Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F / Rhapsody in Blue / Cuban Overture

Jon Nakamatsu won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997 and has made several fine recordings since then. This all-Gershwin program is probably his finest. He plays the Piano Concerto with great rhythmic sass, the Charleston always underpinning the melodies. Rather than opt for a showy reading of this or the Rhapsody in Blue, he and conductor Jeff Tyzik emphasize the music’s sultry quality; the smoke-filled nightclub is there right alongside the concert hall at all times. The clarinet solo that opens the Rhapsody is stunningly evocative. Nakamatsu and the horn player duet with a keen jazz ear, and the solo piano work is songful and elegant. If you’re looking for fireworks, there are plenty in the Concerto’s finale – it’s a thrilling reading. The Cuban Overture, a work so familiar that it’s hard to look forward to, is given a terrific reading here by Tyzik and The Rochester Philharmonic, with the Latin percussion sounding wonderfully at home with the "regular" orchestra. This is a splendid release. --Robert Levine