From what I have heard, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” was first performed by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra in the early twenties to promote the growth of “American” music, particularly jazz. From that concert, I have only heard about Gershwin’s famous composition. Where there any other pieces played there that are famous today? Where there any other composers that one might call “notable” who composed music for that concert?
The poster for the concert can be found here:
http://www.abbeville.com/jazz/images/full/055.jpg
And this page
http://www.geocities.com/hamo_2000/gg.htm
has this to say about the rest of the program:
“Whiteman’s concert at the Aeolian Hall, New York City, on 12 February 1924, was historic. He led a 23-piece orchestra in a program titled ‘An Experiment In Modern Music’, playing standard Whiteman pieces like Whispering, some with contrasted ‘legitimate’ and ‘jazz’ scoring; Kitten on the Keys, featuring composer Zez Confrey at the piano; various semi-symphonic arrangements of Irving Berlin numbers; and a suite of serendes by Victor Herbert. The evening closed with George Gershwin at the piano, performing his new composition Rapsody in Blue with the orchestra in an arrangement by Ferde Grofe.” (Albert McCarthy, 1971)"
History seems to have forgotten Zez Confrey, but it certainly remembers Irving Berlin and Victor Herbert. And Ferde Grofe, who orchestrated the Rhapsody in Blue, went on to compose the Grand Canyon Suite.