American Classics

[Suffolkcoastal]

The 11th has, again on the Albany label. The performance is pretty good though it could have done with a larger body of strings and there are a couple of minor errors in the performance. I do have off-air recordings of 10, 12 & 13 but they haven't been commercially recorded. Inspite of what some books suggest there are only 13 numbered symphonies, plus the Symphony for Band & Symphony for Voices and an early Symphony 'American Portrait' which has never to my knowledge been publicly performed. There are a handful of other works that were parts of projected symphonies, that the composer turned in to other works e.g. Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun'.

[amateur51]

I did not know that another recording of the 6th existed, I just sensed from the music I was hearing from the very first movement that the writing clearly has more in mind!

I have not listened to the 5th yet.

Good that the CSO performed this work fairly recently, but heart-breaking that beyond that, the trail goes cold.

Harris symphony no 5 is available on Spotify played by The Louisville Orchestra

[BBMmk2]

The 11th has, again on the Albany label. The performance is pretty good though it could have done with a larger body of strings and there are a couple of minor errors in the performance. I do have off-air recordings of 10, 12 & 13 but they haven't been commercially recorded. Inspite of what some books suggest there are only 13 numbered symphonies, plus the Symphony for Band & Symphony for Voices and an early Symphony 'American Portrait' which has never to my knowledge been publicly performed. There are a handful of other works that were parts of projected symphonies, that the composer turned in to other works e.g. Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun'.

Forgive me SC, I presume we are talking about George Lloyd? if so, GL's Symphony No.10(Novemember Journeys), besides there being an orchestral brass recording, very ably played by the BBCPO BE,(although, the recording I find, is rather dry), there has been a transcription for bnrass band. I might add, a rather better recording, i have which is played by the top Welsh brass band The ?Cory Band, coducted by Robert Childs, on Doyen.

[Black Swan]

I have this recording on First Edition Music. Robert S Whitney and Lawrence Leighton Smith, Conductors with the Louisville Orchestra.
Kentucky Spring (1949)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1949) with Gregory Fulkerson Violin
Symphony No. 5 (1942)

Both Kentucky Spring and the Violin Concerto are listed as World Premier Recordings, made in 1960, 1965 and 1985.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Forgive me SC, I presume we are talking about George Lloyd? if so, GL's Symphony No.10(Novemember Journeys), besides there being an orchestral brass recording, very ably played by the BBCPO BE,(although, the recording I find, is rather dry), there has been a transcription for bnrass band. I might add, a rather better recording, i have which is played by the top Welsh brass band The ?Cory Band, coducted by Robert Childs, on Doyen.

No BBM Albany Records have issued recordings of Harris's 2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th & 11th Symphonies and have reissued Ormandy's account of the 7th. Harris's 11th Symphony is his darkest work, agitated and often despairing.
The Louisville account of the 5th is passable, but the 1st movement has several cuts and the Alsop Naxos recording is to be preferred. Yes the Louisville disc does include the delightful Kentucky Spring, which is a nice example of the lighter Harris. Harris's Violin Concerto is variable but has some fine moments. Harris used some of the material from this work in his 7th Symphony.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Forgive me SC, I presume we are talking about George Lloyd?

? I understood "The 11th" to refer to Roy Harris', Suffy answering Black Swan's query about recordings of the "Symphonies past #9" in Post #165.

[Black Swan]

Suffolkcoastal,

Totally agree on Kentucky Spring, I actually bought the recording after hearing Kentucky Spring on Radio 3.

[Suffolkcoastal]

That was probably its only ever outing on R3 sadly. R3 also especially recorded another light and engaging work of his called 'Radio Piece' which I have on a priceless cassette as its never been commercially recorded, those were the days on R3 'sighs'. Harris gets a tiny but obsessed with the variations theme from Kentucky Spring which occurs in a number of other works including the 8th Symphony.

[richardfinegold]

I had been listening to a lot of Malcolm Arnold the past week, and then I listened to Walter Piston's 4th Symphony last night.
These two composers had a lot in common, IMO. Similar harmonic palate, sonority, chord progressions, and the feeling of being informed by jazz and pop music. Arnold broods a lot more and is very depressive, while Piston tends to radiate a sense of optimism, occasionally hard won.

[Suffolkcoastal]

There are some very superficial similarities on occasion between Piston and Arnold, but in use of harmony and orchestration they are quite different. The basis of Piston's style is Gallic and composers like Roussel were a strong influence. Piston's harmonic sense is very precise and the orchestration very clean showing the classic Boulanger influence of the 'long line' in his composition technique. Piston's music is often highly expressive, and it is an expressiveness that draws you in gradually. Arnold is very much blunter in both respects, he hits emotionally very hard, often juxtaposing emotions in quick succession and using a very distinct manner of orchestration to enable you to follow what he wants to say and express.

[richardfinegold]

There are some very superficial similarities on occasion between Piston and Arnold, but in use of harmony and orchestration they are quite different. The basis of Piston's style is Gallic and composers like Roussel were a strong influence. Piston's harmonic sense is very precise and the orchestration very clean showing the classic Boulanger influence of the 'long line' in his composition technique. Piston's music is often highly expressive, and it is an expressiveness that draws you in gradually. Arnold is very much blunter in both respects, he hits emotionally very hard, often juxtaposing emotions in quick succession and using a very distinct manner of orchestration to enable you to follow what he wants to say and express.

Interesting. I have to admit I don't know Roussel's music at all, and I never really thought of Piston's music as having a Gallic influence. I presume that you are using Gallic more in the sense of the style of Les Six than the schools of Debussy and Ravel.
Piston's music does show a restraint that i would associate with French Composers, although compared to Arnold, almost any Composer appears restrained.

[amateur51]

Interesting. I have to admit I don't know Roussel's music at all, and I never really thought of Piston's music as having a Gallic influence. I presume that you are using Gallic more in the sense of the style of Les Six than the schools of Debussy and Ravel.
Piston's music does show a restraint that i would associate with French Composers, although compared to Arnold, almost any Composer appears restrained.

You can remedy this parlous state with confidence with this marvellous set at a great price, rfg

http://www.amazon.com/Albert-Roussel-Complete-Symphonies-Orchestral/dp/B003NEQAX6/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1360748316&sr=1-2&keywords=Roussel+Deneve

[Dave2002]

You can remedy this parlous state with confidence with this marvellous set at a great price, rfg

http://www.amazon.com/Albert-Roussel...Roussel+Deneve

UK readers can get the set cheaply from the marketplace sellers at http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...&condition=new

US readers can also get it cheaply by looking at the marketplace sellers listings on the link previously provided by am51 at amazon.com.

[richardfinegold]

You can remedy this parlous state with confidence with this marvellous set at a great price, rfg

http://www.amazon.com/Albert-Roussel...Roussel+Deneve

excellent--I really enjoy the Debussy set from Deneve/RNSO--just ordered the set for $15, including shipping--thanks

[EdgeleyRob]

Symphony no 2 as recommended by Suffolkcoastal and via the Naxos library.
Great stuff.