The work is characterized by five primary musical themes that repeat and expand in a call-and-response style: : The main opening theme.
: Due to time constraints—Gershwin composed the concerto in just five weeks—the orchestration was handled by Whiteman’s arranger, Ferde Grofé . Grofé created multiple versions over the years, including the original jazz band scoring (1924) and the more common full symphonic version (1942). Musical Structure and Themes Rhapsody In Blue: Gershwin
: The lush, slow middle theme (famously used for years in United Airlines commercials). Impact and Controversy The work is characterized by five primary musical
: The iconic opening clarinet wail was not originally in the score. During rehearsals, clarinetist Ross Gorman played the opening scale with a humorous, sliding glissando. Gershwin loved it so much he asked Gorman to keep it as a permanent "ice-breaker" for the piece. Musical Structure and Themes : The lush, slow
: Gershwin claimed the piece's full construction came to him during a train journey from Boston to New York, where the "steely rhythms" and "rattlety-bang" of the train inspired the work's momentum.