American Classics

[Beef Oven]

Over the years I have built up a small collection of works composed by Americans.

Partly in the shadow of European classical music, often developing its own voice.

The recent interest on these boards for Roy Harris' music has prompted me to start this new thread dedicated to American 'classical' (?) music.

One of the first recordings I ever bought remains one of my favourites (has the Piston performance been bettered?).

Now playing,

viz:

[Black Swan]

This is an excellent recording. I have it and listen to it often. As an American I am a huge fan of Piston who is not so well known, William Schuman, Howard Hanson, David Diamond and Aaron Copland who has written many interesting works including the over played Fanfare for the Common Man and excerpts from his ballet Rodeo. There are also many more modernistic composers Morton Feldman, John Cage, John Corigliano etc. And now of course Minimalists, Steve Reich, Terry Riley. And of course John Adams who has really gone beyond pure minimalism.

[teamsaint]

courtesy of my helpful friends on the board , and especially with SC's recommendations ,am spending quite a bit of time exploring this fabulous world of music.

Steve Reich's Electric/Cello /New york Couterpoints/You are/Triple Quartet from the Nonesuch retrospective are just sensational.
Diamond/Schuman/Piston/ and several others are high on my "listen to" lists at the moment.

[Beef Oven]

courtesy of my helpful friends on the board , and especially with SC's recommendations ,am spending quite a bit of time exploring this fabulous world of music.

Steve Reich's Electric/Cello /New york Couterpoints/You are/Triple Quartet from the Nonesuch retrospective are just sensational.
Diamond/Schuman/Piston/ and several others are high on my "listen to" lists at the moment.

You and Black Swan have both mentioned David Diamond. He rarely gets a mention on these boards.

I came to Diamond late. One Saturday afternoon in 1992 (ish) I put Radio 3 on and caught a symphony I had vever heard before. I tuned in two or three minutes into the first movement. At the end of the symphony, I was relieved to hear the presenter clearly confirm that the work was Diamond's Symphony #4.

I had never even heard of him before that. I bought a few Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz recordings on the Delos label and I have enjoyed his music ever since.

[EdgeleyRob]

I've had Harris 3 ,Diamond 4 and Copland 3 in my collection for years but,as with ts,it's sc's symphonic survey that has encouraged me to investigate more American symphonies.

The 4th (folk song) symphony of Roy Harris is a recent discovery,an absolute delight.
I was listening to this earlier.

[teamsaint]

This will be a great thread. Another recent discovery /purchase was the Copland Clarinet Concerto, which is just wonderful. An instant favourite.
And, for once, down to a chance hearing on R3 !!

[Nick Armstrong]

This will be a great thread. Another recent discovery /purchase was the Copland Clarinet Concerto, which is just wonderful. An instant favourite.
And, for once, down to a chance hearing on R3 !!

Probably my favourite Copland work (though I listened to it a lot years ago and it became a little over-familiar for me). Which recording have you got? Benny Goodman himself? http://www.amazon.com/Benny-Goodman-...inding_title_0

(Prelude, Fugues and Riffs by Lenny's worth hearing as well)

[EdgeleyRob]

Yes he certainly knows how to start great threads does our Mr Beef

[Lateralthinking1]

North Americans only? What are the ToR please?

In the US:

1. Copland......Copland conducts Copland!

(Other than the names mentioned so far, I've liked the (few) things I've heard by Pinkham, Gottschalk, Griffes, Hovhaness and Nancarrow..........and Gershwin and Barber obviously. I do like Glass and also Reich and Adams but oddly I don't get Bernstein.)

[teamsaint]

Probably my favourite Copland work (though I listened to it a lot years ago and it became a little over-familiar for me). Which recording have you got? Benny Goodman himself? http://www.amazon.com/Benny-Goodman-...inding_title_0

(Prelude, Fugues and Riffs by Lenny's worth hearing as well)

I have (as ever) the Naxos .....Nashville Chamber Orchestra/ Laura Arden/ Paul Gambill.

Really nice disc, that one with some great other stuff.

Somewhere I have heard "Prelude fugues and Riffs"..must check it again. Cheers, Cali.

[Beef Oven]

Probably my favourite Copland work (though I listened to it a lot years ago and it became a little over-familiar for me). Which recording have you got? Benny Goodman himself? http://www.amazon.com/Benny-Goodman-...inding_title_0

(Prelude, Fugues and Riffs by Lenny's worth hearing as well)

I really like Copland. I think I have overplayed #3 too.

I bought this recording in the mid 90s.

I bought it for Slatkin's Hanson Symphony #2. I love both performances on this CD.

[Beef Oven]

North Americans only? What are the ToR please?

(In the US, other than the names mentioned so far, I've liked the (few) things I've heard by Pinkham, Gottschalk, Griffes and Nancarrow.............and Gershwin obviously)

Hey Lats, I was thinking principally of North Americans, but America is a big continent, so feel free to include Villa Lobos et al

[Nick Armstrong]

Great series, that 'American' EMI set, wasn't (isn't) it?

Seeing the label and the Angel logo reminds me that I didn't have that issue - I already had the Hanson coupled with my favourite and most-played of all North American works, which for years I listened to on this disc:



The Barber violin concerto hasn't dimmed at all with overplaying - just pure magic.

(To be honest, the Hanson's a bit soppy )

I first heard the Barber concerto by complete coincidence on the radio while living in France (a live broadcast of Isaac Stern playing it, conducted by Kirill Kondrashin - still got the cassette, for some reason I recorded the concert, even though I didn't know the concerto). That Olivera/Slatkin performance got the closest on CD and I didn't have any others for years (Stern with Bernstein is very disappointing, I think). Then Joshua Bell came along - his version (with Zinman?) is terrific too. Gil Shaham and Previn's good too but a rather gloopy recording on DG as I recall.

[teamsaint]

Yes he certainly knows how to start great threads does our Mr Beef

He does.
and now he has sorted out a new one, he thinks he can shove off for another 6 months , presumably.

[amateur51]

Yes he certainly knows how to start great threads does our Mr Beef

Well I'll certainly second that in relation to this one - I'm getting lots of interesting leads - keep 'em coming please