Copland: Symphony No. 3; Quiet City

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Late in his career, Leonard Bernstein returned to the greatest orchestral work by his lifelong friend, Aaron Copland, with a performance that eclipsed all others, including Bernstein's own previous recording of the Symphony no. 3 on Sony. Though Copland's stock still hadn't climbed back to its present height, Bernstein gave the music a grandeur that made you forget how much of a cliché the Fanfare for the Common Man--which was worked into the finale of the Third--can be. In fact, many of the world-stopping qualities Bernstein brought to his second Mahler cycle for Deutsche Grammophon seem much in evidence here, with the New York Philharmonic playing as though its collective life depended on it. --David Patrick Stearns

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3: 1. Molto moderato
Symphony No. 3: 2. Allegro molto
Symphony No. 3: 3. Andantino quasi allegretto
Symphony No. 3: 4. Molto deliberator (Fanfare) - Allegro risoluto
Quiet City

Amazon.com essential recording

Late in his career, Leonard Bernstein returned to the greatest orchestral work by his lifelong friend, Aaron Copland, with a performance that eclipsed all others, including Bernstein's own previous recording of the Symphony no. 3 on Sony. Though Copland's stock still hadn't climbed back to its present height, Bernstein gave the music a grandeur that made you forget how much of a cliché the Fanfare for the Common Man--which was worked into the finale of the Third--can be. In fact, many of the world-stopping qualities Bernstein brought to his second Mahler cycle for Deutsche Grammophon seem much in evidence here, with the New York Philharmonic playing as though its collective life depended on it. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

The best Bernstein reading of a nearly great work.......2005-11-01

Copland met a sad end as the result of Alzheimer's, which set in fairly early (when he was about 70, I believe) but was carefully hidden from the public. Bernstein had been his lifelong champion, of course, and here he gives an elegaic, almost melancholy reading of the Third Symphony that is about a minute slower in each movement than his earlier, excellent version from 1966 with the same NY Phil.

There's no comparison betwen the two, given how much more detailed and expressive the 1985 DG version is, and how much better it is recorded. The Third just misses being a great work. It is in Copland's most populist idiom, the same as one hears in Appalachian Spring, but the material is thinner, less organized, ultimately not all that compelling despite many beautiful moments. Bernstein makes the very best of what's there, and his reading of Quiet City is incomparable--it brings tears to one's eyes. This recording stands as a wonderful, if somewhat sad, memorial to a great musical partnership.

Colossal performance!.......2005-01-07

This recording dates of Dec 1985 . It is a live recording from Avery Fisher Hall and it constitutes a true musical document . Bernstein , conducting the N.Y.P made a penetrating version of this fundamental symphony of this notable composer. The wonderful and expansive presence of the strings , metals and woods are demanded requisites if you want to win with this work.

Solemnity ; grace and fevered passion characterize this idiomatic performance .

The last movement, the well know Fanfare for a common man is played with such dignity level that it will let you amazed .

In spite of his fervent wisdom and noblesse , though it lacks the ardour of the version of the sixties but you can not always what you want . This performing is by far unbeatable if you dare to compare with anyone you choice .

Memorable portrait and distinguished recording.

Late, great Bernstein.......2004-07-02

This was one of Leonard Bernstein's last recordings, and turns out to be one of his most memorable ones as well. Copland's Third Symphony uses his "Fanfare for the Common Man" as its climax, and Bernstein mines every bit of emotion you might expect. I'm not completely convinced that the symphony is necessarily one of the composer's tightest works, but Bernstein makes every minute sound essential, and the New York Philharmonic plays with terrific nobility and panache.

"Quiet City" is also beautifully done, with Bernstein capturing its plaintive, idyllic qualities perfectly. The orchestra has an excellent brass section, and some gorgeous work here just confirms it. The sound quality is excellent, not the least in the gleaming, closing pages of the Third Symphony that may have you cheering. A great document of Bernstein's electricity, a quality that was still present right up until the very end.

spectacular americana.......2003-03-20

this is copland at his loudest, brassiest, most longwinded and hymnally whitmanesque. bernstein shapes the performance with an appropriate sense of drama, but free of bombast; the ny philharmonic plays everything beautifully -- the brass and violins in particular. i bought this cd because i'd just heard the work performed by mtt and the sf symphony, and this recording is quite as impressive as that impressive live concert.

The Great and the Good.......2001-07-20

Copland's 3rd Symphony contains some of the most beautiful music he ever wrote, but the sum of the work is not equal to its parts. The best movement is the first, particularly the breathtaking introduction. Here, Copland is in full 'Appalachian Spring' mode, writing in a style that now seems so quintessentially American that it is easy to forget that he virtually invented it. But after this movement, I don't feel as if I'm listening to a symphony any more and the growing lack of cohesion between the ideas isn't helped by the intrusion of the 'Fanfare for the Common Man' in the finale.

Tracks:

El Salon Mexico
An Outdoor Overture
Billy The Kid: Introduction: The Open Prairie
Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
Billy The Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
Billy The Kid: Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
Billy The Kid: Billy's Death
Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
Quiet City
John Henry
Our Town
Las Agachadas
Fanfare For The Common Man

Tracks:

Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): I. Buckaroo Holiday
Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): II. Corral Nocturne
Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): III. Saturday Night Waltz
Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): IV. Hoedown
The City: New England Countryside
Of Mice And Men: Barley Wagons
The City: Sunday Traffic
Our Town: Grovers Corners
Of Mice And Men: Threshing Machines
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Very Slow
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Fast
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Moderato
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Fast
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Still Faster
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): As At First (Slowly)
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Calm And flowing
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Moderato; Coda
Letter From Home
Danzon Cubano

Tracks:

Lincoln Portrait: Lento
Lincoln Portrait: Subito Allegro
Lincoln Portrait: 'Fellow Citizens, We Cannot Escape History...'
Symphony No. 3: I. Molto Moderato-With Simple Expression
Symphony No. 3: II. Allegro Molto
Symphony No. 3: III. Andantino Quasi Allegretto
Symphony No. 3: IV. Molto Deliberato
Concerto For Clarinet, Strings, Harp, & Piano

Amazon.com

Aaron Copland made numerous recordings of his own music, including an extensive series for CBS during the 1960s and '70s, mostly with London orchestras. He was not an especially proficient conductor--consequently, the performances he conducted often lacked pace and rhythmic punch. His last recordings of his most popular scores have been reissued by Sony on an exceptionally well-remastered 3-CD set. These accounts do a good job of conveying the overall shape of the pieces, and they deliver telling characterizations of many episodes. Details emerge that are lost in some other accounts, and there is an appealing gentleness and sweetness to the approach. But the readings do not have as much grip as those of Bernstein and Slatkin, among others, and in spite of the authority they automatically possess, they are not necessarily preferable. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Bought this for Concerto for Clarinet.......2007-07-14

The sum is greater than the parts. This is a great Copland collection and shows his diversity. Yet as divers and the three CD are they are all distinctively Copland. Benny Goodman is usually associated with jazz yet he was also diverse in his career. "Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, and Harp & Piano" is a mantra that will carry you to a timeless place.

An added plus is the many other popular pieces that you know you heard but did not realize it was Copland especially the music from movies.

You may have to play the set a few times before being able to recognize the different tracks by name. The down side is many of Copland's works are outside of the date range of this collection.

Aaron Copland: Populist and Conductor.......2005-03-29

If you want a prime collection of Copland's more accessible works, this is it. Yes, it's true that Bernstein's recordings of individual pieces are often bolder and livelier; but this set offers the composer's own authoritative view of his work, and for that reason alone it is priceless. In addition, it includes virtually all the orchestral pieces he composed during his "populist phase," from El Salon Mexico (1936) to the Clarinet Concerto (1948). You won't find some of these lesser-known gems, such as An Outdoor Overture (1938) or Letter from Home (1944, written--like Rhapsody in Blue--for Paul Whiteman), on typical single-disc Copland compilations. I'd even go so far as to claim this as one of the four indispensable compilations of American instrumental music from the first half of the twentieth century (the others on my list--in case anyone cares--are Joshua Rifkin playing Scott Joplin, Oscar Levant playing Gershwin, and the Blanton-Webster band recordings of Duke Ellington).

What amazing riches flowed from Copland's pen during the period covered by these three discs! Billy the Kid (1939), Quiet City (1940), Our Town (1940), Fanfare for the Common Man (1942), Rodeo (1942), Lincoln Portrait (1942), Appalachian Spring (1944), and the Third Symphony (1946)--all are here. Some of this music is so familiar, so deeply ingrained in America's cultural consciousness, that we might be tempted to take it for granted. But imagine how much poorer the American concert repertoire would be without it. It's almost impossible, at this point, to conceive of a time when this wonderful music--which is to America roughly what Mussorgsky's music is to Russia, Grieg's to Norway, and Falla's to Spain--didn't exist. It was during the dozen years covered by this collection that Copland pulled away from the pack of his talented contemporaries (Hanson, Thomson, Harris, etc.) and, in a way, but with greater technical sophistication, filled the void left by the tragically early death of Gershwin, whose heyday, 1924-1935, immediately preceded the composition of the works on this collection.

The ballet music is all presented here in the familiar orchestral suites Copland arranged. Most of the selections are played by the London Symphony Orchestra, although the New Philharmonia and the just-plain Philharmonia get cracks at a few key works. The last-named orchestra, for instance, takes on the biggest piece on the program, Copland's Third, the closest thing American music has to a Beethoven's Ninth (although the work's sublime rhetoric has never completely convinced me--it's neither my personal favorite by Copland nor my favorite American symphony . . . but it sure has its moments). In addition to the fine orchestral playing, another treat is that Henry Fonda narrates the Lincoln Portrait--an almost inevitable pick, given the virtually mythic way his acting style embodied the American spirit and the fact that he had portrayed the sixteenth president in John Ford's classic film Young Mr. Lincoln (1939).

The set concludes with what, over the years, has become my favorite work by Copland, the Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp, & Piano, written for and performed here by surely the last century's greatest clarinetist, Benny Goodman. This work effects a concise synthesis between Copland's mature style and his earlier jazz stylings from the 1920s; in addition, the searing eloquence of the opening slow movement seems to me the most profound lyrical writing Copland ever achieved. Stoltzman's recording, ironically enough, swings harder than the king of swing's, but this collaboration between the composer and the man who commissioned it is for the ages.

The only major "populist" scores written after the period this collection covers are the film scores to The Red Pony (1948) and The Heiress (1949). Both can be acquired on an essential Leonard Slatkin CD for RCA. And since this collection doesn't include chamber music, the great Violin Sonata (1943), a kind of more intimate counterpart to Appalachian Spring, will have to be sought elsewhere. (One good option is Gil Shaham/Andre Previn on DG.) A serious Copland collector will also want to grab the other two volumes of the Copland Collection itself. The early set features important works such as the Organ Symphony (1924), Music for the Theater (1925), and the Short Symphony (1932)--but both of the other collections also include long, thorny pieces like the early Symphonic Ode and the late Connotations that can be rather difficult for the average enthusiast to enjoy.

Most of the essential, universal Copland is to be found on this second installment of the Copland Collection, and I would definitely recommend it as the place to start exploring Copland's magnificent contribution to American music. It has been a wonderful and treasured companion of mine for many years, and it also serves to conjure up a timely and inspiring vision of open prairies, nocturnal cityscapes, and the populist, humane values that America should, ideally, epitomize.

Tribute to Lincoln.......2001-10-28

I purchased this set of Copeland CD's because I wanted the Tribute to Lincoln narrated by Henry Fonda. This is a masterful recording especially for Americans in this time. The Tribute sends chills down my spine whenever I her it. My greatest joy however, was how much I have enjoyed all of the CD's in the set. I tend to be much more of a classical listener. I have heard Copeland but not in any organized fashion. This set has brought a new and delightful experience to my listening options.

A great way to get your dose of Copland...........2000-06-30

The 2nd of this three CD collection is wonderful. My favorite though is the third one. Doesn't mean this isn't good. This Sony Copland Collection set is worth the money for. Copland is sooo much more then Appalachian Spring, Fanfare for the Common Man, Rodeo, etc... But you get a lot of typical Copland on these CDs. Songs we all know and love. But there are some unfamiliar good ones too. Concerto for Clarinet took me by storm. So did Letters from Home. Good quality, good booklet, good recording, good playing (how Copland got the London Symphony to play something right I will never know), good everything. It's not perfect because it doesn't compete with THE best Copland like the third CD set of this collection, or the The Tendeer Land. Oh, these three CD sets don't cover all Copland, but it does for the most part. It doesn't have many chamber works, two choral works, and his two operas. You can cover some of those with the full version of Tender Land and of Second Hurricane (which also comes with the choral work, In the Beginning). But this is a good series. I highly recommend it!

Well balanced retrospective, -or- Listen to this!.......1999-08-11

Mr. Copland's works, as always, are exceptional This album, which consists of his work both as a composer and as a conductor, brings his music to life in a way no other conductor can. This is a well mastered and well produced work and worth the listen. To hear Arron Copland's music as he intended is wonderfull.

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Ives; Symphony No. 3; Copland: Quiet City

Average customer rating:

Quite Wonderful

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Ives; Symphony No. 3; Copland: Quiet City

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Barber's Adagio
Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano
Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11/Orchestral Music; Leonard Slatkin
Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony

ASIN: B000004CVO
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings
Symphony No. 3: - 1. Old Folks Gatherin'
Symphony No. 3: - 2. Children's Day
Symphony No. 3: - 3. Communion
Cor Anglais - Trumpet And Strings: Quiet City
Oboe And Strings: Hymn And Fuguing Tune No. 10
A Rumour

Customer Reviews:

Quite Wonderful.......2002-09-16

Excellent performances of American works! The Quiet City is wonderful, and I think this is a remarkably atmospheric rendition of the Adagio. The Creston Rumor is a delight, and one of his less dated works.

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Buckaroo Holiday
Corral Nocturne
Saturday Night Waltz
Hoe-Down
Quiet City
Billy The Kid
Appalachian Spring

Amazon.com

When it comes to light, folk-flavored listening, the music of Aaron Copland is some of the best and most popular. When it comes to crowd-pleasing conducting, Erich Kunzel is one of the great successes. This album contains most of Copland's essential compositions, in all or part: "Fanfare for the Common Man," four movements from "Rodeo," "Quiet City," "Billy the Kid," and "Appalachian Spring." All are performed in fine form; it would be nice to have all of "Rodeo," but this is otherwise all the Copland that most folks will need, and in one package. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

+ 1/2 stars...The Dean of American Composers.......2004-03-18

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)was the quintessential American composer of the 20th Century, and conductor Erich Kunzel with his Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is the leading popularizer of classical music.

This album brings together some of Copland's most well known pieces like "Fanfare for the Common Man," along with his three great ballets: "Billy the Kid," "Appalachian Spring" and "Rodeo." [The "Rodeo" extract "Hoe-Down" will be immediately recognized as the American Beef Council's theme music.]

Copland reamins the defining sound of American concert music and this recording is both accessible and very enjoyable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This is not Copland at his best.......2003-05-05

Aaron Copland is without a doubt my favorite composer of all time. I have collected many CDs of his work over the years, and have therefor have many recordings of all his most famous works. With that knowledge, I have to say that this is not the best recording on the market.

The sparkle and jazz of Copland's style is missing from this CD. The orchestra doesn't show off the playful side of Copland's work, which is what I think sets Copland apart from every one else. That is why I don't feel that is the best Copland CD availiable today

The title says it all.......2003-04-13

Aaron Copland created classical music for about and by America. This extremely well performed and well selected album served as my true introduction to Copland's work. Vibrant,dramatic, passionate and utterly beautiful, this sampler of Copland's oevre really captivates the listener. I have lost many hours listening to "Quiet City" and "Appalacian Spring" two breathtakingly poetic pieces that approach religious like rapture. I have also used this CD in both my Writing and Acting classes as stimuli designed to inspire original performances and short stories. In short, this is a must own CD.

An outstanding Copland collection.......2002-04-02

This album is an inclusive anthology of Copland's most popular orchestral works. I don't know what a previous reviewer was referring to when he/she said that Rodeo was incomplete, it seems like it's all there to me, and I've played it.

Solid, energetic, musically sensitive performances by the Cincinnati Pops. The recording is well-balanced and vibrant. This is not just a pops CD. Classical music snobs (like me) will find it very satisfying.

Incidentally, I really like the cover art.

An outstanding Copland collection.......2002-04-02

This album is an inclusive anthology of Copland's most popular orchestral works. Solid, energetic performances by the Cincinnati Pops. The recording is well-balanced and vibrant. A wonderful CD!

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: I. Buckaroo Holiday
Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: II. Corral Nocturne
Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: III. Saturday Night Waltz
Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: IV. Hoe-Down
Billy The Kid (Orchestral Suite): Introduction: The Open Prairie
Billy The Kid (Orchestral Suite): Street In A Frontier Town
Billy The Kid (Orchestral Suite): Card Game At Night (Prairie Night)
Billy The Kid (Orchestral Suite): Gun Battle
Billy The Kid (Orchestral Suite): Celebration Dance (After Billy's Capture)
Billy The Kid (Orchestral Suite): Billy's Death
Billy The Kid (Orchestral Suite): The Open Prairie Again
El Salon Mexico
Danzon Cubano
Quiet City
Down A Country Lane

Tracks:

Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato
Appalachian Spring: Fast
Appalachian Spring: Subito Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Meno Mosso
Appalachian Spring: Doppio Movimento
Appalachian Spring: Rather Slow
Appalachian Spring: Very Deliberate
Appalachian Spring: Poco Piu Mosso
Appalachian Spring: A Trifle Slower
Appalachian Spring: Molto Allegro Ed Agitato
Appalachian Spring: Broadly
Appalachian Spring: Moderato (Like A Prayer)
Nonet For Strings: Slow And Solemn
Nonet For Strings: Ritmico Ed Un Poco Marcato
Nonet For Strings: Tempo As At First
Appalachian Spring: Copland Rehearses Appalachian Spring

Customer Reviews:

A Unique Opportunity to hear it from Coplands mind.......2004-02-02

Aaron Copland can be and should be considered the father of American concert music. He decisively created a style of music that needed to be made as we were reaching maturity as a country. This collection of his orchestral works gives a great outline of the music that makes Copland such a innovative composer.
I personally find that the most interesting part of this collection is the inclusion of rehearsal audio from the same recording of Appalachian Spring that appears on the CD. This offers a unique opportunity to hear what Copland's vision of his music was. I am one who personally believes that no performance of a concert orchestral piece can be heard as it was meant to be unless the composer is leading the ensemble. By hearing Copland conducting a rehearsal of one of his masterworks, the listener is given a greater appreciation for exactly what Copland's vision was for his own music.

A definite must have for lovers of the young tradition of American Music.

Definitive American symphonic music.......2002-08-08

When I first was introduced to classical music, little attention was being paid to anything American. Edward McDowell was occasionally played. And Los Angeles classical music station, KFAC, would very occasionally play something by Morton Gould. Gershwin was largely ignored And there was Aaron Copland.

For my fairly young ears, the western flavor of the music was esciting. I could picture western movie-like scenes to the accompaniment of "Billy the Kid" and "Rodeo". Indeed, such music is highly pictorial.

But now I'm also familiar with "Fanfare for the Common Man" and Appalachian Spring. I very much recommend this.

The composer as conductor is unusurpassed.......2001-03-29

This is a reissue of recordings conducted by Copland himself that are totally definitive and, to my mind, superior to the recordings by Bernstein that are generally considered to be the best. The composer has a broader, grander vision of these works, taking them at a slower and more majestic pace than Bernstein and others. In his hands this is great classical music, not just upscale cowboy music. The sound quality is phenomenal for the most part as well, the engineers must have performed miracles because the recordings with the LSO sound better than almost any modern digital recording. Highly recommended.

A great treat!.......2001-03-06

Here we have not only the original, complete chamber arrangement of Appalachian Spring in a pretty fine performance by Copland, but we get a neat 17 minutes of Copland rehearsing it, which is pretty cool for the Copland fan. Plus Nonet for Strings, well performed, which is a rare thing these days. The other disk is pretty average - Copland wasn't much of a conductor, but the chamber Appalachian and Nonet make up for it. Cheap and unique. A must have for the Copland fan.

Essential Aaron Copland: 12 Greatest Hits

Average customer rating:

Aaron Copland: Essential Classics

Essential Aaron Copland: 12 Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000D1FK8
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Very Slowly
Allegro
Moderate: The Bride And Her Intended
Fast: The Revivalist And His Flock
Allegro: Solo Dance Of The Bride
Meno Mosso
Doppio Movimento: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
Moderato: Coda
Buckaroo Holiday
Corral Nocturne
Saturday Night Waltz
Hoc-Down
Lincoln Portrait
Ceremonial Fanfare

Tracks:

Quiet City
New England Countryside
Barley Wagons
Sunday Traffic
Grovers Corners
Threshing Machines
El Salon Mexico
The Open Prarie
Street In A Frontier Town
Celebration - Billy In Prison - Waltz
Danzon Cubano
Lento - Molto Allegro - Adagio Molto
Andante Moderato
Allegro Vivo

Customer Reviews:

Aaron Copland: Essential Classics.......2003-11-21

This excellent introduction to the symphonic Copland repackages an earlier "Decca Double Decker" (see B000004284). Deleted are "Old American Songs" and added are "Billy the Kid" and "Danzon Cubano". These recordings were made from 1969-1994. The sonics are exemplary. The performances are all very good to excellent. Everyone has their personal favorites of these works so your mileage may vary.

Dorati & Detroit SO > Rodeo, El Solon Mexico, Dance Symphony. Howarth & London Sinfonietta > Music for the Movies. Marriner & The Academy > Quiet City. Metha & LAPO > Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring, Lincoln Portrait with Gregory Peck, narrator. Philip Jones Brass Ensemble > Ceremonial Fanfare. Zinman & Baltimore SO > Billy the Kid, Danzon Cubano.

Gregory Peck comes across very, very well. Warm, personal, forthright. Worth the price of the disc just to hear him deliver the words wrapped in Copland's music as directed by Metha and performed by the LA Philharmonic Orchestra.

Don't expect any copious liner notes here -- there aren't any. Just a listing of what's what and who did what. Two panels of the folded sheet are needlessly occupied by advertising other "essential" CDs. I would gladly rip them out if I didn't like the overall design so much. The art direction and design of the package is stellar but lacks "essential" or any background information.

Unless I'm mistaken, there are 5 "hits" on the first disc and 6 on the second. That's 11. The subtitle here is "12 Greatest Hits". Am I missing something?

Tracks:

Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: Prologue
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: 'Somewhere'
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: Scherzo
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: Mambo
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: Cha-Cha
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: Meeting Scene
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: 'Cool', Fugue
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: Rumble
Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: Finale
On The Town: The Great Lover
On The Town: Pas de deux
On The Town: Times Square Ballet
Fancy Free: Enter Three Sailors
Fancy Free: Scene At The Bar
Fancy Free: Enter Two Girls
Fancy Free: Pas de deux
Fancy Free: Competition Scene
3 Dances Variations: I. Galop
3 Dances Variations: II. Waltz
3 Dances Variations: III. Danzon
3 Dances Variations: Finale
Candide: Overture

Tracks:

The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: A. The Prologue
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: B. The Seven Ages; Var. I. - L'istesso tempo
Part One: B. The Seven Ages; Var. II. - Poco piu lento
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: B. The Seven Ages; Var. III. - Largamente
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: B. The Seven Ages; Var. IV. - Piu mosso
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: B. The Seven Ages; Var. V.
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: B. The Seven Ages; Var. VI. - Poco meno mosso
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: B. The Seven Ages; Var. VII. - L'istesso tempo
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: C. The Seven Stages; Var. VIII. - Molto moderato, ma movendo
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: C. The Seven Stages; Var. IX. - Piu mosso (Tempo di Valse)
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: C. The Seven Stages; Var. X. - Piu mosso
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: C. The Seven Stages; Var. XI. - L'istesso tempo
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: C. The Seven Stages; Var. XII. - Poco piu vivace
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: C. The Seven Stages; Var. XIII. - L'istesso tempo
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part One: C. The Seven Stages; Var. XIV. - Poco piu vivace
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part Two: A. The Dirge
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part Two: B. The Masque
The Age Of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Part Two: C. The Epilogue
Appalachian Spring, Suite
Quiet City

The Americans: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon

Average customer rating:

Very Good To Memorable Recordings of Bernstein's American Composer Recordings

The Americans: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Leonard Bernstein Conducts Sibelius (Collectors Edition)
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Mahler: The Complete Symphonies

ASIN: B0001WGDXU
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Customer Reviews:

Very Good To Memorable Recordings of Bernstein's American Composer Recordings.......2007-07-01

This is yet another superb box set of Bernstein's Deutsche Grammophon recordings, emphasizing his strong affinity and interest in the work of such great American composers like Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and William Schuman. The best recordings are those with The New York Philharmonic of Charles Ives's orchestral works and Aaron Copland's Third Symphony, "Quiet City" suite for horn and strings, and the El Salon de Mexico ballet suite. But I also admire Bernstein's recordings with the Los Angeles Philharmonic of Gershwin's great classical/jazz orchestral works like "Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris", and the recordings of several other Copland scores, most notably, "Appalachian Spring". Like virtually all of the other recordings in Deutsche Grammophon's "Collector's Edition" series of Leonard Bernstein, these were recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in the 1980s, often during live concert performances held in Los Angeles, Tel Aviv, and New York City (Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall). While some may prefer Bernstein's classic recordings of Copland and Ives for CBS Masterworks (now Sony) in the late 1950s and 1960s, these have the benefit of being digital recordings made by Deutsche Grammophon's then state-0f-the-art recording processes. Without question, anyone who is a fan of Copland's, Gershwin's or Ives' scores and of Leonard Bernstein will surely cherish this fine 6 CD box set.

Barber: Knoxville-Summer of 1915; Copland: Eight Poems of Emily Dickenson

Average customer rating:

The Works of Two American Giants
A Sleeper

Barber: Knoxville-Summer of 1915; Copland: Eight Poems of Emily Dickenson

Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002RUU
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Quiet City for tpt, E hn and strs - Maurice Murphy/Christine Pendrill
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: I. Nature, the gentlest mother ('To David Diamond')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: II. There came a wind like a bugle ('To Elliott Cater')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: III. The world feels dusty ('To Alexei Haieff')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: IV. Heart, we will forget him ('To Marcelle De Manziarly')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: V. Dear March, come in! ('To Juan Orrego Salas')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: VI. Sleep is supposed to be ('To Irving Fine')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: VII. Going to Heaven ('To Lukas Foss')
Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson: VIII. The Chariot ('To Arthur Berger')
Adagio For Strs, Op.11 - London SO/Thomas
From Four Songs, Op.13: I. Nocturne
From Four Songs, Op.13: III. Sure on this shining night
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915 ('In Memory Of My Father')

Customer Reviews:

The Works of Two American Giants.......2006-01-16

This very fine recording is one that has strangely disappeared from the available list of CDs and for those fortunate to find it will wonder, as I do, why it is no longer in ready circulation. The recital honors the parallel lives of Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990) and Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981) and with the selections included demonstrates that despite their stylistic differences, each of these composers cared deeply about communication.

And the communication could be in few finer hands than those of Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and of Barbara Hendricks, whose voice in the song cycles was at its prime in 1995 when the recording was made. The recital opens with Copland's 'Quiet City' in as moody and atmospheric performance as any on record. Tilson Thomas does not rush this work but allows it to breathe. The first chair solo work by Trumpet Maurice Murphy and English Horn Christine Pendrill are particularly fine. Following a period of grateful silence thanks to the engineers, the next 'set' is Copland's setting of 'Eight Poems by Emily Dickinson'. Hendricks' voice is rich and pliant and the moods of the poems come across well. She often sacrifices enunciation for open vowel production, but it matters little: the poems are lovely.

Samuel Barber's often performed and used 'Adagio for Strings' follows in an oddly restrained reading by Tilson Thomas. The angst is still present but the spectacular power of the final ascending climax doesn't tear at the heart. But in many ways this straightforward reading makes the familiar piece more clearly a classic than an emotional button. Hendricks then collaborates with two of Barber's 'Four Songs', and her 'Sure on this shining night' is so focused and delicate that she surpasses most of her fellow colleague's versions. Likewise the final masterful 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915' is lyrical and finds all aspects of Agee's poetic story equally important. Tilson Thomas' support is some of the finest on this record.

Recommendation: look for this recording and buy when you find it. It is a treasure trove that desperately deserves re-mastering. Grady Harp, January 06

A Sleeper.......2003-09-26

This CD offers a creative approach in programming: a major orchestral and vocal work by each of two American major composers - Copland and Barber. While they were contemporaries whose music was deemed accessible, they were vastly different: Copland virtually invented an American sound, while Barber's was firmly rooted in European tradition. So this is an album of contrast and diversity. What is consistent is the excellence of the interpretaion and performance. While the orchestral works are very satisfying (but who can compete with Schippers 'Adagio'?), the real distinction is in the vocal contributions of Barbara Hendricks. The Dickenson poems are full of vitality as they should be. The Barber 'Nocturne'is particularly haunting. But the masterpiece is the 'Knoxville'; Leontyne Price is considered to 'own' this piece, and there are other hightly regarded performances, but this one gives them real competition. Much depends on voice preferences, but I don't think you can go wrong with this CD and I recommend it highly.

Average customer rating:

Cornucopia for Copland Completists
Best Fanfare out there
A good selection of Copland pieces.
Buy the Dorati on its own, elsewhere
Very emotional

Copland: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000004284
Release Date: 1996-04-09

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato: The Bride And Her Intended
Appalachian Spring: Fast: The Revivalist And His Flock
Appalachian Spring: Allegro: Solo Dance Of The Bride
Appalachian Spring: Meno mosso
Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento: Variations An A Shaker Hymn
Appalachian Spring: Moderato: Coda
Lincoln Portrait
Quiet City
Music For Movies: New England Countryside
Music For Movies: Barley Wagons
Music For Movies: Sunday Traffic
Music For Movies: Grovers Corners
Music For Movies: Threshing Machines

Tracks:

Ceremonial Fanfare
Old American Songs: I. Simple Gifts
Old American Songs: II. Ching-A-Ring-Chaw
Old American Songs: III. Long Time Ago
Old American Songs: IV. I Bought Me A Cat
Old American Songs: V. At The River
El salon Mexico
Dance Symphony: I. Lento -- Molto allegro -- Adagio molto
Dance Symphony: II. Adante moderato
Dance Symphony: III. Allegro vivo
Rodeo: I. Buckaroo Holiday
Rodeo: II. Corral Nocturne
Rodeo: III. Saturday Night Waltz
Rodeo: IV. Hoe-Down

Customer Reviews:

Cornucopia for Copland Completists.......2005-02-09

This is a collection for the true Copland fan. Because you don't buy this one for the serviceable but undistinguished renditions of the famous pieces - Fanfare, Appalachian Spring, Rodeo and El Salon Mexico. For those, look no further than Bernstein's seminal recordings with the NY Phil plus his second version of Appalachian Spring with the LA Phil, as well as Slatkin's with St. Louis. What a die-hard Copland-phile cannot live without, though, are the superb renditions of many of Copland's lesser-known but terrific compositions here that are rare or would otherwise take several purchases to cover: Mehta's Lincoln Portrait that is taut, brassy, dramatic and perfectly patriotic - with Gregory Peck fittingly authoritative and sounding close to what we would imagine when Abe Lincoln speaks; possibly the best version out there of Copland's underperformed masterpiece Quiet City from Marriner - just listen to the exquisite trumpet playing!; a charming Marilyn Horne singing excerpts from Old American Songs - poignantly evoking colonial Americana; Dorati's perceptive and atmospheric Dance Symphony; and a colorful Music for Movies from the London Sinfonietta playing highly American music with European flair. Furthermore, the Decca engineers provide demonstration-quality sound. Subtract one star for the casual Copland listener, but for the enthusiast: ****

Other references: Recommended by Gramophone, Penguin Guide and Classical Music: Third Ear.

Best Fanfare out there.......2003-05-19

The Fanfare for a Common Man could arguably be the best recording out there. Despite it's faster tempo, the LA Phil brass play it almost flawlessly(there are two notes of the entire song that the trumpets don't quite lock in). The trombones and percussion are phenomenol as well as the horns. The Appalachian Spring is done superbly also. The lesser known songs were a fresh introduction to less familiar Copland. The entire set(with the exception of the Lincoln portrait and Rodeo) is great. Definately recommended.

A good selection of Copland pieces........2001-12-09

I bought this 2-CD set because I needed a good selection of Copland pieces. It has served that purpose well. It features several less familiar pieces as well the popular Copland works. The CD contains Fanfare, Rodeo, Quiet City, El Salon Mexico and I Bought Me a Cat (to name just a few). The performance of Appalachian Spring (by Zubin Mehta and the LA Philharmonic Orchestra) is alright but not as good as the one where Copland himself conducts the Boston Symphony (check out that one on the RCA Victor Gold Seal Label -- it's marvelous). This CD does have a very beautiful performance of Portrait of Lincoln, narrated by Gregory Peck. He narrates with great dignity. I've heard at least one version where the Lincoln quotes are delivered in shouts as if from a pulpit. This one is more subtle.

Buy the Dorati on its own, elsewhere.......2000-06-24

The only redeeming value this grabbag has are the excellent Dorati presentations. The rest is middlin' to start and it tapers off from there. It tapers very far with the raw sound of Horne and the at-sea concepts of a young Zubin Mehta who obviously recorded this material before he was ready. His LA Phil isn't anything to write home about, either, which makes you wonder how just a few years earlier it was so superb for Leinsdorf and Wallenstein.

The manufacturer is just trying to make hay on some old recordings here. Dorati's are fairly recent, though, and you can buy his things elsewhere, so WHY would anyone want this?

Very emotional.......1998-10-05

i totally love this Aaron Copeland classic.

Music Review: