Our Summer BAL 66: Copland Symphony 3

[Pulcinella]

Following the recent discussion about forgotten American symphonies, sparked off by Gerard Schwarz's article in July 2019 Gramophone, it struck me that even Copland's Third seems not as popular as it once was, and it seems not to have featured in a Radio 3 BAL.

Here's a list of currently available recordings gleaned from the Presto site.

NYPO/Bernstein (Sony, download)
NYPO/Bernstein (rec 2 Dec 1985; DG, download)
American SO/Botstein (American Symphony Orchestra, download)
Berlin PO/Copland (Testament, CD)
LSO/Copland (1958 Everest recording; Soundmark Records, download; Everest, CD and download)
Philharmonia O/Copland (Sony, download)
Minneapolis SO/Dorati (rec 5 Feb 1953; Mercury, download)
Detroit SO/Järvi (Chandos, CD and download)
NZSO/Judd (rec July 2000; 2xHD, download; Naxos, CD and download)
Oregon Symphony/Kalmar (rec April 2013 and/or January 2014; Pentatone, SACD and download)
Atlanta/Levi (Telarc, CD)
Dallas SO/Mata (rec 13 May 1986; Warner, download)
Minnesota O/Oue (Reference Recordings; CD and download)
Orchestra of the Americas/Prieto (Linn, CD) (++)
Detroit SO/Slatkin (rec 23—25 October 2015; Naxos, CD and download) (++)
St Louis SO/Slatkin (RCA, Presto CD; Sony, CD)
BBCPO/Wilson (rec 25—26 March 2018; Chandos, SACD and download) (++)

(++): Original 1946 version

Which one gets your vote, and why?

[Pulcinella]

I found this Wiki article quite useful:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._3_(Copland)

I am a little surprised that the recordings are predominantly by American orchestras and conductors.
Does this piece not travel well?

I know that some feel it too bombastic, but I found this interesting comment that Copland himself made about the work: It [is] important to remember that it was written for Koussevitsky, with his penchant for hyper-utterance.

[Bella Kemp]

Following the recent discussion about forgotten American symphonies, sparked off by Gerard Schwarz's article in July 2019 Gramophone, it struck me that even Copland's Third seems not as popular as it once was, and it seems not to have featured in a Radio 3 BAL.

Here's a list of currently available recordings gleaned from the Presto site.

NYPO/Bernstein (Sony, download)
NYPO/Bernstein (rec 2 Dec 1985; DG, download)
American SO/Botstein (American Symphony Orchestra, download)
Berlin PO/Copland (Testament, CD)
LSO/Copland (1958 Everest recording; Soundmark Records, download; Everest, CD and download)
Philharmonia O/Copland (Sony, download)
Minneapolis SO/Dorati (rec 5 Feb 1953; Mercury, download
Detroit SO/Järvi (Chandos, CD and download)
NZSO/Judd (rec July 2000; 2xHD, download; Naxos, CD and download)
Oregon Symphony/Kalmar (rec April 2013 and/or January 2014; Pentatone, SACD and download)
Atlanta/Levi (Telarc, CD)
Dallas SO/Mata (rec 13 May 1986; Warner, download)
Minnesota O/Oue (Reference Recordings; CD and download)
Orchestra of the Americas/Prieto (Linn, CD) (++)
Detroit SO/Slatkin (rec 23—25 October 2015; Naxos, CD and download) (++)
St Louis SO/Slatkin (RCA, Presto CD; Sony, CD)
BBCPO/Wilson (rec 25—26 March 2018; Chandos, SACD and download) (++)

(++): Original 1946 version

Which one gets your vote, and why?

I have great affection for this work: it epitomises the best of the true American spirit - which is, despite everything, freedom and hope. I have no favourite performance. Each one offers fresh perspective and one is grateful for the life that has given us such joy.

[makropulos]

Following the recent discussion about forgotten American symphonies, sparked off by Gerard Schwarz's article in July 2019 Gramophone, it struck me that even Copland's Third seems not as popular as it once was, and it seems not to have featured in a Radio 3 BAL.

Here's a list of currently available recordings gleaned from the Presto site.

NYPO/Bernstein (Sony, download)
NYPO/Bernstein (rec 2 Dec 1985; DG, download)
American SO/Botstein (American Symphony Orchestra, download)
Berlin PO/Copland (Testament, CD)
LSO/Copland (1958 Everest recording; Soundmark Records, download; Everest, CD and download)
Philharmonia O/Copland (Sony, download)
Minneapolis SO/Dorati (rec 5 Feb 1953; Mercury, download
Detroit SO/Järvi (Chandos, CD and download)
NZSO/Judd (rec July 2000; 2xHD, download; Naxos, CD and download)
Oregon Symphony/Kalmar (rec April 2013 and/or January 2014; Pentatone, SACD and download)
Atlanta/Levi (Telarc, CD)
Dallas SO/Mata (rec 13 May 1986; Warner, download)
Minnesota O/Oue (Reference Recordings; CD and download)
Orchestra of the Americas/Prieto (Linn, CD) (++)
Detroit SO/Slatkin (rec 23—25 October 2015; Naxos, CD and download) (++)
St Louis SO/Slatkin (RCA, Presto CD; Sony, CD)
BBCPO/Wilson (rec 25—26 March 2018; Chandos, SACD and download) (++)

(++): Original 1946 version

Which one gets your vote, and why?

I love this symphony. Glad you've got the very new Prieto version in –it's a strong contender in breathtaking Linn sound, and a much more imposing newcomer than Wilson's frankly disappointing Chandos disc–and the coupling is the best performance I know of Chávez's Sinfonia India. Another good fairly recent version is Carlos Kalmar/Oregon (in very fine Pentatone sound). But my own favourite Copland This is Bernstein's DG performance: gritty, majestic and utterly inside a work he had been conducting for 4 decades by the time this recording was made. It also avoids making a mess of the tempo changes in the second movement (several versions do), doesn't suffer from tentative/sloppy brass playing (Wilson, among others), and grows magnificently towards the close. Copland's own performances are obviously of interest, but for me neither of them comes close to Bernstein's DG record.

[BBMmk2]

I haven’t heard this work in a long while.i just have the Bernstein recording, so will have to return to that ASAP, I think!

[johnb]

Another recording to add to the list: Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting The Orchestra of the Americas. It was released by Linn in June this year and featured in Record Review a couple of weeks back.

[visualnickmos]

I have, like BBMmk2, just Bernstein's Sony recording. I'm not very familiar with the compositions of Copland, but I enjoy this work, and Lenny's recording. The two were meant for each other.

[richardfinegold]

Following the recent discussion about forgotten American symphonies, sparked off by Gerard Schwarz's article in July 2019 Gramophone, it struck me that even Copland's Third seems not as popular as it once was, and it seems not to have featured in a Radio 3 BAL.

Here's a list of currently available recordings gleaned from the Presto site.

NYPO/Bernstein (Sony, download)
NYPO/Bernstein (rec 2 Dec 1985; DG, download)
American SO/Botstein (American Symphony Orchestra, download)
Berlin PO/Copland (Testament, CD)
LSO/Copland (1958 Everest recording; Soundmark Records, download; Everest, CD and download)
Philharmonia O/Copland (Sony, download)
Minneapolis SO/Dorati (rec 5 Feb 1953; Mercury, download
Detroit SO/Järvi (Chandos, CD and download)
NZSO/Judd (rec July 2000; 2xHD, download; Naxos, CD and download)
Oregon Symphony/Kalmar (rec April 2013 and/or January 2014; Pentatone, SACD and download)
Atlanta/Levi (Telarc, CD)
Dallas SO/Mata (rec 13 May 1986; Warner, download)
Minnesota O/Oue (Reference Recordings; CD and download)
Orchestra of the Americas/Prieto (Linn, CD) (++)
Detroit SO/Slatkin (rec 23—25 October 2015; Naxos, CD and download) (++)
St Louis SO/Slatkin (RCA, Presto CD; Sony, CD)
BBCPO/Wilson (rec 25—26 March 2018; Chandos, SACD and download) (++)

(++): Original 1946 version

Which one gets your vote, and why?

It isn’t that much of a rarity on this side of the pond. I’ve heard Slatkin in Detroit and MTT perform it here in Chicago in the past few years and I’ve heard radio broadcasts from Gilbert in New York and Carlos Kalmar from Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony relatively recently as we’ll. The Bernstein recordings got a lot of air time with his centenary as well. Personally I would trade some of this exposure for some Vaughn Williams programming.
The Slatkin St. Louis recording remains my favorite. The RCA CD was demonstration caliber in its day, and his later Detroit recording disappointed me immensely, for I had enjoyed the concert mentioned above. With the first Slatkin recording the music just seems to flow naturally, and just slightly edges the first Bernstein recording, which is also excellent.
The Fanfare movement has never convinced me as a satisfying finale. It sounds like what is, another piece of music grafted on to a 3 movement Symphony, the American equivalent of adding Bruckner’s Te Deam to the three movements of his 9th

[Pulcinella]

Another recording to add to the list: Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting The Orchestra of the Americas. It was released by Linn in June this year and featured in Record Review a couple of weeks back.

It's in the list, and was commented on (favourably!) in post #4!

[johnb]

My apologies.

[Pulcinella]

My apologies.

No problem!
I was pleased to read good reports of it from makropulos.
Not sure if Linn stream through Deezer though, as I'd like to hear it.

I wonder too what the BPO made of it under the composer: has anyone heard that recording?

[makropulos]

No problem!
I was pleased to read good reports of it from makropulos.
Not sure if Linn stream through Deezer though, as I'd like to hear it.

I wonder too what the BPO made of it under the composer: has anyone heard that recording?

Not sure where Prieto's version is available for streaming –hopefully it might turn up in one of the usual places before too long. Like you, I'd very much like to hear the Copland/Berlin version. Having just seen the price it's being offered in a few places, for I think I'll just take the risk and buy it.

[Pulcinella]

I'm a little surprised that there is no Boston recording, given that they gave the premiere: it might not have been their subsequent principal conductors' cup of tea, but they could have used someone else.
Also, no Previn or MTT recording: was/is it not in their repertoires either?

[Pulcinella]

BBC MM (September 2019 issue, just arrived) only gives the new Prieto recording three stars (out of five) for performance and four for recording.

[Pulcinella]

The September 2019 issue of Gramophone also reviews the new Prieto disc.
The reviewer prefers Mata for the Chávez, and also gives him (Mata) honourable mention for the Copland, while not being entirely dismissive of Prieto's interpretations.
The recordings were made live in Poland, as part of the orchestra's 2018 European tour that included this concert:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?19259-Copland-Fanfare-(Concert-from-Edinburgh-11-09-2018)