Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) and George Gershwin (1898-1937) are two of the most well-known figures in American music and were good friends, often playing together. Heifetz had asked Gershwin to write a violin concerto for him, but unfortunately, Gershwin passed away before the work could be realized. These transcriptions by Heifetz are the next best thing. The five excerpts from Porgy and Bess® and the Three Preludes are particularly famous, and Heifetz often played them as encores, but the extensive excerpt from An American in Paris has never been published before and may never have been played publicly by Heifetz. The rhythms and wonderful melodies of this American classical work are expertly arranged by Heifetz, and the excerpts from Porgy (which include "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "Summertime," and "My Man's Gone Now") burn with virtuosic passion in these marvelous arrangements. This edition is a must-have for violin lovers and fans of Gershwin's music!

• An American in Paris