BaL 28.12.24 - Copland: Rodeo

[Pulcinella]

3.00pm
Building a Library
Conductor Ben Gernon picks his personal favourite recording of Aaron Copland's vibrant, Western-inspired ballet score Rodeo

Presto listing here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/221436--copland-rodeo/browse

Presto listing of the Four Dance Episodes here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/18022--copland-rodeo-four-dance-episodes/browse

For all its popularity, this has yet to appear on a BBC MM CD.

[smittims]

I don't find Rodeo as popular, or not so often played, as it used to be. The best known movement 'Hoe-down' contains oneof those curious moments when an orchestra sounds like a human voice. In the bar of two emphatic chords , which is a featureif the movement, I seem to hear someone shout 'hey down!' . Does anyone else hear this?

I can't resist mentioning another instance. Towards the end of Poulenc's organ concerto, in the Marcel duPre/ Pretre recording, there's a slow, quiet, lamenting melody featuring a viola or cello solo accompanied by soft stops on the organ. That always sounds to me as if an alto voice is singing along. .

[oliver sudden]

This is certainly worth hearing in the context of Rodeo. The extent to which the Hoedown was, shall we say, inspired by a particular model was unknown to me until relatively recently!

https://youtu.be/nMEfyacuRnU?feature=shared

[Pulcinella]

This is an instance of the Presto listing not being that helpful, given extracts in compilations and arrangements.
And sometimes there are three, and other times four dances.
A quick skim through surprised me in that I didn't spot Copland's own recording or Bernstein's listed.

On the shelves here:

NYPO/Bernstein (Four dance episodes)
LSO/Copland (Four dance episodes)
Cleveland Pops Orchestra/Lane (Three dance episodes)
SFSO/MTT (Four dance episodes)

Looks like I have to get acquainted with the full version.

[Petrushka]

I've got the LSO/Copland, NYPO/Bernstein and SFSO/ MTT and I'd suggest that Ben Gernon's task is a fairly simple one between these three. None of them disappoint and if you only have Bernstein that should be enough.

Incidentally, I'm sure that there was a BBCSO/Slatkin Copland disc with BBC MM that included Rodeo. I'll dig it out and check.

[Pulcinella]

I've got the LSO/Copland, NYPO/Bernstein and SFSO/ MTT and I'd suggest that Ben Gernon's task is a fairly simple one between these three. None of them disappoint and if you only have Bernstein that should be enough.

Incidentally, I'm sure that there was a BBCSO/Slatkin Copland disc with BBC MM that included Rodeo. I'll dig it out and check.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Copland-Billy-Kid-Leonard-Slatkin/dp/B00BBF530K

Volume 9, Number 2: Billy the Kid, Danzón Cubano, El Salón Mexico, and Organ Symphony, but not Rodeo.

[Petrushka]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Copland-Billy-Kid-Leonard-Slatkin/dp/B00BBF530K

Volume 9, Number 2: Billy the Kid, Danzón Cubano, El Salón Mexico, and Organ Symphony, but not Rodeo.

Yes, that was the one I had in mind. I moved over some of the 'keeper' BBC MM discs into my main collection and that was one of them. I was looking in the overflow pile upstairs!

[richardfinegold]

I don't find Rodeo as popular, or not so often played, as it used to be. The best known movement 'Hoe-down' contains oneof those curious moments when an orchestra sounds like a human voice. In the bar of two emphatic chords , which is a featureif the movement, I seem to hear someone shout 'hey down!' . Does anyone else hear this?
.

No I do not and I have many recordings. My favorite has always been Bernstein but I also have Dorati (2), Copland, Slatkin, MTT and a few others

[Pulcinella]

I had overlooked a separate entry on the Presto site for the Four Dance Episodes, now remedied in the OP.

A quick skim through surprised me in that I didn't spot Copland's own recording or Bernstein's listed.

That will be why I hadn't spotted those recordings, amongst lots of others!

[Darloboy]

Last covered by BaL in May 2000 when Chris de Souza chose Seattle SO/Schwarz as first choice for the Four Dance Episodes with Baltimore/Zinman highly recommended as the only complete version of the ballet available at the time

[mikealdren]

Like others I also have the NYPO/Bernstein and I see no reason to look further.