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Rhapsody in Blue — Original 1924 Recording
Restore the original acoustic recording of Rhapsody in Blue, performed by Paul Whiteman's orchestra with George Gershwin at the piano.
- Recordings
- 2 audio tracks
- Recorded
- 1924
- Source
- Internet Archive, via The Public Domain Review
The original recording
Open source recording ↗Restoration preview
Hear what the finished restoration could sound like
Why this recording matters
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue premiered in 1924 and quickly became one of the defining works of American concert music. The original recording was made acoustically with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra and Gershwin himself at the piano. Because of the recording limits of the period, the performance was issued across two sides. It predates the better-known electrical recording and preserves an early interpretation made in the same year as the premiere. This project would restore both parts as a coherent listening experience. The work would address surface noise, clicks, tonal imbalance and side-to-side level differences while retaining the energy, orchestral colour and historical character of the acoustic recording.
Source and rights
- Source credit
- Internet Archive, via The Public Domain Review
- Reference
- View the source record ↗
- Rights
- Underlying 1924 works public domain in the U.S.; digital copy rights unclear
- Publication note
- The 1924 composition and sound recording have entered the U.S. public domain, but PDR marks the digital-copy rights as unclear. Obtain a confirmed public-domain transfer for both sides and verify image rights before publication.
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