Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Rhapsody in Blue

Hi all, I need some clarification about the fourth last bar. (The piano-orchestra version.)

It looks like a A/Ab tremolo with a simultaneous trill on the Ab? My edition's a little cramped, so either I'm reading it wrong, or I'm playing it wrong, because it doesn't sound very good at all...

In the piano solo version, it looks like the same thing, but I interpret it as a tremolo using the RH Ab (octave) alternating with a single A natural in the left hand.

I think that the tr mark is erroneous because I don't think you could be expected to play a tremolo (alternating RH octave Ab with LH A natural) and play an upper trill on the Ab at the same time.

Regards,

I figure you can't get more authentic than Gershwin himself, so here he is, at around 4:50.

Sounds to me like the Ab octave is played solid, then a Ab-Gb trill above while A natural is repeated on the octave below to act as the tremolo. Somebody with a better ear than I do wanna confirm this?

I've always played with the Ab octave right hand alternating with the single A natural in the left hand, just as Bruce said.

The very nature of this piece allows for some improvisation, however. I really like the dissonance in the tremolo. Others may not.

True on the improvisation point, but my inner child cringes when I don't do a marked trill any justice. I'll try out both ways and see what I like.