Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin, George)

Since this work was first published after 1922 with the prescribed copyright notice, it is unlikely that this work is public domain in the USA. However, it is in the public domain in Canada (where IMSLP is hosted), the EU, and in those countries where the copyright term is life+70 years or less. IMSLP does not assume any sort of legal responsibility or liability for the consequences of downloading files that are not in the public domain in your country.

Any orchestration by Ferde Grofé (d.1972) cannot be uploaded here as it is under copyright worldwide

		Movements/Sections 1 Composition Year 1924 Genre Categories Rhapsodies; For piano; Scores featuring the piano; For 1 player; For 2 pianos (arr); For 2 players; For piano (arr); For piano, orchestra (arr); Scores featuring the orchestra; For orchestra with soloists

Scores

• Arrangements and Transcriptions (5)

Arrangements and Transcriptions

Complete

For 2 Pianos (Gershwin)

 Complete Score (EU)
*#10970 - 2.63MB, 41 pages -  9.0/10 2 4 6 8 10 (9) - V/20/V - 21967x⇩

PDF file, Scanned by www.piano.ru
Turbando (29 July 2007)

Editor:

First edition

Publisher Info.:

New York: New World Music Corp., 1924

Copyright:

Public Domain - Non-PD US [tag all]

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For Piano solo (Gershwin)

 Complete Score (EU)
*#04305 - 8.43MB, 29 pages -  7.9/10 2 4 6 8 10 (19) - V/23/V - 24560x⇩

PDF file, Scanned by Unknown
Gnome3 (11 March 2007)

 Complete score (EU)
*#10262 - 6.43MB, 30 (29 music) pages -  8.4/10 2 4 6 8 10 (10) - V/23/V - 9949x⇩

PDF file, Scanned by Unknown
Sissco (19 July 2007)

Publisher Info.:

New York: New World Music / T. B. Harms, 1927. Plate S-109-29

Copyright:

Public Domain - Non-PD US [tag all]

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 Complete Score (EU)
*#10769 - 1.17MB, 31 (ii, #145-173) pages -  8.4/10 2 4 6 8 10 (7) - V/23/V - 15684x⇩

PDF file, Scanned by Unknown
Mcroskell (25 July 2007)

Publisher Info.:

New York: New World Music / T. B. Harms, 1927. Plate S-109-29

Reprinted:

Midland Park: The University Society, n.d.(ca.1990).

Copyright:

Public Domain - Non-PD US [tag all]

Misc. Notes:

This file is from the MIT archive project.

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Selection: 4 measures before rehearsal 16

For Piano and Orchestra (Manookian)

 Score and Parts to 4 Missing Measures (EU)
*#112304 - 0.06MB, 16 pages -  10.0/10 2 4 6 8 10 (1) - !N/20/!N - 6290x⇩

PDF file, Typeset by Kerikan
Kerikan (5 August 2011)

Arranger:

Jeff Manookian

Publisher Info.:

Windsor Editions

Copyright:

Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 3.0 - Non-PD US [tag all]

Misc. Notes:

Missing 4 Orchestra Measures to be inserted before Rehearsal Number "16"

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General Information

Work Title	Rhapsody in Blue
Alternative Title

Composer	Gershwin, George
Movements/Sections	1
Year/Date of Composition	1924
First Performance	12 February 1924 New York: Aeolian Hall. Concert - An Experiment in Modern Music George Gershwin, piano solo Paul Whiteman Band (Palais Royal Orchestra) / Paul Whiteman Orchestration by Ferde Grofé (1892-1972)
First Publication	1927 (piano score) 1942 (Grofé's final orchestration FS)
Piece Style	Early 20th century
Instrumentation	Piano / Jazz Band (later Piano / Orchestra)
External Links	Wikipedia article Rhapsody in Blue - scores at Sheet Music Plus

Misc. Comments

The first orchestration by Ferde Grofé (1892-1972) was created in 1924. Grofe's final version (the one usually performed) was not published in full score until 1942, and therefore not in the public domain anywhere.

I BELIEVE that grofe did a total of 3 different orchestrations for this work (i may be wrong here though) the original 1924 orchestration for whiteman's jazz band, a rarely heard 1926 orchestration for a more classical, but fairly small, orchestra, and the 1942 orchestration for full orchestra which is the one usually heard today. --Matthew 15:48, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

Grofe authored 5 orchestrations, of which 4 are published. First was the Whiteman orchestration from 1924. The one a couple of years later was basically a theater orchestration, slightly expanded and without the doubling of the first. Later he published an orchestration for piano and concert band (which is really interesting in that he also orchestrated the piano part in cues so that if you wanted to perform it sans piano you could--I've never heard it done this way though), and then finally his full orchestra version. He also wrote a version for Novachord orchestra that he played at the NY World's Fair. The Novachord was an early kind of synthesizer that made sounds similar to orchestral instruments. This version was not published but the MS is at Library of Congress. --Jim

The Grofé final orchestration is copyright in the USA until Jan. 1, 2038 and will be protected in Canada (and other 50 pma countries) until Jan. 1, 2023, until Jan. 1, 2043 in the EU (and other 70 pma territories).