: The iconic opening clarinet wail was not originally in the score. During rehearsals, clarinetist Ross Gorman played the opening scale with a humorous, sliding glissando. Gershwin loved it so much he asked Gorman to keep it as a permanent "ice-breaker" for the piece.
: The lush, slow middle theme (famously used for years in United Airlines commercials). Impact and Controversy Rhapsody In Blue: Gershwin
'Rhapsody in Blue,' Gershwin's musical melting pot, at 100 : NPR : The iconic opening clarinet wail was not