The Copland Corral

Started by karlhenning, April 10, 2007, 05:12:59 AM

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#280
I have to say upon listening to Bernstein's performance of Symphony No. 3 on DG, I have to concur with Jeffrey (Vandermolen) that this is the best recorded performance of this symphony I've heard. Far surpassing Bernstein's first go-around on Columbia (Sony). Slatkin's on RCA with the St. Louis SO is also quite good. I'd love to hear an Andrew Litton performance with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra as his performances of Billy the Kid, An Outdoor Overture, and Rodeo on BIS were top-notch. It would be nice to hear Tilson Thomas conduct this work as well with the San Francisco SO, especially on their house label.

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#281
I've got to say that hearing Copland conduct his own music on all of these classic Columbia recordings has been just outstanding. I'll also say he was quite a good conductor in his own right.

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#282
Copland Classics -

Billy the Kid (1938)



It was ballet impresario Lincoln Kirstein who had the inspiration to bring together composer Aaron Copland and choreographer Eugene Loring to create a work based on the legend of Billy the Kid. Kirstein was particularly drawn to Walter Noble Burns' 1925 best-seller The Saga of Billy the Kid, a mix of lore, fantasy, and historical research. As related by Burns, Billy, a gambler, cattle rustler, and vigilante frontiersman, made his claim to fame in having killed a man for each of his 21 years. Loring devised a scenario which calls for four principals, along with "pioneers, men, women, Mexicans, and Indians." Much of the ballet's action, form, and mood reflects Burns' Saga, particularly the grotesque celebration which follows a central shoot-out scene.

Copland, having already composed works evocative of the American west and Mexico like El Salon Mexico (1933-1936) and Saga of the Prairies (1937), was well prepared for this "cowboy ballet." The composer provided period flavor by incorporating six cowboy tunes into the score: "Great Granddad," "Git Along Little Dogie," "The Old Chisholm Trail," "Goodbye, Old Paint," "The Dying Cowboy," and "Trouble for the Range Cook."

Copland's score provides a vivid sonic depiction of prairie life. An opening processional is distinguished by Copland's trademark widely spaced "open" harmonies in the woodwinds, followed by a bass figure centered on a syncopated two-note motive. This plodding bass moves dramatically from pianissimo to a triple-forte climax, suggesting the laborious trudging of the settlers. The music of the processional brings the ballet full circle with its reappearance as the coda. "Street in a Frontier Town" moves from pastoral innocence to mechanistic violence, incorporating several cowboy tunes along the way. The rest of Billy's story moves unfolds in short vignettes, including "Card Game at Night" (also known as "Prairie Night"), which draws upon the familiar image of the lone cowboy, including snatches of "The Dying Cowboy." "Gun Battle" is dominated by violent percussion, the sounds of gunfire represented by snare and bass drums. In "Celebration After Billy's Capture" Copland neatly transforms the trudging bass of the opening processional into a dissonant "oompah" figure that underpins a crude bitonal melody, while a waltz section transforms "Trouble for the Range Cook" into an ironic ditty with solos in the trombone and bassoon. "Billy's Death" is a solemn epilogue for strings, harp, and winds.

Billy the Kid was first performed by the Ballet Caravan in Chicago in a two-piano version on October 6, 1938. The familiar version for full orchestra was premiered in New York on May 24, 1939, to critical and popular raves. In 1940 Copland extracted a concert suite from the ballet, the form in which the music is today most frequently heard.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

Here's an enjoyable video on Billy the Kid that breaks down the work and it's inspiration:

https://www.youtube.com/v/OrWdp6MjdT8

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What can I say? I LOVE Billy the Kid. It's one of my favorite pieces of music ever. One of the reasons I love it so much may have to do with sentimental reasons as I remember hearing an arrangement of this work on the Bill Frisell album Have A Little Faith where he actually rearranges several American classical works like Ives' The "St. Gaudens" in Boston Common from his Three Places in New England for example. Anyway, it was upon this initial listen that Copland's sound-world hit my eardrums. I was enthralled from beginning to end. Several years later, I actually heard the piece properly through Leonard Bernstein's performance, but this time I was just blown away. This is what I was supposed to be listening to all along not some jazz guitarist's arrangement! ;) But, I suppose you have to start somewhere, right? Bernstein's, Copland's, and Tilson Thomas' remain my go-to performances of this ballet, but Litton has a great one on BIS that's worth hearing. What do you guys think of this work and do you have any favorite performances or memories of the first-time you heard it?

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Where are my fellow Coplandites? We need to keeping this thread going!

Ken B

I listened to some of his choral music recently.

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Quote from: Ken B on August 03, 2016, 02:53:34 PM
I listened to some of his choral music recently.

Like the choral version of Old American Songs and the Motets? I've heard Old American Songs for baritone and orchestra, but I haven't heard the choral version. The only recording I know of this version is MTT's on Sony. Anyway, what did you think? Upon finishing the Old American Songs the other night, I thought they were merely 'okay.' Nothing too special. 8 Poems of Emily Dickinson (arr. from 12 Poems of Emily Dickinson), however, was much more compelling and to my own taste.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 01, 2016, 06:46:07 PM
I have to say upon listening to Bernstein's performance of Symphony No. 3 on DG, I have to concur with Jeffrey (Vandermolen) that this is the best recorded performance of this symphony I've heard. Far surpassing Bernstein's first go-around on Columbia (Sony). Slatkin's on RCA with the St. Louis SO is also quite good. I'd love to hear an Andrew Litton performance with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra as his performances of Billy the Kid, An Outdoor Overture, and Rodeo on BIS were top-notch. It would be nice to hear Tilson Thomas conduct this work as well with the San Francisco SO, especially on their house label.
I don't think that the Bernstein Sony recording was nearly as good as Copland's own first recording on Everest. Interesting that Copland recorded so much with British orchestras. I saw him conduct at the Proms once - a not-very-good performance of Roy Harris's Third Symphony. Paradoxically Bernstein on Sony is supreme in that fine work.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on August 04, 2016, 09:40:12 AM
I don't think that the Bernstein Sony recording was nearly as good as Copland's own first recording on Everest. Interesting that Copland recorded so much with British orchestras. I saw him conduct at the Proms once - a not-very-good performance of Roy Harris's Third Symphony. Paradoxically Bernstein on Sony is supreme in that fine work.

Please note that I'm talking about Bernstein's recording of the 3rd on DG, which gets my vote for the best I've heard so far.

Mirror Image

By the way, Jeffrey, I agree with you about Symphonic Ode. What a piece. Totally awesome.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 04, 2016, 12:24:51 PM
Please note that I'm talking about Bernstein's recording of the 3rd on DG, which gets my vote for the best I've heard so far.
Hi John - yes, I realised that - it is a truly great and very moving performance. I like the Slatkin too and was lucky enough to see him perform the work live at the London Proms some years ago.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 04, 2016, 12:51:12 PM
By the way, Jeffrey, I agree with you about Symphonic Ode. What a piece. Totally awesome.
It is one of my favourites - a great craggy, monolithic score.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on August 04, 2016, 01:00:41 PM
It is one of my favourites - a great craggy, monolithic score.

It certainly is, but it also contains some gorgeous lyrical sections.

Quote from: vandermolen on August 04, 2016, 12:59:54 PMHi John - yes, I realised that - it is a truly great and very moving performance. I like the Slatkin too and was lucky enough to see him perform the work live at the London Proms some years ago.

Wow, I bet that was a great performance. Slatkin must be counted as one of America's great conductors. His willingness to perform and affection for music of his homeland and how he brings those qualities to European audiences is enough to commend him here, but, unfortunately, the US is too busy putting the latest pop star up on a pedestal and gearing up for a nasty election. Oh happy days are here again. ;D


vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 04, 2016, 01:16:48 PM
It certainly is, but it also contains some gorgeous lyrical sections.

Wow, I bet that was a great performance. Slatkin must be counted as one of America's great conductors. His willingness to perform and affection for music of his homeland and how he brings those qualities to European audiences is enough to commend him here, but, unfortunately, the US is too busy putting the latest pop star up on a pedestal and gearing up for a nasty election. Oh happy days are here again. ;D
It certainly was a great performance John and his RCA recording is very fine too. I also like his recording of Bernstein's 'Jeremiah' Symphony on Chandos.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on August 04, 2016, 01:54:20 PM
It certainly was a great performance John and his RCA recording is very fine too. I also like his recording of Bernstein's 'Jeremiah' Symphony on Chandos.

Slatkin's got three great RCA recordings of Copland and, yep, they're very fine. I have his Jeremiah somewhere.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 04, 2016, 02:04:21 PM
Slatkin's got three great RCA recordings of Copland and, yep, they're very fine. I have his Jeremiah somewhere.
Is one of those the film (movie) music? I love that disc.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on August 04, 2016, 02:34:02 PM
Is one of those the film (movie) music? I love that disc.

Yep, Music for Films. A great disc indeed. I especially love the seldom heard Prairie Journal, which never gets mentioned even amongst Copland fans.

Mirror Image

Cross-posted from the 'Purchases' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 05, 2016, 11:41:47 AM
Just bought:



I remember hearing Gould's Billy the Kid years ago (on LP I believe) and I remember being completely knocked out by the realism of the audio quality and just the brilliance of Gould's interpretation. I never heard a Billy the Kid that has affected me in the same way as Gould's. Okay, so Gould doesn't have the New York Philharmonic or Cleveland Orchestra as his disposal. So what! The playing is never less than committed and this performance has guts.

Does anyone feel the same I do about Gould's performances of Billy the Kid and Rodeo? It seems there something magical in these performances. I can't quite put my finger on it, but he managed to catch the energy and rawness of these ballets better than most IMHO.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 05, 2016, 11:57:20 AM
Cross-posted from the 'Purchases' thread -

Does anyone feel the same I do about Gould's performances of Billy the Kid and Rodeo? It seems there something magical in these performances. I can't quite put my finger on it, but he managed to catch the energy and rawness of these ballets better than most IMHO.
I don't have that CD but I just bought the Morton Gould Chicago SO boxed set which is great. My first Vaughan Williams LP c.1971/72 was Morton Gould and His Orchestra conducting the Tallis Fantasia and English Folksong Suite. I have never seen it on CD.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on August 05, 2016, 12:30:07 PM
I don't have that CD but I just bought the Morton Gould Chicago SO boxed set which is great. My first Vaughan Williams LP c.1971/72 was Morton Gould and His Orchestra conducting the Tallis Fantasia and English Folksong Suite. I have never seen it on CD.

Very nice, Jeffrey. Gould was an excellent conductor. You may have to add this Copland recording to your collection. It's THAT good. 8)

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 05, 2016, 01:47:31 PM
Very nice, Jeffrey. Gould was an excellent conductor. You may have to add this Copland recording to your collection. It's THAT good. 8)
Yes, I can see that John! I like your Copland quote too.
:)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).