BaL 28.11.20 - Copland: Clarinet Concerto

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30am
Building a Library
Mark Simpson with a personal recommendation of the must-have recording of Copland’s clarinet concerto.

Available versions:-

Teddy Abrams, Louisville Orchestra, Jason Seber *
Laura Arden, Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Paul Gambill
William Blount, Orchestra Of St. Luke’s, Dennis Russell Davies
James Campbell, Canadian National Arts Centre Orchestra, Franz-Paul Decker *
Michael Collins, Swedish Chamber Orchestra , Michael Collins
Karin Dornbusch, Musica Vitae, Péter Csaba
Stanley Drucker, New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Kim Ellis, Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, Kirk Trevor *
Martin Fröst, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Lan Shui
Martin Fröst, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti (SACD)
Gary Gray, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Harry Newstone
Benny Goodman, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Aaron Copland *
Benny Goodman, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Aaron Copland (DVD/Blu-ray))
Janet Hilton, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Matthias Bamert *
Richard Hosford, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Thierry Fischer
Sharon Kam, London Symphony Orchestra, Gregor Bühl *
Karl Leister, Berliner Philharmoniker, Aaron Copland
Anthony McGill, New York Philharmonic, Jaap van Zweden *
Sebastian Manz, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Case Scaglione
Paul Meyer, English Chamber Orchestra, David Zinman *
Charles Neidich, I Musici de Montréal, Yuli Turov *
Ernst Ottensamer, Northern Sinfonia, Richard Stamp
Andreas Ottensamer, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
David Schifrin, New York Chamber Symphony, Gerard Schwarz *
David Singer, A Far Cry Orchestra, The Shanghai Quartet
Richard Stoltzman, London Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Leighton-Smith
Nathan Williams, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra,, Robert Moody*
Sarah Williamson, Orchestra of the Swan, David Curtis
Andrzej Wojciechowski, Gdansk Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra, Lukasz Borowicz

* = download only

[Pulcinella]

A piece with special associations for me and my partner: we saw Copland conduct it at Tanglewood, on 5 July 1980.
I'm a bit surprised that his Columbia recording with Goodman is now download only.
I'll certainly be listening to see how the other versions fare.

The Richard Hosford/COE performance is (probably) conducted by Thierry Fischer.
I have it (assuming it's the same recording; the date and venue look the same!) in a different compilation on ASV than its current incarnation (Fischer is listed as a conductor on the Presto site, but not attributed to the concerto).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Copland-Quartet-Clarinet-Concerto-Episodes/dp/B000068PMN/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=copland+sextet&qid=1605340604&sr=8-3

instead of

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7946890--mozart-clarinet-concertos-duett-concertino

[Rolmill]

The Richard Hosford/COE performance is (probably) conducted by Thierry Fischer.
I have it (assuming it's the same recording; the date and venue look the same!) in a different compilation on ASV than its current incarnation (Fischer is listed as a conductor on the Presto site, but not attributed to the concerto).

Yes, I have the original ASV CD and Fischer is indicated as conducting the Copland and R Strauss, with Schneider conducting the Mozart.

[richardfinegold]

I have Stoltzman and Drucker, haven’t listened to either in years. When I encounter the piece it is usually on the radio

[Darloboy]

Yes, I have the original ASV CD and Fischer is indicated as conducting the Copland and R Strauss, with Schneider conducting the Mozart.

This was Geoffrey Smith's First Choice on BaL back in May 2004

[LeMartinPecheur]

I'm a bit surprised that his Columbia recording with Goodman is now download only.
I'll certainly be listening to see how the other versions fare.

Same here! The Goodman/ Copland is my only recording of this work. Coupled as it is with Goodman's Bartok/ Szigeti recording of Contrasts, plus Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto under the composer, ditto the Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs and the Morton Gould Derivations, there really ought to be a law to prevent CD deletions like this!

[Pulcinella]

Same here! The Goodman/ Copland is my only recording of this work. Coupled as it is with Goodman's Bartok/ Szigeti recording of Contrasts, plus Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto under the composer, ditto the Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs and the Morton Gould Derivations, there really ought to be a law to prevent CD deletions like this!

It is in fact still available on CD, as that compilation (minus the Bartok)

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8456052--meeting-at-the-summit-benny-goodman-plays-jazz-classics-with-leonard-bernstein-aaron-copland-morton

is included as CD41 in the huge Stravinsky Columbia Edition:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8077470--igor-stravinsky-the-complete-album-collection

[teamsaint]

Same here! The Goodman/ Copland is my only recording of this work. Coupled as it is with Goodman's Bartok/ Szigeti recording of Contrasts, plus Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto under the composer, ditto the Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs and the Morton Gould Derivations, there really ought to be a law to prevent CD deletions like this!

Oh I wouldn’t worry, physical media are finished, apparently.

I imagine it will all be over just as soon as somebody gets the message through to bookshops, Amazon, etc.

However, laws banning things are becoming ever more popular, so you may yet be in luck.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Oh I wouldn’t worry, physical media are finished, apparently.

The number of digital-only releases listed in this month's Gramophone is indeed rather alarming! One of my other interests is preserved railways and perhaps enthusiasts will similarly come together on shoestring budgets to create 'LP/ CD Experience' preservation societies?

I'm feeling increasing sympathy with my late father, d.2008, who never owned a CD player, and his father, d. c.1964, who had a big collection of 78s but never any LPs. Parts of both their collections continue to ballast my shelves, at least till my imminent - fingers crossed - relocation northwards

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The number of digital-only releases listed in this month's Gramophone is indeed rather alarming!

Well... I know what you mean, but apart from the smattering of LPs, all the current new releases are digital. Nothing analogue about them.

[Barbirollians]

Janet Hilton on Chandos for me.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Well... I know what you mean, but apart from the smattering of LPs, all the current new releases are digital. Nothing analogue about them.

Yeah, I knew what I meant too but couldn't pull up the right word For digital read download.

[teamsaint]

Yeah, I knew what I meant too but couldn't pull up the right word For digital read download.

Lack of live events won’t be helping the decision making process to jnclude CD releases right now.

[Leinster Lass]

I don't think it will be considered, but BBC MM 272 has the Copland concerto featuring Robert Plane, plus Appalachian Spring, Ives's Central Park In the Dark and Roy Harris's 3rd symphony - a nice selection of Americana!

[Pulcinella]

I don't think it will be considered, but BBC MM 272 has the Copland concerto featuring Robert Plane, plus Appalachian Spring, Ives's Central Park In the Dark and Roy Harris's 3rd symphony - a nice selection of Americana!

I'd forgotten that recording when I listened to the ones I had on my shelves the other day (What classical music.....post #12337) so must dig it out; I remember not thinking much of the Appalachian Spring performance.

I streamed the Martin Frost/Malmö recording yesterday (another one I thought too tame) but discovered this about his Australian recording, so that's lined up for later:

On this disc, accompanied by the Australian Chamber Orchestra under Richard Tognetti, Fröst presents a wide-ranging selection of works all connected with dancing. The principal work on this disc is Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, and with special permission from the Copland Fund, the disc ends with the fireworks of the original and later revised, dazzling ending of the Concerto.

I didn't know that Copland had revised the piece.