American Classics

[Beef Oven!]

Roy Harris - 3rd, 4th......and 6th:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJig7H0NJd8

I very much like these.

Many thanks Lat. Haven't listened to 6 in a very long while and I really enjoyed this YouTube performance.* Didn't have a recording, so I have just downloaded Marin Alsop's Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra recording from Qobuz

*Love those Ayn Randesque images on the YouTube vid!

[Beef Oven!]

Some interesting items in the 8 page American section in the latest edition of Gramophone, including Harbison's Requiem, Barber's piano sonata and Carter's clarinet quintet.

[cloughie]

Not really - Naxos' business model is well-known and has been for many years. More of an interesting observation rather than anything else, I'd say.

I suppose many of the Naxos recordings are the only available, indeed maybe the only recordings of many of these American works so we have no idea whether the caught the vibe or not. Paul Polivnik has strong American connections!

[Pulcinella]

Some interesting items in the 8 page American section in the latest edition of Gramophone, including Harbison's Requiem, Barber's piano sonata and Carter's clarinet quintet.

Which is that?
Perhaps you have early access to January 2019's issue, or is this section only for online subscribers?
I see nothing in the (printed) December 2018 issue.

[Beef Oven!]

I suppose many of the Naxos recordings are the only available, indeed maybe the only recordings of many of these American works so we have no idea whether the caught the vibe or not. Paul Polivnik has strong American connections!

Yes, not an awful lot of choice. Naxos have been threatening a cycle fir a long time but it never materialised. Happily William Schuman is better served. Incidentally, I think I may prefer Shuman to Harris, but don’t tell Suffolkcoastal!!!

[Lat-Literal]

Many thanks Lat. Haven't listened to 6 in a very long while and I really enjoyed this YouTube performance.* Didn't have a recording, so I have just downloaded Marin Alsop's Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra recording from Qobuz

*Love those Ayn Randesque images on the YouTube vid!

Excellent.

I have added some comments to your comments on Harris posted on Suffolkcoastal's Symphonic Journey.

Now:

Not classics and some might question their musical merits entirely but I choose whatever intrigues me and often people who I am guessing have never been mentioned on the forum before. So, on this basis, two links from someone who was at one time close to Sinatra and who spent a lot of time regretting that his classical music was not being received kindly:

Alec Wilder:

Fantasy : Piano & Wind Ensemble - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDINlyWNmr8

Wilder's Sonata-Fantasy for Piano - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0MczGtWFPg

[Beef Oven!]

Excellent.

I have added some comments to your comments on Harris posted on Suffolkcoastal's Symphonic Journey.

Now:

Not classics and some might question their musical merits entirely but I choose whatever intrigues me and often people who I am guessing have never been mentioned on the forum before. So, on this basis, two links from someone who was at one time close to Sinatra and who spent a lot of time regretting that his classical music was not being received kindly:

Alec Wilder:

Fantasy : Piano & Wind Ensemble - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDINlyWNmr8

Wilder's Sonata-Fantasy for Piano - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0MczGtWFPg

[Beef Oven!]

David Diamond - Symphony #2
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz. Naxos.

[Beef Oven!]

William Schuman - Symphony #4

[Pulcinella]

In an article in July 2019's Gramophone, Gerard Schwarz writes about Forgotten American symphonies, and specifically mentions:
Creston: S3
Schuman: S3
Diamond: S2
Hanson: S3
Mennin: S3
Hovhaness: S2
Piston: S4

Which others would forumites include?
Of Schwarz's list, the Mennin is the only one I don't have, so I must see if I can stream it.

As an aside, I was contemplating launching a thread (Sumer BaL or Recordings in Discussion) on the not-so-forgotten Copland S3; any takers?

[ahinton]

In an article in July 2019's Gramophone, Gerard Schwarz writes about Forgotten American symphonies, and specifically mentions:
Creston: S3
Schuman: S3
Diamond: S2
Hanson: S3
Mennin: S3
Hovhaness: S2
Piston: S4

Which others would forumites include?
Of Schwarz's list, the Mennin is the only one I don't have, so I must see if I can stream it.

As an aside, I was contemplating launching a thread (Sumer BaL or Recordings in Discussion) on the not-so-forgotten Copland S3; any takers?

No such list would be complete without at least one by Sessions, none of which is often performed anywhere. Come to the, Carter's Symphonia doesn't get many performances either, despite it being one of his most remarkable achievements.

[LezLee]

I would add Virgil Thomson's 3 symphonies, specially the first one, Symphony On A Hymn Tune. I've no idea how often they're performed but I'd guess not very!

[Boilk]

In an article in July 2019's Gramophone, Gerard Schwarz writes about Forgotten American symphonies, and specifically mentions:
Creston: S3
Schuman: S3
Diamond: S2
Hanson: S3
Mennin: S3
Hovhaness: S2
Piston: S4

Which others would forumites include?

I would add Hovhaness Concerto No.7 for Orchestra - a very fine work (probably no less a 'symphony' than his No.2), and there's a decent recording on Telarc. Come to think of it, I'd add Carter's Concerto for Orchestra as a near-forgotten American symphonic work.

[teamsaint]

In an article in July 2019's Gramophone, Gerard Schwarz writes about Forgotten American symphonies, and specifically mentions:
Creston: S3
Schuman: S3
Diamond: S2
Hanson: S3
Mennin: S3
Hovhaness: S2
Piston: S4

Which others would forumites include?
Of Schwarz's list, the Mennin is the only one I don't have, so I must see if I can stream it.

As an aside, I was contemplating launching a thread (Sumer BaL or Recordings in Discussion) on the not-so-forgotten Copland S3; any takers?

Plenty of solid recommendations in here from Suffy. ( he’s not been around much recently)

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7547-Suffolkcoastal-s-Symphonic-Journey

A while ago I put together a word document of all of his posts which I emailed to a few forumites. I probably still have it around somewhere if anybody wants one.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7547-Suffolkcoastal-s-Symphonic-Journey

[jayne lee wilson]

There's Harold Shapero, of course, whose 40'+, rather laid-back Symphony for Classical Orchestra (1947), chief influences Beethoven by way of (earlier) Stravinsky, is at the very least a lovely bunch of tunes...
Just two recordings, Previn and Bernstein, both good, Previn with more up-to-date sound than the mono Bernstein...

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/composer/harold-shapero/download-streaming-albums

Some listeners take against its length and obvious derivations, but it is "well worth a listen", to say the least...