1776 (1969 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Evidence that one can make a musical about anything, Exhibit A: 1776. As one might expect, the whole concept of making a musical about the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence was greeted in the late 1960s with, well, ridicule. The show debuted on Broadway in 1969, and three years later, when its run finally ended, it was its producers who had the last laugh. In addition, it toured for an additional two years and beat out Hair (in 1969 yet!) for a Tony Award. This recording, with the original Broadway cast, includes many of the same actors who went on to star in the film, the version with which most audiences today are probably familiar. One notable exception is Rex Everhart, who replaced Howard da Silva at some performances and on this recording. But there's still William Daniels as John Adams, though in some cases his performance is more subdued than it was on film. Musically, 1776 is an odd creation, considering when it came into being. As one might expect, there's a lot of fife and drum going on, especially in the opening number and during "The Lees of Old Virginia." For those less than familiar with the plot, it hinges on the idealism of Adams, who's trying his best to back up the American Revolution with some legislative action, and spends much of his time arguing with either the Continental Congress or God, as in "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve": "A second flood, a simple famine / Plagues of locusts everywhere / Or a cataclysmic earthquake / I'd accept with some despair / But no, you sent us Congress / Good God, sir, was that fair?" (One could argue that he gets further with God.) While not entirely historically accurate, and containing some rather peculiar numbers (Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams sitting around debating what their new country's national bird is going to be ranks among the oddest), there's no questioning 1776's staying power. --Genevieve Williams

Tracks:

Overture - Orchestra
Sit Down, John
Piddle, Twiddle And Resolve/Till Then
The Lees Of Old Virginia
But, Mr. Adams
Yours, Yours, Yours
He Plays The Violin
Cool, Cool, Considerate Men
Momma Look Sharp
The Egg
Molasses To Rum
Is Anybody There
Finale

Amazon.com

Evidence that one can make a musical about anything, Exhibit A: 1776. As one might expect, the whole concept of making a musical about the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence was greeted in the late 1960s with, well, ridicule. The show debuted on Broadway in 1969, and three years later, when its run finally ended, it was its producers who had the last laugh. In addition, it toured for an additional two years and beat out Hair (in 1969 yet!) for a Tony Award. This recording, with the original Broadway cast, includes many of the same actors who went on to star in the film, the version with which most audiences today are probably familiar. One notable exception is Rex Everhart, who replaced Howard da Silva at some performances and on this recording. But there's still William Daniels as John Adams, though in some cases his performance is more subdued than it was on film. Musically, 1776 is an odd creation, considering when it came into being. As one might expect, there's a lot of fife and drum going on, especially in the opening number and during "The Lees of Old Virginia." For those less than familiar with the plot, it hinges on the idealism of Adams, who's trying his best to back up the American Revolution with some legislative action, and spends much of his time arguing with either the Continental Congress or God, as in "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve": "A second flood, a simple famine / Plagues of locusts everywhere / Or a cataclysmic earthquake / I'd accept with some despair / But no, you sent us Congress / Good God, sir, was that fair?" (One could argue that he gets further with God.) While not entirely historically accurate, and containing some rather peculiar numbers (Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams sitting around debating what their new country's national bird is going to be ranks among the oddest), there's no questioning 1776's staying power. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

Sound Quality not perfect on CD.......2007-07-18

This is a new CD, overall quality and amazon procedure were excellent. The CD itself on a few songs fails to provide enough amplification to the background chorus or secondary singer, thus I must strain to actually hear both duet parts, with the latter almost inaudible. For example, Lee's of Old Virginia, Till Then, and Who will write our new declaration. It is not in my players, but within the CD. I actually ordered this because I wanted Violin by Betty Buckley and am satisfied with the reproduction overall, but it also has the audio problems with Adams and Franklins lines within the song

Before Sondheim's COMPANY and after MAN OF LA MANCHA..........2007-04-30

For me, 1776 is a great companion to MAN OF LA MANCHA as one of the most entertaining AND intellectually worthy amalgams of music, lyrics, book, theme, plot, characterizations and dialogue to ever come out of pre-1970's Broadway musical theatre. Each song is like a little gem, and displays the broad range of emotions and ideas with which 1776 brims. Satiric, romantic, hilarious, heartbreaking, disturbing, dark, inspiring, thoughtful, humane, and even a little bawdy, the songs glide and tromp all over the map, as does the show itself. As with LA MANCHA, 1776 broke open the Broadway musical, making it a pitch-perfect example of what can truly make a musical more than a toe-tapping time killer... while never becoming tedious, pompous, windy, or dull. If anything, it crackles with suspense.

And as to the reviewer who was shocked that it would win out over HAIR? Listen to "Mamma Look Sharp" or "Molasses to Rum to Slaves" to hear exactly the play's political and often-unflattering ideological landscape. This was definitely a Vietnam-era play whose content was as disturbingly pertinent, then, as it is, now. And, despite all of this, the score and play never become leaden or preachy. On the contrary, each performance is a gem, and each character is witty and unique. Who knew that history could be a passionate and fun adventure?

Overrated Tony Award Winner.......2006-06-16

How could this musical win the Tony award having as a competitor a play like HAIR which - for many people - stands as an emblematic theatre piece of the 60's? Who remembers a tune out of this musical? On the contrary, "Aquarius", "I Got Life" or "Walking in Space" are still popular and they play all over the world. Even ZORBA and PROMISES PROMISES - both candidates for the award in the same year - have songs that are still remembered. 1776 may wake up patriotic feelings to American listeners which is quite understandable but the music and songs are old-fashioned, overrated and awfully boring.

Brilliant, Definitive and Remarkably Accurate!.......2005-12-18

1776 has become an institution, thanks to the motion picture which was made of this original Broadway show, and which starred most of the cast from the theatrical production. It gets rerun every July 4th week on some movie channel or local station!

William Daniels IS John Adams to many people, and even though the story of the birth of the United States probably wasn't this lyrical and lively, Composer Sherman Edwards was historically accurate in the facts of the tale.

In addition to learning about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this is also love story... in fact two love stories, with John Adams and his wife Abigail, separated by circumstance and interacting only in his mind, and Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Martha, here, played by the big throated (and now legendary) Betty Buckley.

There is also a sense of fraternity, with the members of the Continental Congress grappling with the concept of breaking away from a tyranical ruler. And even though you know the outcome, the story is still filled with tension and excitement in the mechanics of it. Just how DID this country get formed?

The disc's liner notes explain the show's libretto and give you some rare behind-the-scenes info about the creation of the musical, the challenges it faced before becoming the standard that it now is, and a bit about the amazing Mr. Edwards, which is a story worthy of being told as well.

It's an Independence Day must!

Saw this on Broadway .......2005-11-12

Saw this show, with original cast, on Broadway in '69 and it has stayed with me ever since then. Every time I listen to these songs, I laugh. The historical figures (done with some tongue-in-cheek) are highly entertaining and even better if you see the movie. I would recommend the dvd for a great, lighthearted evening, and good family entertainment. You can't miss with this one! A winner on all fronts.

Average customer rating:

Music we all need to hear once in a while.
A very good CD
Revision of history
Lovely CD--shameful misspelling on the song titles
The Ultimate Patriotic Album

God Bless America: Ult Patriotic Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

God Bless America
Music of the U.S. Armed Forces
America's Favorite Patriotic Songs
Stars & Stripes Forever, Vol. 2
The Military Band: Salute to the Services

ASIN: B000068C7V
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

Yankee Doodle
Star Bangled Banner (vocal)
God Bless America
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Shenandoah
Amazing Grace
America The Beautiful
Simple Gifts
America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee)
Over There
You're A Grand Old Flag
Thru The Years 1776-1969
Semper Fidelis
Washington Post
American Patrol
Star Bangled Banner (instrumental)
The Caissons Go Rolling Along
Anchors Aweigh
Semper Paratus
The Air Force Song
The Marines' Hymn
The Stars And Stripes Forever

Customer Reviews:

Music we all need to hear once in a while........2007-01-04

This album is well put together and I enjoy the old standards. Music is an integral part of our heritage. Often when I listen to this album, I think about what our country has been through and how very, very important it is to appreciate what we have. I spent 3 years living in France in the 60's and I cannot tell you how much all Americans looked forward to going "Home!"

Enjoy!!

A very good CD.......2005-06-16

If you like a mix of songs and marches very well played, this CD is for you. The voices of the singers are good, the music support the lyrics and it is easy to listen or to sing along. Also, nearby half of the tunes are played by the Band of the Grenadier Guards and for me, this Band is the best band to play Sousa marches and military marches. The precision of the execution is perfect, the sound is lovely and the technical quality of the recording is perfect. When I listen Anchors Aweigh, I always hear the sound of the waves and it is one of the only bands that gives me this feeling. If you have just one CD of military music to buy, you may buy this one; it is a best buy.

Revision of history.......2005-03-27

As usual, "Dixie," "The Bonnie Blue Flag," and other songs of a Southern genre are conspicuously absent. Why not throw in a couple of rap tunes to make this album truly "American?"

Lovely CD--shameful misspelling on the song titles.......2002-11-22

I do not own this CD--though it appears it would be a wonderful album to listen to. I was compelled to write my review because of the misspelling of our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner (as opposed to "The Star Bangled Banner" as it appears not once but twice on the song list). I do hope this error is corrected.

The Ultimate Patriotic Album.......2002-07-20

For all those patriots out there who want to listen to classical patriotic music, then get this album. This has a lot of tracks from yankee doodle march to the Washington post march. Even Amazing grace is here. The orchestras and the chorus here, gave there best performance ever.

Tracks:

ACT I: Sit Down, John - Brent Spiner/Michael X. Martin/Richard Poe/Tom Aldredge/John Herrera/Tom Riis Farrell...
ACT I: Piddle, Twidle and Resolve - Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT I: Till Then - Brent Spiner & Linda Emond/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT I: The Lees of Old Virginia - Merwin Foard/Pat Hingle & Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT I: But Mr. Adams - Brent Spiner/Pat Hingle/Paul Micheal Valley/John Herrara & Daniel Marcus/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT I: Yours, Yours, Yours - Brent Spiner & Linda Emond/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT I: He Plays The Violin - Lauren Ward/Pat Hingle & Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT I: Cool, Cool, Considerate Man - Michael Cumptsy/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT I: Momma Look Sharp - Erik J. McCormack/Macintyre Dixon & Joseph Cassidy/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT II: The Egg - Pat Hingle/Brent Spiner & Paul Michael Valley/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT II: Molasses to Rum - Gregg Edelman/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT II: Compliments - Linda Emond/Orch/Mark Mitchell
ACT II: Is Anybody There? - Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell

Customer Reviews:

From someone who despises American musical theater.......2007-06-04

Okay... wow.

In the Brent Spiner Fangirl Legal Contract, it specifies that said fangirl must purchase any and all vocal recordings containing said Brent Spiner (and that she will not, in any way or at any time, mention how much he sounds like Judy Garland on steroids). Which is why I purchased this CD.

He... ripped... into... this... part. That's the only way I can put it. I was floored from start to finish.

The work, as a whole, is something of a consuming thing. Be prepared to sit in silence for a few minutes after you're done with this one, because after hearing the whole thing, silence will be the only followup that does it justice.

A Mans Show.......2006-07-24

For anyone looking for male songs, or a male show to put on, this is the soundtrack for you. It has great ballads as well as big chorus numbers for the male sex. However the subject matter just didnt grab me by the throat and make me love it. History isnt my thing. That being said, the music and lyrics are great, and worth the money. This is a good one to get if your interested in broadway, but not the Rodgers and Hamerstein style. My favorite songs are "Molasses to Rum" and "Momma Look Sharp."

Who knew Mr. Data had it in him?.......2006-07-05

I saw this musical in NYC and have never been so moved by a Broadway show before. Brent Spiner has a lovely yet commanding voice that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck in parts - you so believe in the rightness of his convictions as Adams. All the performances are first rate, but Spiner really shines.

The argument can be made that this musical was "of its time" meaning the 1960's, but I think the songs still hold up as they entertain as well as educate us. Much of the lyrics and dialogue are authentic.

Highly recommended.

I Love It!.......2006-02-27

The soundtrack will make you laugh, cry and sing along. You'll have goosebumps as you hear the songs of the men and women involved in the creation of our country.

SURPRISINGLY TERRIFIC.......2006-02-23

As a PURIST fan of ORIGINAL musicals, and not one who enjoys all the revivals (which indicates a lack of current writers...no surprise), I was AMAZED at how GOOD this revival is on recording. I am sorry I missed the show in New York.

Average customer rating:

Great Music

Thomas Linley, Jr.: A Shakespeare Ode

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Nutmeg and Ginger: Spicy Ballads from Shakespeare's London
Shakespeare At Covent Garden / Pickett, Musicians Of The Globe
The Enchanted Island (Music for a restoration "Tempest") / Pickett, Musicians of the Globe

ASIN: B000007OTE
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: Overture
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: Minuetto
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 1 Chorus: O guardian Of That Sacred Land'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 2 Recitative: 'Tis Thine Alone'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 3 Air: 'Come Then, O Fancy'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 4 Recitative: 'At Shakespeare's Happy Birth'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 5 Air: 'And Now Is Come'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 6 Chorus: 'Be Shakespeare Born'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 7 Recitative: 'So Spake The God'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 8 Air: 'There In Old Arden's Inmost Shade'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 9 Recitative: 'And As Before His Purged Eyes'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 10 Air: 'Thy Hand His Youthful Footsteps Led'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 11 Air: 'Some Drive The Clam'rous Owl Away'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 12 Solo & Chorus: 'Some Drive The Clam'rous Owl Away'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 13 Recitative: 'But Oh! What Sudden Gloom'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 14 Quartet: 'By The Pale Light'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 15 Recitative: 'See Through The Glimmering Darkness'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 16 Chorus: 'What Howling Whirlwinds'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 17 Recitative: 'For Whom, At Yonder Livid Flame'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 18 Air: 'Whither Ye Beldames'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 19 Quartet & Chorus: 'The Tempests Cease'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 20 Recitative: 'No More The Elves'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 21 Air: 'Ariel, Who See Thee Now'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 22 Recitative: 'No More Shalt Thou'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 23 Duet: 'For Who Can Wield'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches And Fairies: No. 24 Chorus: 'Yet, Fancy, Once Again'

Customer Reviews:

Great Music.......2000-06-04

Thomas Linley Jr. (1756-1778) was one of the most promising young english composers at his time. He was like Mozart a wunderkind, born into a very musical family. He was also a student of William Boyce (1711-1779). Unfortunately Thomas Linley Jr. died in a boat accident only 22 years old. The english musicologist and conductor Philip Pickett (the leader of the brilliant original instruments orchestra New London Consort) has formed the theatre-ensemble Musicians of The Globe in order to perform music written for and inspired by Shakespeare's plays. The music is beautiful, the performances are superb, and the recording is excellently balanced.

Liberty Tree: Early American Music 1776-1861

Average customer rating:

Very Enjoyable
Wow.
A Great Album For Historic Music Fans

Liberty Tree: Early American Music 1776-1861

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Music of the American Revolution: The Birth of Liberty
American Christmas
The World Turned Upside Down

ASIN: B00000AGN3
Release Date: 1998-08-18

Tracks:

Yankee Doodle
Chester
Liberty Tree
The Boston March
David's Lamentation
Jefferson and Liberty
Rights of Woman
The Appletree
Dormant
Hero and Leander
Mary's dream
On the Road to Boston
Jolly Soldier
Jefferson and Liberty
Abraham's Daughter
Brave Wolfe
Irish air
The Blue Bells of Scotland
The Working boy
Poor old Maids
Bob in the Bed
Old Tare River
The Rose Tree (The Knoxville Harmony)
Clovergreen
Parting Friends
Ode to Science

Customer Reviews:

Very Enjoyable.......2006-03-20

A really nice selection of American patriotic music from the Revolution to the onset of the Civil War. The performances are excellent. It includes some of the best work, including his patriotic anthem Chester, by the outstanding New England choral composer William Billings.

Wow........2001-12-19

I just got this CD in the mail -- bought for a friend who is a new citizen. Thought I'd give it a listen first. Wow. I own a fair amount of 18th century popular and choral music, and a few Boston Camerata discs. This beauty is going straight to the top of my list of favorites. Lovely, very musical. I agree with the previous review that this disc captures the history, but I want to recommend the recordings as music, too.

A Great Album For Historic Music Fans.......2000-08-09

This is by far the best recordings of historic American music that I have come across. The arrangements are beautiful for all the songs. Chester and Dormant are my two favorites. In addition, the information and background for all the songs is given in the booklet. I found this to be very helpful and interesting. If you are sick of hearing historic songs being butchered by banjos, dulcimers and mandolines, and want to hear the real thing, than this is the album for you. I love this record!

Average customer rating:

Wonderful selection; Lives up to the reviews
A Superb Introduction to America's Earliest Great Composer
An Introduction to Charles Ives
Charlie done right. Part II.

Ives: Symphony No. 3
Charles Ives , James Sinclair , and Northern Sinfonia
Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Ives: Symphony No. 2; Robert Browning Overture
Charles Ives: Emerson Concerto; Symphony No. 1
Ives: Symphony No4; Symphony No2
Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4
Ives: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4/Hymns

ASIN: B00007FKQM
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Tracks:

Old Folks Gatherin'
Children's Day
Communion
Washington's Birthday
The Unanswered Question (Version No.2)
Central Park In The Dark
'Country Band' March
Overture And March '1776'

Amazon.com

This is a fine selection of Ives's works. The Third Symphony has wonderful folk sounds and hymns to latch on to, while the raucous "Country Band" is a warm-yet-all-too-true invocation of the mediocre town bands that play badly but with great oomph. "Central Park in the Dark" is alternatingly spooky and impressionistic, the latter as sounds from outside the Park creep in. "Washington's Birthday" is the CD's most dissonant piece--hardly fun--in the middle of which Ives gives us some square-dance rhythms and the sound of a Jew's harp. "The Unanswered Question" is justly famous, a conglomeration of sounds and instrumental groups, which, in its four and a half minutes, says a great deal. These performances are all excellent, and for those who want a sort of Ives sampler, this bargain CD is ideal. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful selection; Lives up to the reviews.......2004-03-01

A short but very positive review: I bought this because it was recommended by three excellent music reviewers below. Please read their reviews, especially Bob Zeidler's. In terms of the quality and interest of the music and performances, this CD lives up to its billing.

In recommending this, I also focus on the wonderful job done in selecting the pieces to be combined on this CD: in addition to the featured "Symphony No. 3", there are a number of other works on this CD, including "The Unanswered Question", that make for a wonderful cross-section of Ives' overall works. When you step back from enjoying the music, this is a very useful CD for learning about Ives and his music as well.

A Superb Introduction to America's Earliest Great Composer.......2003-05-18

I want to add my two cents to the praise heaped on this disc by the previous reviewers - Bob Zeidler, who is a real Ives maven, and Robin Freedman, a discerning critic, I've noted, of classical music recordings in these pages.

I won't say too much here. But I do want to comment that James Sinclair and his English orchestra play wonderfully, making the many layers of Ives's music stand out clearly so that one can not only hear but understand the complexity of Ives's scores; they clarify it so that it doesn't seem difficult any more. In some past recordings Ives's music has been muddled, making it more difficult to 'get' than it really is. We can perhaps 'hear' Ives more easily now that much later composers - such as Martinu, Schnittke, Sallinen - have prepared us for hearing more than one orchestral sound-plane at a time. Ives, after all, pioneered this. AND he made glorious music in doing so.

A sidebar: October 22, 1955 was an unforgettable day for me. On that single day I met the great Nobel physicist, Niels Bohr. And I heard my very first music by Ives, 'The Unanswered Question.' I walked on air for days afterward. And every time I hear 'Question' it all comes back. Is there anything that can evoke that kind of emotion, that kind of memory, better than music?

Scott Morrison

An Introduction to Charles Ives.......2003-05-06

Charles Ives (1874-1954) remains in his originality, sense of adventure and exploration, patriotism, and spirituality the quintesential American composer. This CD features an excellent selection of orchestral works from various stages of Ives's career and makes an outstanding introduction to this composer. The CD features the NOrthern Sinfonia, a European chamber orchestra conducted by James Sinclair, a specialist in Charles Ives. The performances are outstanding and make Ives's diffuse and obviously difficult scores hang together well. Jan Swafford, the author of the acclaimed biography, "Charles Ives: A Life with Music" wrote the informative program notes. This CD is part of the Naxos "American Classics" series and sells at a bargain price. It is impossible to go wrong with this CD. The listener will discover an American master.

Virtually all Ives's music, particularly the selections on this CD, is programmatic in character. This disc opens with the Third Symphony, "The Camp Meeting" written in 1904. Ives described this work as "a kind of crossway between the older ways and the newer ways." The Symphony describes a moment of American revival with gospel melodies such as "Just as I am" interlacing the texture of the work. The three movements are titled "Old Folks Gaterin'", "Children's Day" and "Communion" with the first two movements rather lyrical and straightforward and the third movement denser in character. This is an eloquent, accessible work.

I think the highlight of the CD is the "Two Contemplations" titled "The Unanswered Question" and "Central Park in the Dark" which Ives wrote in 1906. These are probably Ives's best known compositions. Swafford's notes aptly describe this music as "visionary". These pieces are collages and almost atonal in character, unlike the lyrical, tonal, Symphony No. 3. "The Unanswered Question" features movements of winds and trumpet over a repeated, muffled string figure. The piece is only four minutes long and it is brooding and spiritual. "Central Park in the Dark" is slightly longer and features the same type of brooding, contemplative themes juxtaposed with the noises and hurly-burly of New York City. This music will bear repeated listenings.

There are also short two early compositions on this CD, "Country Band March" and the "1776" Overture and March which capture Ives's patriotism, humor and love of amateur music-making.

The final selection on this CD is "Washington's Birthday" written in 1909. This work has a quiet, meditative beginning which encourages the listener to reflect on Washington and his significance. The meditative portions are interspersed with a lively, rowdy barn dance.

Many people have too little awareness of American achievement in art music. This CD will introduce the listener to one of our country's greatest composers. Naxos is to be praised for its outstanding series of "American Classics."

Charlie done right. Part II........2003-03-10

Naxos is sometimes criticized on various counts: Obscure, royalty-free repertoire, 2nd-tier (or lower) orchestras, with little-known conductors, bargain-basement production values, etc. For the most part, this is a bum rap; Naxos is no different in this respect than the major full-price labels, which put out their own share of turkeys. And, when Naxos is "on," as it often is, it can be downright unbeatable.

A case in point is the Naxos critical-edition releases of the music of Charles Ives. The CD under consideration here is the second in a series. (The first was the recording of the Ives 2nd Symphony and the Robert Browning Overture, with Kenneth Schermerhorn and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.) There is no issue regarding royalty or production-values shortcuts with these CDs, nor is there any about the authoritativeness of the performances or the sound quality. Any full-price label would be proud of such releases.

The main work here is Ives's Symphony No. 3, written in 1901-1904 but never performed until 1946, with Lou Harrison conducting the New York LIttle Symphony. The following year the Symphony won Ives the Pulitzer Prize for music. It might well not have happened. A Columbia University student recorded the work off his radio during the Harrison broadcast, and played it for interested Columbia musicians, by way of which notice got to the Pulitzer committee. (While this series of events came perilously close to "almost didn't happen" status, there is another event, not as well-documented but more fascinating for what might have been. In 1910, when Gustav Mahler was the music director of the New York Philharmonic-Symphony, he visited Ives's copyist in New York and apparently left the shop with a "fair copy" of this score. Within a year, Mahler was dead. We can only guess how Ives's musical fortunes might have been different, had Mahler performed this work.)

The Third Symphony is the first of Ives's symphonies to totally break free of the Germano-centric traditions instilled in him by his father and by Horatio Parker, his mentor at Yale. It is uniquely "American," and couldn't have been written by anyone other than Ives, yet it lacks the iconoclastic idiosyncrasies usually attributed to Ives. (It may well be these features which attracted Mahler's attention.) Because of this, it may well be his most accessible work for the Ives newcomer. It is certainly one of his gentlest and most serene works, aided in good part by Ives choosing to lightly score it for small chamber orchestra.

Over the years, I've had several recordings of this work, going all the way back to Howard Hanson and the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and including all the well-regarded ones by Bernstein and Tilson Thomas. (I've never been able to warm up to Tilson Thomas's Concertgebouworkest recording. To me, despite his obvious Ivesian knowledge, the performance just doesn't catch fire; the Dutchmen just don't seem to "get it.") None of them can match this new effort by James Sinclair (and the British Northern Sinfonia is not a handicap to him). This is a pellucid performance of great warmth and transparency, nicely flowing and lyrical as it should be. I especially enjoy the "retouchings" done by Sinclair in judiciously restoring some - but not all - of the "shadow lines" (submerged, much softer chromatic lines that Ives had penciled in for Harrison's premiere performance which were overlooked when Harrison premiered the work and prepared its initial publication). The effect on the richness of the music is subtle but telling. And - at the end of the work - where Ives has chimes softly tolling in the background - these chimes are rendered perfectly; almost subliminally as I would guess had been Ives's intent. Sinclair's recording immediately goes to the top of my list for best realization of this quintessential Ives work.

The rest of the album, while more along the lines of what most think of when they think of Ives the iconoclastic, collage-like composer, is, performance-wise, all of a piece with the symphony. One of Ives's true masterpieces - "The Unanswered Question" - sounds as well as I've ever heard it. Ives revised this early work well after its premiere, altering the trumpet line so that it sounds more "engimatic." Sinclair takes this a mild step further, splitting the "answering" notes assigned by Ives to four flutes into pairs of flutes and clarinets. It adds a bit to the coloration, and in reality provides not a second, but a third, version of this masterpiece.

The other "fillers" are equally splendid. Sinclair's "Central Park in the Dark" also goes to the top of my list for this impressionistic, near-atonal work. Much of Ives's music is all about space and distance, and the bar-room piano heard very faintly in the background truly gives this sense of space, as well as a sense of evening mist in the park. Superb!

There is s duplicate of a work Sinclair has recorded before, on the Koch Classics label: The "Country Band March." There's little to choose between them: They finish in a dead heat. Even the poor lone saxophone at the end, who failed to finish with the rest of the band.

The booklet notes are beyond superb. It didn't take long, reading into the notes, for me to guess who wrote them: The style, detail, and warmth with which the author wrote were dead giveaways. When I turned to p. 4, there it was: Jan Swafford, who wrote the sympathetic Ives biography, "Charles Ives: A Life With Music." (Strangely, though, Swafford fails to mention either the Pulitzer or the possible Ives-Mahler connection, something of only endnote merit in his biography but of continuing fascination to me.)

I can only heap more praise on top of my earlier praise of the Schermerhorn/Nashville CD in terms of the attention that Naxos lavishes on these releases. They don't HAVE to do it this way. But I sure am glad that they do.

Bob Zeidler

John Cage: 44 Harmonies From Apartment House 1776; Cheap Imitation

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John Cage: 44 Harmonies From Apartment House 1776; Cheap Imitation

Manufacturer: Mode
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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John Cage, Orchestral Works 1

ASIN: B00073K85W
Release Date: 2005-02-22

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A good mixture of Cage's orchestral work

John Cage, Orchestral Works 1

Manufacturer: Mode
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000NYU
Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

John Cage Speaks About 101 - John Cage
101 - New England Conservatory Philharmonia
Apartment House 1776 - Walter Buckingham/Darrell Dunn/Semenya McCord/Chiam Parchi
Ryoanji - Fenwick Smith/Anthony D'Amico/Michael Miller/Petur Eiriksson

Customer Reviews:

A good mixture of Cage's orchestral work.......2003-11-19

This disc, recorded over ten years ago now, was one of the early discs in Mode Records' exemplary series of Cage recordings. It features three contrasting orchestral works from the latter stages of Cage's life, and can be considered a good summary of his mature styles.

101 is one of the late 'number pieces'--the title merely indicates the number of performers. In it, while the notes played by the orchestra--and their order--are fixed, the performers have a considerable latitude as to when to play them. Unlike many of the 'number pieces', which are exclusively quiet and meditative works, 101 opens with crashing discords before settling into a more gentle phase. After about nine minutes, the crashing discords re-emerge, and the work then concludes with a near-silent epilogue involving softly-rumbling percussion.

Apartment House 1776 was a Cage contribution to the bicentennial celebrations of the USA. It is one of Cage's anarchic 'musicircus' pieces, where a bewildering variety of performers all play at the same time, with little or no co-ordination between their parts. The musical material is diverse and intended to represent the culture of the USA at the time of independence: distorted versions of contemporary hymns, modified Moravian church chants, drum marches, variations on military melodies, and songs from the Protestant, Sephardic, African-American and Native American traditions. This rendition plays for 25 minutes--it can last as long as the performers wish--and while it is entertaining for a while I find it eventually wears thin.

The third and last work on the disc is one of many versions of Ryoanji, a work where solo instruments trace slow glissandi against a percussive rhythmic backdrop. Here, the four solo instruments are flute, oboe, string bass and a rumbling bass trombone. The backdrop is built from 20 orchestral instruments each reiterating the same note--but slightly out of time with each other so that the rhythms are blurred and the sound becomes fuzzy.

The performances here are good, and the sound surprisingly clear given that 101 and Ryoanji are live performances. Recommended to the curious.

History of Britian: The British Wars 1603 - 1776, Vol. 2
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History of Britian: The British Wars 1603 - 1776, Vol. 2
Simon Schama
Manufacturer: BBC
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0563494735
Release Date: 2003-08-11