Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition by the American composer George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which synthesizes elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects.
The composition was commissioned at the request of bandleader Paul Whiteman. The piece received its premiere in the concert, "An Experiment in Modern Music," which was held on February 12, 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York City, by Whiteman and his band with Gershwin playing the piano.
The work was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé several times, including the original 1924 scoring, the 1926 "theater orchestra" setting, and the 1942 symphony orchestra scoring.
The rhapsody is regarded as one of Gershwin's most recognizable creations and as a key composition which defined the historical period known as the
Jazz Age. The Nation has described Gershwin's piece as inaugurating a new era in America's musical history.
The editors of the Cambridge Music Handbooks have posited that "the Rhapsody in Blue (1924) established Gershwin's reputation as a serious composer and has since become one of the most popular of all American concert works."
The American Heritage magazine notes that the famous opening clarinet glissando has become as instantly recognizable to concert audiences as Beethoven's Fifth."
From the 1945 Film "Rhapsody in Blue"
Robert Alda stars alongside musical greats Al Jolson, Paul Whiteman, and Oscar Levant in this biopic treatment of the life of composer George Gershwin. The film traces Gershwin's rise, from his first big hit "Swanee" (performed by Al Jolson, playing himself), to his collaborations with lyricist brother Ira (Herbert Rudley) to the heights of artistic achievement with the debut of "Rhapsody in Blue" at Aeolian Hall
https://youtu.be/VAuTouBhN5k