Gershwin: Concerto In F / Rhapsody No 2 / etc

"This is Gershwin with a bit of a twist. As a Gershwin conductor, [JoAnn Falletta] virtually excels herself. The Buffalo Philharmonic produces a big, beautifully proportioned sound-rich in texture with lovely playing by the first chairs, including the important trumpet solo in the slow movement of the concerto. This is world-class Gershwin; Falletta really swings. The twist I mentioned comes from the soloist, Orion Weiss. He is a thoughtful and scrupulous pianist, with a fine technique. Weiss plays Gershwin as if he were playing Mozart, with lucidity and limpidness. What Weiss does contribute is an authentic sense of personality…Artur Schnabel spoke of music that is greater than any possible performance of it. Well, Gershwin in these works is a great composer, and I feel that there is a place in the pantheon of Gershwin interpretation even for what Weiss does. I doubt that any Gershwin aficionado will feel cheated by this CD. Veteran producer Tim Handley captures these renditions in full and luminous sound" Fanfare