Rhapsody in Blue

The piece was commissioned by the prominent bandleader Paul Whiteman for an experimental concert held at Aeolian Hall in New York City. Whiteman wanted to demonstrate that jazz could be elevated into a serious, sophisticated art form, and Gershwin delivered the piece in 1924.

No, while Gershwin wrote the original composition for solo piano, he did not have time to orchestrate the parts for Whiteman's jazz band before the premiere. The famous original orchestration was actually done by Ferde Grofé, Whiteman's chief arranger, who is responsible for the piece's iconic instrumental textures.

The piece famously opens with a soaring, two-and-a-half-octave clarinet glissando that has become one of the most recognizable notes in American music. Originally played by clarinetist Ross Gorman in 1924, the opening was intended to mimic a human wail and instantly captivated the audience.

The original version performed at Paul Whiteman's 1924 concert ran for about 10 minutes. Because Gershwin had not fully finalized the piano solos by the time of the premiere, he actually improvised large portions of his solo on the spot, relying on visual cues from Whiteman to bring the band back in.