Your Country in a Classical Music Nutshell

[Florestan]

Recommend your country's "classical music" most important heritage and contribution by way of one and only one conductor, orchestra, work and recording.

My choice hands down:

https://www.youtube.com/v/fwxuMDxT9Dw

Your turn.

[fbjim]

This is too hard for the Americans.... but since we had a pretty diverse number of styles among our composers, I went for something explicitly polystylistic...

https://youtu.be/8FNPsnCZQj0

[Florestan]

This is too hard for the Americans.... but since we had a pretty diverse number of styles among our composers, I went for something explicitly polystylistic...

https://youtu.be/8FNPsnCZQj0

Well, what I mean is --- conductor/performer, orchestra, work and recording, all of them from your own country. Hamelin is Canadian, so please try again. 

[fbjim]

Oh, I didn't realize this was limited to orchestral works.

Well, in that case, Bernstein/NYP Ives Symphony No. 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ3CLtzjjuY

I remember the allegations that Ives "touched up" his music later to make it more dissonant from some biography in order to make it sound "more visionary" or something. Whether or not that's true, allowing for some license, it only adds to the Americana of this for me. We love a bit of self-mythology and self-invention in the name of entertainment, after all (and who cares anyway when the end product is as great as this)

[Florestan]

Oh, I didn't realize this was limited to orchestral works.

Oh, not only orchestral really... whatever you want , orchestral, chamber, solo piano, songs --- the only condition is that the composer, the conductor/performers and the orchestra (if applicable) be of the same nation.

[vandermolen]

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (LPO, Boult). The Tallis Fantasia is both ancient and modern and is quintessentially English (or British, as VW was of partly Welsh background). This was Boult's last word on the subject in one of his final recordings I think.

[DavidW]

I'm going to go with Ives' Concord Sonata:

https://youtu.be/ZxQbCSOr3SM

It represents great figures from our past, and fuses original music with quotations from Beethoven.  It can be beautiful, profound, silly, inspiring... and I find it to be totally American.

[Brian]

The Ives Second Symphony from Bernstein is a great choice (Dallas/Litton is also all-American). Here's an alternative: "Harlem," by Duke Ellington, available in performances either by his orchestra (possibly not permitted in the "classical" purview) and by the Buffalo Philharmonic under JoAnn Falletta (definitely classical enough!).

[ritter]

Most of Spanish music that is internationally appreciated has a bias towards the Andalusian (to the detriment of other regions of this diverse country), and the work I chose is no exception —even if it has one movement dedicated to the capital—.

Here it is:



The great, prematurely deceased Rafael Orozco (a native of Córdoba) plays that monument of Spanish music (and of the universal piano repertoire) that is Isaac Albéniz's (a native of Catalonia) Iberia.

I imagine many saw that coming....

(N.B.: the label is French, but I hope that doesn't contravene the thread's rules).

[Karl Henning]

I'm going to go with Ives' Concord Sonata:

https://youtu.be/ZxQbCSOr3SM

It represents great figures from our past, and fuses original music with quotations from Beethoven.  It can be beautiful, profound, silly, inspiring... and I find it to be totally American.

Nice choice!

[Karl Henning]

Most of Spanish music that is internationally appreciated has a bias towards the Andalusian (to the detriment of other regions of this diverse country), and the work I chose is no exception —even if it has one movement dedicated to the capital—.

Here it is:



The great, prematurely deceased Rafael Orozco (a native of Córdoba) plays that monument of Spanish music (and of the universal piano repertoire) that is Isaac Albéniz's (a native of Catalonia) Iberia.

I imagine many saw that coming....

(N.B.: the label is French, but I hope that doesn't contravene the thread's rules).

Sweet!

[Lisztianwagner]

Giuseppe Verdi: Otello (Muti/Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala).

https://www.youtube.com/v/zIVFSW25h1o

Verdi at his highest level of musical evolution: although the traditional closed forms are used as usual, they are less and less recognizable and largely replaced by a continuous flowing, with the musical texture appearing to constantly evolve.

[Karl Henning]

Giuseppe Verdi: Otello (Muti/Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala).

https://www.youtube.com/v/zIVFSW25h1o

Verdi at his highest level of musical evolution: although the traditional closed forms are used as usual, they are less and less recognizable and largely replaced by a continuous flowing, with the musical texture appearing to constantly evolve.

Nice! And even based on a Shakespeare play set in Italy!

[Florestan]

Most of Spanish music that is internationally appreciated has a bias towards the Andalusian (to the detriment of other regions of this diverse country), and the work I chose is no exception —even if it has one movement dedicated to the capital—.

Here it is:



The great, prematurely deceased Rafael Orozco (a native of Córdoba) plays that monument of Spanish music (and of the universal piano repertoire) that is Isaac Albéniz's (a native of Catalonia) Iberia.

I imagine many saw that coming....

I certainly did with respect to Iberia. Only the specific performance was in doubt.

(N.B.: the label is French, but I hope that doesn't contravene the thread's rules).

No, it doesn't. I mean, composer, performer(s) and work only. Labels don't count.

[Florestan]

Giuseppe Verdi: Otello (Muti/Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala).

https://www.youtube.com/v/zIVFSW25h1o

Verdi at his highest level of musical evolution: although the traditional closed forms are used as usual, they are less and less recognizable and largely replaced by a continuous flowing, with the musical texture appearing to constantly evolve.

Great!

[San Antone]

Another one from the US:

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

First choice, the original jazz band version:
Lincoln Mayorga, Al Gallodoro, Harmonie Ensemble / New York and Steven Richman (all Americans)

Or if that is not classical enough, then the one by Bernstein and NYPO

[Karl Henning]

Another one from the US:

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

First choice, the original jazz band version:
Lincoln Mayorga, Al Gallodoro, Harmonie Ensemble / New York and Steven Richman (all Americans)

Or if that is not classical enough, then the one by Bernstein and NYPO

Nice, too!

[Florestan]

Another one from the US:

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

First choice, the original jazz band version:
Lincoln Mayorga, Al Gallodoro, Harmonie Ensemble / New York and Steven Richman (all Americans)

Or if that is not classical enough, then the one by Bernstein and NYPO

Both of them classical enough for me and welcome. 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Another one from the US:

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

First choice, the original jazz band version:
Lincoln Mayorga, Al Gallodoro, Harmonie Ensemble / New York and Steven Richman (all Americans)

Or if that is not classical enough, then the one by Bernstein and NYPO

The both versions are great.

[prémont]

The most Danish music (and recording) I can think of is Carl Nielsen's third symphony recorded by The Danish State Radio Symphony orchestra conducted by John Frandsen recorded 1955.