Piston: Symphony 4 / Three New England Sketches

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Walter Piston (1894-1976) is part of that American generation that produced Roy Harris, Howard Hanson, and Aaron Copland. His music was always romantic and, in execution, rather conservative. This collection represents the man quite well. His Symphony 4 (1950) is a conventional work of American romanticism, but splattered here and there are slightly dissonant moments that provide drama. His Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra (1965) has a Spanish dance-rhythm to it, sensual and flirtatious. The Serenata (1956) is a suite for orchestra of broken rhythms and wild ostinatos. Piston's famous Three New England Sketches (1960) is one of the few programmatic works he wrote. --Paul Cook

Tracks:

Piacevole
Ballando
Contemplativo
Energico
Capriccio For Harp And String Orchestra
Seaside (Adagio)
Summer Evening (Delicato)
Mountains (Maestoso; Risoluto

Customer Reviews:

Walter Piston: Symphonist and Impressionist.......2005-03-28

I'm so glad Naxos has stepped up to the plate and refused to allow these invaluable Delos recordings simply to vanish. I could go on and on about what a great label Naxos is (commissioning new string quartets by Peter Maxwell Davies, producing a flood of fine recordings of hard-to-find repertoire at budget prices, etc. etc.)--but let's talk about Piston.

The Fourth was the first work I ever heard by him, a radio broadcast by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, I believe--which is fitting since that orchestra gave the symphony's premiere. That broadcast made me a Piston fan for life. The long, flowing melody at the outset and the wonderful "Amur'cn" feel of the piece, evocative at times of jazz and barnyard fiddling and not too far removed from the Copland of, say, Rodeo, were what immediately appealed to me. Not long after I first heard the Fourth, I acquired this recording in its old Delos incarnation and have never parted with it. As I've gotten to know the work--and others by this fine composer--better, I've come to appreciate how skillful Piston's handling of form is (see Scott Morrison's excellent comments on this work's form) and also how in some respects (e.g., his tight, busy, often dissonant counterpoint) he's as close to someone like Hindemith as he is to Copland in populist mode.

The Fourth dates from 1950, making Piston something of a late bloomer as a symphonist--he was 56 at the time, and much younger contemporaries such as Schuman, Diamond, and Mennin had raced ahead of him in the numbers game. But in my opinion no American has produced symphonies of more consistently high quality. If you like the Fourth, be sure to check out the Second and Sixth, available on a companion disc, which Naxos has also reissued. All eight Piston symphonies are currently available, but for my money the three that Schwarz recorded are the most accessible and the most rewarding.

The other three works on this disc are of slightly later vintage. The Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra (1964) and the Serenata (1956) could both be classed as "minor" works--but they are also high in quality and craftsmanship and serve here as well-chosen fillers. The extremely lucid Capriccio gives us a glimpse of Piston's Gallic side, which must have come pretty naturally, for like Copland, Roy Harris, Virgil Thomson, etc., he was a Boulanger pupil and was also, reportedly, an admirer of Faure, Roussel, and Ravel.

The final work presented here, the Three New England Sketches from 1959, is, along with The Incredible Flutist, Piston's most important descriptive work. In that respect it's quite atypical, as like Brahms Piston usually preferred abstract instrumental forms. But when he put his mind to it, what a wonderful impressionist he made! The opening "Seaside" movement is as evocative of the Maine coast as a painting by Winslow Homer; "Summer Evening" resourcefully conjures up a chorus of insects with the woodwinds; and "Mountains" is perhaps the most exciting and sublime moment in Piston's oeuvre--not to mention a glorious way to conclude this program. Despite this work's relative obscurity, I have to confess to a decided preference for these sketches over the earlier "New England" trilogies by Ives and Schuman.

Thanks Gerard Schwarz (the heir of Koussevitzy and Bernstein!), for sharing this music with us, and thanks Naxos, for keeping it in the catalog.

Piston at His Finest.......2003-06-23

Walter Piston (1894-1976) was a quintessential Down Easter (albeit of Italian descent) and one often thinks of his music reflecting the 'rockbound coast of Maine.' On this disc, though, there is less granite than usual, and more scrumptious almost Romantic harmonies. His Fourth Symphony is, for me, the most accessible of the eight he wrote. It is one of the few in the traditional four movements, each of which has a descriptive title. 'Piacevole' ('Pleasant') is just that; it has a kind of genial bustle to it; it makes me think of 'market-day in the village.' 'Ballando' ('Dancing') certainly does dance, although the meter changes might trip you up if you actually tried to dance to it. It is mostly in a tuneful 3/4, but those measures of 5/8 will throw you! 'Contemplativo,' an adagio, is the most astringent of the four and one has the impression that the thoughts being contemplated are not necessarily pleasant or dancing ones. It rises to a quietly intense brass climax before easing back into gentle meditation. 'Energico' is a sonata-rondo in asymmetric rhythms, typical of Piston at his most neo-classic. The first theme is 'energico,' but is followed by a lyrical second theme. The two are worked out via some fugal passages in a loose sonata-form development before leading back to a quick recapitulation. The overall feeling is one of good-natured scampering.

The first thing one notices about the 10-minute 'Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra' is the transparent orchestration which allows us to hear the harp clearly. Written for the harp virtuoso, Nicanor Zabaleta, this piece, rather a late one (1964), is a French-influenced divertissement - nothing heavy or portentous here. There is a good deal of frisky counterpoint as well as some quieter, contemplative sections. The ending resumes the banter between harp and orchestra, culminating in exuberant harp glissandi.

'Three New England Sketches,' not to be confused with Ives's 'Three Places in New England' or William Schuman's 'New England Triptych,' contains movements descriptive of three typical scenes in New England. It is very unusual for Schuman to write programmatic music, but here he limns impressions of the 'Seaside' (an inward adagio with slowly lapping waves), a 'Summer Evening' (marked 'delicato'; one pictures fluttering lightning bugs and moths) and 'Mountains' (maestoso, risoluto). Taken together the three sections make a symphony of sorts, particularly since there are thematic and harmonic correspondences between them. 'Mountains' in particular reflects more of the Piston we know from other works; here, finally, there are granite and muscularity; one could strike sparks off the flinty fugal section of 'Mountains.'

This is a superb release in transparent, lifelike sound, a re-issue of recordings made by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony originally issued on Delos. I think I'd read somewhere that the Second and Sixth Symphonies are due soon; I'll be looking for them.

Tracks:

New England Triptych: I. Be Glad Then, America
New England Triptych: II. When Jesus Wept
New England Triptych: III. Chester
The White Peacock, Op. 7, No.1
Three Places In New England: I. The 'St. Gaudens' In Boston Common (Col. Robert Gould And His...
Three Places In New England: II. Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut
Three Places In New England: III. The Housatonic At Stockbridge
Mysterious Mountain (Symphony No.2): Andante Con Moto
Mysterious Mountain (Symphony No.2): Moderato Maestoso (Double Fugue)
Mysterious Mountain (Symphony No.2): Andante Espressivo
The Incredible Flutist: Introduction-Siesta In The Market Place
The Incredible Flutist: Entrance Of The Vendors
The Incredible Flutist: Entrance Of The Customers
The Incredible Flutist: Tango Of The Merchant's Daughters
The Incredible Flutist: Arrival Of The Circus
The Incredible Flutist: Circus March
The Incredible Flutist: The Flutist
The Incredible Flutist: Minuet
The Incredible Flutist: Spanish Waltz
The Incredible Flutist: (Eight O'Clock Strikes)
The Incredible Flutist: Siciliana
The Incredible Flutist: Polka Finale

Customer Reviews:

Fine American anthology.......2007-05-23

This CD might as easily have been called "America's Second Greatest Hits" in that it contains the "lollipops" of composers not named Gershwin, Copland or Barber. As such, it serves a useful purpose if you just want the basics of these composers. Suffice it to say that all the performances here are polished and poetic and the Dorian recording is spectacular--natural, with percussion and brass especially riveting.

If you like this music, you'll love this CD.......2001-03-18

I've been looking for a CD that brings together some favorite pieces by American composers and this does a great job. The performance is clear and precise...with a lot of energy. The Ives is suitably ethereal and impressionist, the Schuman and Griffes are driving and powerful. Turn it up and enjoy the pleasures of the American landscape, imagery, spirit, culture, and mythology in beautiful melodies and rhythms.

Piston: Symphony 4 / Three New England Sketches

Average customer rating:

Lost treasure

Piston: Symphony 4 / Three New England Sketches

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000006XS
Release Date: 1992-12-11

Tracks:

Symphony No. 4: Piacevole
Symphony No. 4: Ballando
Symphony No. 4: Contemplativo
Symphony No. 4: Energico
Capriccio For Harp And String Orchestra
Serenata For Orchestra: Con allegrezza
Serenata For Orchestra: Con sentimento
Serenata For Orchestra: Con spirito
Three New England Sketches: Seaside (Adagio)
Three New England Sketches: Summer Evening (Delicato)
Three New England Sketches: Mountains (Maestoso; Risoluto)

Amazon.com

Walter Piston (1894-1976) is part of that American generation that produced Roy Harris, Howard Hanson, and Aaron Copland. His music was always romantic and, in execution, rather conservative. This collection represents the man quite well. His Symphony 4 (1950) is a conventional work of American romanticism, but splattered here and there are slightly dissonant moments that provide drama. His Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra (1965) has a Spanish dance-rhythm to it, sensual and flirtatious. The Serenata (1956) is a suite for orchestra of broken rhythms and wild ostinatos. Piston's famous Three New England Sketches (1960) is one of the few programmatic works he wrote. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Lost treasure.......2000-04-16

The music on this disc will come as a heart-warming discovery to listeners interested in quality music that occupies a part of the repertoire off the beaten path.

The Symphony no. 4 evokes an unmistakably American atmosphere without resorting to cliches. This fine four-movement, 24-minute work is thematically rich and yet economical in structure. Piston's style has a certain Stravinskian brittleness at times but this is balanced with his gift for assimilating a subtly folksy tunefulness.

The Capriccio and the three-movement Serenata (a bite-sized symphony) are similarly rewarding pieces: there is nothing lush and romantic about them but they grow on you with repeated listening.

The Three New England Sketches consists of movements entitled "Seaside", "Summer Evening" and "Mountains". Again, Piston's penchant for painting in subtle colors is on display; for example, "Seaside" avoids the cliches that we sometimes associate with musical depictions of the sea. That hushed bassoon solo near the end of the movement is reminscent of some kind sailor chant as heard from a distance--highly evocative! The other two movements also hint at their respective subjects in wisps rather than with lush romantic imagery.

Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony give exceptionally fine performances and are very well recorded.

Track Listings: