Critics on George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" (1924)

These are some of the opinions of the critics, written about the "Rhapsody In Blue", after the, now-mythical (February 12th 1924) concert of Paul Whiteman at the Aeolian Hall in New York.

Downes: "defeated by technical immaturity"

Gabriel: "formlessness"

Deems Taylor: "all the faults one might expect from an experimental work -diffuseness, want of self-criticism, and structural uncertainty"

Pitts Sanborn: "Although to some ears this Rhapsody begins with a promising theme well stated, it soon runs off into empty passagework and meaningless repetition"

Lawrence Gilman: "Weep over the lifelessness of its melody and harmony, so derivative, so stale, so inexpressive".

At that show, the crowd thought otherwise: "When Rhapsody came to the final passage, the hall broke into spontaneous, loud and long applause. George was called upon to take several bows, acknowledging the recognition - the arrival - of himself as a serious composer".

Arnold Shaw, The Jazz Age