhapsody in Blue was a live 1942 broadcast with Toscanini, which effectively typecast the young pianist as a Gershwin specialist. Three years later Wild was invited by Paul Whiteman (who premiered and first recorded the work with the composer at the keyboard) to participate in the work's first uncut recording, reissued for the first time here on CD. True, Glenn Osser's re-orchestration with an added 16-voice choir borders on kitsch; and Whiteman's conducting, though snappily paced, has the subtlety of an avalanche. Wild's breezy fingerwork and stylish flair, however, saves the day. The pianist serves up his own Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Gershwin songs and his Grande Fantasy on Porgy and Bess with slightly more dash and abandon in these 1976 recordings than his later Chesky remakes, and he delivers the Three Preludes with uncluttered directness. A delicious reissue. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Astounding pianism -- just don't listen to it in one sitting.......2005-03-20

This CD seems to overlap with another CD on the Chesky label. Both contain Earl Wild's Fantasy on Porgy and Bess and the seven Etudes based on Gershwin's music. This disc also has Rhapsody in Blue and Gershwin's Preludes.

Wild's pianistic facility is absolutely astonishing. He does some wonderful things with Gershwin's music. Highlights include "Embraceable You" and some of the sections of the Porgy and Bess Fantasy ("Summertime", "Bess, you is my woman now" and "It aint necessarily so" come to mind). He also plays the three Preludes with conviction and panache. However, Gershwin is not Chopin, and there is only so much one can mine from this music. If one tries to listen to this entire CD in one sitting, one can become aware of the piano as a percussion instrument. I am not certain if this is a function of the music (Gershwin), the pianist (Wild) or the recording (AAD). So often when I listen to a great pianist play solo work by Chopin, Liszt or Ravel, for example, I can lose myself in the music and virtually forget the medium. That doesn't happen with this recording for me.

Still, in small doses, this is an extraordinary disc, and I'm glad to own it.

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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