An American in Paris is one of Gershwin’s most sumptuous and best-loved works. He called it ‘a rhapsodic ballet’ but denied any specific programme except...

An American in Paris is one of Gershwin’s most sumptuous and best-loved works. He called it ‘a rhapsodic ballet’ but denied any specific programme except in a ‘general impressionistic way’. The American visitor strolls, soaking up the city’s exuberance, suffering a pang of homesickness, and hearing the Parisian taxi horns—which Gershwin loved so much he brought some back to America with him. Meanwhile Ferde Grofé, who had orchestrated Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, evokes the glories of ravine, rock and cloudburst in his indelibly beautiful and exciting Grand Canyon Suite.