(5 out of 5 stars) That s no exaggeration, Bernstein played and conducted this work with all the swagger inherent in this piece. Listen to the gorgeously laid-back piano strut at 8:14.it has all the attitude that Gershwin could have possibly wanted. Suddenly, Bernstein at 9:05 jumps out with the urgent variation on this original theme. To put it bluntly, Bernstein can play the hell out of this music.It s not just that he s technically a wizard at this piece, it s that he TRULY feels the music. Rhapsody in Blue isn t jazz, but isn t quite classical either.it exemplifies the sort of middle ground that is more common in pieces nowadays. Listen to Bernstein s rhythms. He does not strictly swing, nor does he strictly plays eigths notes straight. He sticks to a middle ground, throwing in swung eights notes not randomly, but where doing so makes the music more impetuous.The orchestra? Top-notch. The clarinet soloist at the beginning perfectly shows how much klezmer influence i