After earning his musical stripes in Hollywood, André Previn turned away from “commercial” music (writing and performing movie music) and pursued a highly successful career as a conductor, pianist, and composer. His chief conductorship of the London Symphony Orchestra (1968-1979) was one of the LSO’s golden eras, and together they made a string of wonderful recordings. As a pianist, Previn always claimed to be a “musician who plays jazz, rather than a jazz musician.” His musicality was prodigious, and this 1971 album of George Gershwin’s two great works for piano and orchestra shows what a fine player he was. On the podium, Previn conducts a sizzling performance of An American in Paris, insouciant and full of charm.
- Valery Gergiev & London Symphony Orchestra
- Lorin Maazel & Vienna Philharmonic
- Sir Simon Rattle
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim, Martha Argerich & Nelson Freire
- Leonard Bernstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & James Levine