The Incredible Walter Piston (1894-1976)

[some guy]

There has been one recording of the complete ballet, The Incredible Flutist. It's with Jorge Mester and the Louisville Orchestra on the Louisville label. (I just checked my CD. That was issued through the Albany label.)

It is ausgezeichnet.

I don't find MTT's performance of the second symphony to be nearly as good as Schwarz's. The sound is better, but the performance seems tepid compared to Schwarz's.

[TheGSMoeller]

There has been one recording of the complete ballet, The Incredible Flutist. It's with Jorge Mester and the Louisville Orchestra on the Louisville label. (I just checked my CD. That was issued through the Albany label.)

It is ausgezeichnet.

Is this the one?

[Octave]

I saw a Valis disc with FLUTIST by Arthur Fiedler w/Boston Pops, a recording from 1939; is that a truncated version of the ballets?  SQ1 (Dorian, 1939) and SYMPH4 (Ormandy, 1954) were also on that disc.

[some guy]

That's the one. Though my copy has this cover.



The Fiedler is the suite, far as I can tell.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, gents.

Incidentally . . . the Naxos CD's notes are a little unclear . . . is the Concerto for SQ, Winds & Perc his very last score?

Hm, Naxos really dropped the ball with this CD . . . no indication of what chorus is singing the last two tracks.

[snyprrr]

Thanks, gents.

Incidentally . . . the Naxos CD's notes are a little unclear . . . is the Concerto for SQ, Winds & Perc his very last score?

Hm, Naxos really dropped the ball with this CD . . . no indication of what chorus is singing the last two tracks.

I think so on the Concerto. I especially like that piece... Piston and Schuman both had nice Indian Summers.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Re-thinking

I had the chamber music on Naxos, but got rid of it - too dry and yes, "academic."

This thread though inspired me to dig it out (I hadn't got rid of it after all!) and give it another go. I like it better now - the two quintets are the standouts - but I still have trouble with the gloomy later works. Maybe they'll click someday. Piston's finales remind me of Martinu's, which is a good thing.

I don't find MTT's performance of the second symphony to be nearly as good as Schwarz's.

I seem to be one of the few people who agrees with you on this.

[Karl Henning]

Well, I should listen to Schwarz's performance of the Second soon . . . .

[TheGSMoeller]

Well, I should listen to Schwarz's performance of the Second soon . . . .

..er than later. 

I'm glad Piston has been getting some well deserved attention. Been enjoying re-visiting these pieces, especially Flutist. Will more than likely get the full ballet SomeGuy mentioned.

Only symphonies I have, or have even heard are 2,4 and 6. Anyone know of the others were recorded?

[some guy]

I have a Louisville First Edition Series with 5, 7, and 8.

I don't recall ever seeing 1 or 3.

Your mileage may vary in regards to the ballet. All I know is that that would be one of my desert island discs. I mean, assuming that the island had electricity. And that I had a player with me, too, when deserted.

[Daverz]

I don't recall ever seeing 1 or 3.

The Louisville recording of 1 was re-issued by Albany.

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There's also good modern recording of 3 on Albany. 

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You can download a transfer of the old Howard Hanson recording from Naxos.  Decent transfer, but I thought they could have found a better copy of the record.

[Karl Henning]

To-day: the String Sextet.

I mean it!

[Karl Henning]

I told you I would, and I did!

What a great piece!

[snyprrr]

I told you I would, and I did!

What a great piece!

YES! Both the later pieces are wonderfully knotty. Leslie Bassett has a Sextet that has a similarly darkish mood. As far as 'serialism light' goes, Piston really invests it with

nevermind, haha,... glad to hear you popped that one!

[Karl Henning]

Yes, tremendously gutsy piece. But I observe that he ends the Sextet with a major triad ; )

[vandermolen]

What a wonderful work Symphony No. 2 is. One of the great American symphonies I think.
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[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

What a wonderful work Symphony No. 2 is. One of the great American symphonies I think.

Agreed, wonderful work. I heard Slatkin/CSO do it a few years ago.

[vandermolen]

Agreed, wonderful work. I heard Slatkin/CSO do it a few years ago.

Must have been great to hear live.

[Mirror Image]

What a wonderful work Symphony No. 2 is. One of the great American symphonies I think.
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Piston's 2nd is a fine work indeed, Jeffrey. Cheers!

[Rons_talking]

The thread has inspired a Pistonethon.  The Viola Concerto, the Symphonies 5, 7 & 8; and the String Quartet No. 5.  Maybe I'm easy to please, but I enjoy all the symphonies.  These Whitney/Louisville Orchestra recordings are quite good.

I agree that the Viola Concerto and 7th and 8th Symphonies are first rate works. I've been streaming Piston all day; the works that grabbed me were the 3rd and 7th Symphonies as well as the New England Sketches and Viola Concerto. The way his music always sounds somewhat tonal yet chromatic, not to be dissonant, rather, to accentuate line and melodic jumps, is impressive. The slow movements are so expressive--his strength IMO.