American Classics

[EdgeleyRob]

Speaking of Samuel Barber I forgot that I have this cd too,a gem of a record.

[Lateralthinking1]

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

Thank you. It is early days but I aim to make South and Central America (plus Spain and Portugal) my speciality to fit in with the world music interests. That gives me the chance in a year's time to enjoy being among the more authoritative in at least one area and give some useful advice to people who are interested! Currently from the Americas it is a case of dipping in to Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Ramirez, Piazzola, Camilo, Santoro, Reveultas, Nazareth and, erm, Hahn. This is one I very much like as posted last year:

[Beef Oven]

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.

Yes, that was indeed a good series, I partook of a few!

The Barber violin concerto is a marvelous work. That's another work that I only discovered in the mid 90s. I have it on Naxos.

[Beef Oven]

Thank you. It is early days but I aim to make South and Central America (plus Spain and Portugal) my speciality to fit in with the world music interests. That gives me the chance in a year's time to enjoy being among the more authoritative in at least one area and give some useful advice to people who are interested! Currently from the Americas it is a case of dipping in to Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Ramirez, Piazzola, Camilo, Santoro, Reveultas, Nazareth and Hahn. This is one I very much like as posted last year:

and good luck with that project!

[Beef Oven]

Speaking of Samuel Barber I forgot that I have this cd too,a gem of a record.

This is an awesome CD!!!

I would say to any classical music fan, go and buy this without even blinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beef Oven]

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

Interestingly, the British/Commonwealth/neglected and American ones were in response to your goodself ER!!!

[Beef Oven]

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

I have taken on an interesting work contract, so I will be around until the summer. I was intending not be here until the Proms, but I suppose I will now miss most of the Proms again.

Last year I missed Grimes

The year before, I missed The Gothic

[teamsaint]

I have taken on an interesting work contract, so I will be around until the summer. I was intending not be here until the Proms, but I suppose I will now miss most of the Proms again.

Last year I missed Grimes



The year before, I missed The Gothic

Glagolithic on this year?!

[Beef Oven]

Glagolithic on this year?!

I prefer the 'Mša Coleslav'

[teamsaint]

Thank you. It is early days but I aim to make South and Central America (plus Spain and Portugal) my speciality to fit in with the world music interests. That gives me the chance in a year's time to enjoy being among the more authoritative in at least one area and give some useful advice to people who are interested! Currently from the Americas it is a case of dipping in to Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Ramirez, Piazzola, Camilo, Santoro, Reveultas, Nazareth and, erm, Hahn. This is one I very much like as posted last year:

I look forward very much to reading about your discoveries, and following up on some of them.

The little South American music I know is stuff I really like...the usual suspects I am afraid..but Lat will help put that right !

This board will have me in the poor house......

[EdgeleyRob]

Interestingly, the British/Commonwealth/neglected and American ones were in response to your goodself ER!!!

Do they count as assists ?

[Black Swan]

I forgot when putting my list together Barber, Glass and of course Charles Ives whose music I greatly enjoy. I like one of the previous posters also struggle with Bernstein, especially his symphonies. Other current composers Andrew Jay Kernes, Richard Danielpour, Joseph Schwantner, and the sole female mentioned so far Jennifer Higdon. It is to bad the composing career of Stephen Albert was sadly cut short to soon.

[Beef Oven]

I forgot when putting my list together Barber, Glass and of course Charles Ives whose music I greatly enjoy. I like one of the previous posters also struggle with Bernstein, especially his symphonies. Other current composers Andrew Jay Kernes, Richard Danielpour, Joseph Schwantner, and the sole female mentioned so far Jennifer Higdon. It is to bad the composing career of Stephen Albert was sadly cut short to soon.

Many of those I've not heard of!

I have Stephen Albert's Symphonies 1 & 2. Yes, a life cut all too short.

[Ferretfancy]

Many people are turned off Copland because of the repetition of his most popular works, fine though they are. There are other works in a similar vein that are well worth hearing, such as Our Town and Quiet City, but there are also more challenging works such as Inscape, Statements for Orchestra, and the Symphonic Ode. I'm particularly fond of his later ballet music simply called Dance Panels.
Does anybody know the music of Irving Fine? I have a CD of his work called Serious Song, which is very haunting.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I'll gladly recommend a huge variety of American works. I've probably got one of the larger collections of American works in the country, I don't know exactly how many but its well into four figures, including a couple of hundred symphonies. Some of the US composers in the American composers series on Naxos I don't have as some of these pieces are to say the least of poor quality. I wish Naxos would work towards recording the countless number of non commercially recorded works by the important figures in US music first.