There’s not much to add to previous critical praise for this classic recording. Earl Wild is every bit as much inside Gershwin’s idiom as was Oscar Levant, and Wild is a far finer pianist. Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops could play this music blindfolded, evidenced by their precise but never stiff rhythms and lively tempos. The finale of the Concerto in F never has sounded jazzier or more exciting, and Fiedler’s swift stroll through Paris conveys far more of the music’s cinematic color and energy than most other performances–only Bernstein and Tilson Thomas, both on Sony, manage as well. It’s also great to hear Rhapsody in Blue in its long version; yes, it’s repetitious this way, but with tunes like that, who cares? RCA’s re-remastered sound adds little if anything to the already excellent Living Stereo edition released just a few years ago. Simply the best. [3/5/2002]
