But there is always more to discover, and today we have two different versions for two pianos - one with orchestra and one without. These are part of a collection by duo pianists Amparo and José Iturbi that also includes several unusual examples of mid-century Americana, plus their recordings of Debussy's En blanc et noir and two Andalusian Dances by Manuel Infante.
The 1949 Rhapsody in Blue recording
10-inch cover |
When this 1949 recording of Rhapsody in Blue was made, they (particularly José) were at the height of their fame. They appeared together in several Hollywood films, with José taking a speaking role in most of them.
As sometimes happens, the more the performers became familiar to the general public, the less they were held in regard by the audience for classical music.
The pair took the Rhapsody into the recording studio twice, both in arrangements by José. The first was in 1938 in a duo piano arrangement without orchestra (discussed below); the 1949 version included orchestra.
Both are well worth hearing. The earlier version, made in New York, strikes me as a bit more refined than the 1949 orchestral arrangement. But then, José in particular was not known for subtlety and both can be brash. I will say that the 1949 version is dramatic, and is in excellent sound.
José Iturbi in Anchors Aweigh |
The 1949 version came out on EP and 78 sets, later migrating to 10-inch LP (cover above) and 12-inch LP. The LP versions included additional works, as described below.
Chambers - All American - A Satirical Suite
Both the LP versions included the duo's recording of a brief All American satirical suite by avocational composer J. Clarence Chambers, who at one time was the general medical superintendent of the New York City hospital system. Dr. Chambers' suite is perhaps the only work of his that has been recorded. It comes from a 1946 session in Hollywood, where José was appearing in the Jane Powell movie Holiday in Mexico.
The suite's titles will give you a good sense of what it's about - "Chicken in the Hay," "Lush," "Bloozey-Woozey" and "Parade of the Visiting Firemen."
Debussy and Infante12-inch cover |
Debussy's En blanc et noir is a turbulent wartime work, written in 1915, when the composer, afflicted with cancer, had but a few years to live. The work is dedicated to Serge Koussevitzky, Jacques Charlot (a business associate who was killed in the war), and Igor Stravinsky.
Debussy was passionately anti-German at the time; he deconstructs Martin Luther's hymn, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, in the second movement.
The Iturbis' intensity is well suited to this work; at the same time they inject more light and shade into this recording than some of their other efforts. The 1950 sessions were held in Hollywood.
Manuel Infante |
These are highly attractive characteristic pieces that are just right for the performers, who carry them off with panache. The recordings were made in November 1946 in Hollywood.
All the works discussed so far were transferred from my copy of the 12-inch LP.
Music by Gould and Reddick
Morton Gould |
Also from Gould is a highly idiomatic and convincing Boogie Woogie Étude that is powerfully played by José. The work dates from 1943. Iturbi recorded the two Gould pieces in November 1944 in New York.
Willam J. Reddick |
Reddick was known for his arrangements of spirituals and a collection of roustabout songs from the Ohio River. He was producer and director of radio's Ford Sunday Evening Hour from 1936-42, then again after 1945. This was probably the connection with Iturbi - José and the Rochester orchestra sometimes appeared on the program.
The 1938 Rhapsody in Blue
The Iturbis |