Search - Gershwin, Tacchino, Monte Carlo Po :: Gerschwin: Rhapsody in Blue / Pno Cto in F

Exciting

David Saemann | 01/03/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a bit of an anomaly. A French pianist and Monte Carlo orchestra under an American conductor playing Gershwin. It all works out pretty well. The one disappointing performance is of Rhapsody in Blue. Tacchino certainly has the notes in the right places, but there is an absence of bluesy feeling and Tin Pan Alley authenticity in his playing. The famous clarinet solo is a little disappointing also. Things get much better in the Concerto. Here Tacchino seems very much at home with the rhetoric of the work, and his interpretation is even touching at times, a rare feat for Gershwin. The orchestra plays bravely for Foster, even though their discipline is not always ideal. They play somewhat better in An American in Paris. Here Foster contributes a brisk, authentic sounding rendition, one of the best performances I know of. The disc's early digital sound engineering is flattering to the piano, but a little boxy for the orchestra. Nevertheless, I'm sure I will return to this disc often for the wonderful reading of the Concerto, certainly one of the best I know of."