It's been eons since I, at least, have posted a
free classical music download (they've been out there, I just haven't posted them).
The following one would be better described as classical/jazz.
What prompts me to post a classical piece now, after so long of a time in doing so, is because this piece is special--if for no other reason, it is one of very few classical music pieces that I think that most Americans would recognize immediately, even if they had no idea by whom it was composed.
Description
This week’s free download is Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, performed by pianist Stewart Goodyear with the Chineke! Orchestra under Wayne Marshall. It was recorded on Orchid Classics and was awarded five stars for performance and four for recording in the August issue of BBC Music Magazine.
Written in 1924 for solo piano and jazz band, Rhapsody in Blue became an overnight success. Its opening clarinet glissando – which has been compared to the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony for its familiarity and notoriety – wasn’t initially written in by Gershwin, and was instead, a joke performed by the clarinettist in rehearsal. Gershwin then asked him to perform it in such a way in concert, adding as much of a ‘wail’ as possible.
‘Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is a collision of classical and jazz, reflecting the musical melting pot of that composer’s world,’ writes Claire Jackson. ‘It’s taken at a brisk pace here, with a brilliant performance by Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first majority-BAME ensemble.
To "purchase," just follow the instructions on
this webpage. You'll have to set up an account, if you don't have one.