Naxos American Classics

Started by vers la flamme, April 04, 2020, 03:53:45 PM

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vers la flamme

I really enjoy the "American Classics" series on Naxos. It's pretty much what one would expect, classical music from American composers, but they cover a lot of ground: from Cage, Carter & Feldman, to Copland, Gershwin, & Bernstein, to dozens of lesser known composers. All those I've heard are great.

That being said, I don't have very many of them. In an effort to explore more American music, I was wondering if anyone here wanted to share some of their favorites in the Naxos "American Classics" series.

As for me, I really like the Marin Alsop Bernstein discs that I have: Symphonies 1 & 2, & Chichester Psalms. I also really like Alsop's Samuel Barber symphonies disc. I recently got Cage's Sonatas & Interludes w/ Boris Berman. Looking forward to exploring that.

Anyone been listening to any entries in this series lately?

JBS

I am not sure if they are officially part of the American Classics series, but the Pacifica Quartet recordings of Carter's String Quartets almost rate a "must have".

You seem to have said you only have one CD of Alsop's Barber recordings. If that is so, I urge you to get the rest.

There are Naxos  sets of William Schuman's symphonies and Ned Rorem's works conducted by Jose Serebrier. I am not sure about their availability, but  I would suggest those are worth checking into.

[That said, my chief attraction to Naxos is their issues of living composers. I find it to be a good way of finding out if I like them.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

André

Also, Hovhanness, Diamond, Creston, Piston. The classics  8)

MusicTurner

#3
I've collected a good deal of Schuman, Rochberg, Hovhaness, Wuorinen, Cowell and Carter in particular. Also a few others, such as Crawford-Seeger, Gloria Coates orchestral (skipped the quartets), Schwantner (Distant Runes), Copland, Cage (S&I), etc.

I think I should go for supplementary Piston and Diamond in particular, if I want more.

JBS

Quote from: MusicTurner on April 04, 2020, 05:26:01 PM
I've collected a good deal of Schuman, Rochberg, Hovhaness, Wuorinen, Cowell and Carter in particular. Also a few others, such as Crawford-Seeger, Gloria Coates orchestral (skipped the quartets), Schwantner (Distant Runes), Copland etc.
I think I should go for supplementary Piston and Diamond in particular, if I want more.

Re Coates: yes to her stuff, including her chamber works. Although she's one of the "living composers" I was referring to, that's why I didn't specify her.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

MusicTurner

Quote from: JBS on April 04, 2020, 05:34:17 PM
Re Coates: yes to her stuff, including her chamber works. Although she's one of the "living composers" I was referring to, that's why I didn't specify her.

I understand, but regarding the quartets, I only found one tiny of them not having the 'glissandi-style', as far as I remember ...

JBS

Quote from: MusicTurner on April 04, 2020, 05:36:47 PM
I understand, but regarding the quartets, I only found one tiny of them not having the 'glissandi-style', as far as I remember ...

Glissandi style?

Wait....
:-[
I got myself mixed up. I was thinking of Joan Tower.

Sorry about that.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

MusicTurner

Ok, I haven't really heard the music of Joan Tower, I own a Piano Concerto on another label  though.

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Maestro267

I have quite a few of these discs.

John Corigliano (Symphony No. 1 (c/w Torke, Copland), Circus Maximus, A Dylan Thomas Trilogy)
Michael Daugherty (Metropolis Symphony, Philadelphia Stories, UFO, Fire and Blood, Motor City Triptych)
Leonard Bernstein (Mass, the symphonies, Chichester Psalms)
Samuel Barber (Symphonies, Knoxville, 3 Essays, Toccata Festiva, Cello Concerto)

I also have the original Delos issue of David Diamond's Symphonies 2 & 4 that was later reissued on Naxos. Among others.

Roasted Swan

#11
Quote from: vers la flamme on April 04, 2020, 03:53:45 PM
I really enjoy the "American Classics" series on Naxos. It's pretty much what one would expect, classical music from American composers, but they cover a lot of ground: from Cage, Carter & Feldman, to Copland, Gershwin, & Bernstein, to dozens of lesser known composers. All those I've heard are great.

That being said, I don't have very many of them. In an effort to explore more American music, I was wondering if anyone here wanted to share some of their favorites in the Naxos "American Classics" series.

As for me, I really like the Marin Alsop Bernstein discs that I have: Symphonies 1 & 2, & Chichester Psalms. I also really like Alsop's Samuel Barber symphonies disc. I recently got Cage's Sonatas & Interludes w/ Boris Berman. Looking forward to exploring that.

Anyone been listening to any entries in this series lately?

I happened to listen to this one yesterday;



which is very good.  Not the best best version of the Violin Concerto perhaps but still very good and Souvenirs here - OK its quite a light weight piece - gets a lovely performance.  Also listened to a recent release of the 3 Gould Symphonettes;



Again quite light repertoire - and I love this music - but this performance is really quite disappointing.  Perfectly well played by a good orchestra (they sound terrific on the new recording of Bernstein Mass for instance) but here its a routine play through.  Most of the blame is with conductor Arthur Fagen who just under-characterises everything.  If you listen to any other recorded version of these works the personality jumps out.  Disappointing as Gould deserves being wider known and this is a good/intelligent/unique coupling of some of his most accessible music.

vandermolen

Quote from: André on April 04, 2020, 05:17:56 PM
Also, Hovhanness, Diamond, Creston, Piston. The classics  8)
Agree with all these (Diamond's Third Symphony is a particular favourite). Here are some others that I have enjoyed:
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"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).

vers la flamme

I appreciate all the participation, everyone. I ought to hear more of the Barber series (I also have the Piano Concerto, which I forgot to mention, but it is great!) plus the Carter quartets with the great Pacifica Quartet, recordings which appear to have been sanctioned by the composer.

vandermolen

This is one of my favourite discs of the series. Schuman's 'Symphony No.6' once described as a 'Requiem for the 20th Century' is a darkly impressive work. The other works on the CD are great as well:
"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).

Daverz


Archaic Torso of Apollo

I think my favorites have all been mentioned at least once. If I had to choose a Top 3:

Carter Quartets
Schuman Symphony #6
Rochberg Symphony #1

I could also mention the Piston Syms. 2 & 6, but that's actually a repackaged Delos recording.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

JBS

Quote from: vandermolen on April 05, 2020, 08:04:43 AM
This is one of my favourite discs of the series. Schuman's 'Symphony No.6' once described as a 'Requiem for the 20th Century' is a darkly impressive work. The other works on the CD are great as well:


The full Schuman set can be had rather cheaply
[asin]B003NEQATA[/asin]
It does not include the Violin Concerto

The Rorem is even cheaper
[asin]B0042A86W8[/asin]

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

vers la flamme

What is Schuman's music all about? I'm asking because I've heard a few works of his—In Praise of Shahn & To Thee Old Cause, on a disc conducted by Bernstein, and I couldn't make any sense of them.

Daverz

Quote from: vers la flamme on April 05, 2020, 03:49:18 PM
What is Schuman's music all about? I'm asking because I've heard a few works of his—In Praise of Shahn & To Thee Old Cause, on a disc conducted by Bernstein, and I couldn't make any sense of them.

Symphony No. 3 is his most famous piece.  Try Bernstein/Sony and crank the volume a bit.