Search - Gershwin, Chailly, Labeque :: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; An American in Paris; Lullaby; Cuban Overture [Germany]

Cleveland does it again

Bruce Hodges | New York, NY | 08/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Back in the 1970's, I had a great all-Gershwin LP with Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra, that I bought primarily for the powerful performance of the "Cuban Overture." Now the same ensemble has triumphed once again with this piece, conducted in 1987 by Riccardo Chailly, who completely nails the work's swingy, jazzy style. Among many delights, the percussion effects are particularly vivid, with waves of bongos and other drums sounding incredibly crisp and present. The Cleveland brass section carries a huge punch, too, sailing over the mix, but not so loud that the rest of the group's expert players are eclipsed.



The entertainingly brilliant Labeque sisters are the anchors at the piano -- or rather, pianos -- for a gorgeous "Rhapsody in Blue," and then the orchestra's string section gets its turn to show off in a relative rarity called "Lullaby." And the warhorse "An American in Paris" is quite well-judged, both in tempi and balance. Again, you might think Bernstein were still alive and looking over Chailly's shoulders, nodding at how admirably Chailly has assimilated Gershwin's idiom.



The sound quality is terrific, and fully captures the sound of this expert ensemble, which shows once again why its virtuosity is acclaimed all over the world. The horn-honks in "An American in Paris" just throb with vitality, the saxophone solos are exceptional, and let's not forget the luminous clarinet in the "Rhapsody" -- this is orchestral work at its very best. Just a fantastic recording, and probably essential for Gershwin fans."