After Bess’s departure, what becomes of Porgy? Having fallen in love with Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, the brilliant pianist and arranger Vyacheslav Gryaznov decided to answer this question by taking up the opera’s themes. With Rhapsody in Black, a concerto for piano and orchestra, he picks up the story where the opera leaves off: Bess in New York, Porgy following in her footsteps. Neither a pastiche nor a simple arrangement, Rhapsody in Black reclaims Gershwin’s legacy by blending electrifying improvisations, big-band sonorities, and poetic ballads. With this New York fresco, complemented by Rhapsody in Blue, Gryaznov creates an extraordinarily vibrant diptych, superbly brought to life by the Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and Wayne Marshall, a leading specialist and outstanding interpreter of Gershwin.

Tracklist:

1. Gryaznov/Gershwin: Rhapsody in Black (On Themes from Porgy and Bess) I. Day In New York
2. Gryaznov/Gershwin: Rhapsody in Black (On Themes from Porgy and Bess) II. Night. Bess
3. Gryaznov/Gershwin: Rhapsody in Black (On Themes from Porgy and Bess) III. Bess And Porgy
4. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

UPC: 5051083228817
Label: Aparte
Release Date: 4.17.26
Format: CD