Naxos American Classics

[vandermolen]

Naxos will-presumably-be coupling Schuman's 6th and 8th in performances by Gerard Schwarz. That will be a coupling which will really test both orchestra and conductor! These two symphonies are positive powerhouses which require the greatest possible orchestral virtuosity to pull off successfully. Ormandy and the Philadelphia did a fantastic job with the 6th in a performance dating back now to 1953(reissued by Albany Records on CD in 1997) and Bernstein had the New York Philharmonic for his incandescent recording of the 8th from 1962(reissued on CD by Sony in its Bernstein Century series). But these were conductors of genius with the most superb American orchestras. Schuman's music requires such consummate musicianship and orchestral virtuosity to make the maximum impact. It is sad to have to recognise that at the present time it is almost completely inconceivable that orchestras like those would record music like this!

(Incidentally, there is another recording of Schumann's 6th on the Koch label with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hugh Keelan, coupled with Roy Harris's 7th. That is a worthy performance with the New Zealanders to be applauded for their enterprise
but however hard they try they cannot match the sheer power of a major world-class orchestra.)

David Diamond's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th symphonies(Seattle Symphony/Schwarz) have all been transferred from Delos to Naxos and are all very fine works indeed. I managed to find his 5th symphony in a performance by the Juilliard Orchestra(Christopher Keene) on New World Records coupled with Vincent Persichetti's Night Dances and Milton Babbitt's Relata I. As I think I have remarked before here,
Delos also issued the Adagio from Diamond's 11th Symphony on a CD containing other works by the same composer. I thought at the time and still think that this was an unimagineable disgrace! Why on earth one would issue-in this day and age-a single movement from a modern symphony I find impossible to understand

Agree too about Antheil's 4th. CPO issued Antheil's 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under Hugh Wolff but not the 2nd. They may not have got round to that symphony before Wolff left Frankfurt but I hope they can find someone else to record it.

Naxos have also reissued the Delos recordings of Piston's 2nd, 4th and 6th symphonies. I wonder if they plan to record the other five?

There are plenty of great American compositions still awaiting recording in the American Classics series and I am sorry that some of these have not preceded some of the lesser music that has been included in that series to date.

Oh...N.B.....just announced for issue next month-Virgil Thomson's Cello Concerto, William Perry's Jamestown Concerto(for cello) and Schuman's Song of Orpheus for cello and orchestra. Excellent!

Yes, I too have both versions of Schuman's 6th Symphony (are you surprised? ). The one on Koch with the New Zealenders is very worthy but the Ormandy version is much more compelling. Whilst I am a great fan of Diamond (at least symphonies 1-4 + Romeo and Juliet, Psalm and Kaddish), I couldn't get to grips with those by Ned Rorem.

[Dundonnell]

There is something of a vogue for Ned Rorem at the present time. Certainly Naxos has done him proud with four CD releases in the American Classics series(the three symphonies, Piano Concerto No.2, Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, Flute Concerto and Double Concerto for Violin and Cello). Three of these CDs are conducted by Jose Serebrier, who obviously admires Rorem's music.
Now that is pretty generous. Rorem is an attractive composer whose music is undoubtedly pleasant on the ear but I don't rate him anywhere near as highly as Harris, Piston, Schuman, Diamond etc.

No doubt others will disagree!

(There is a vogue in Great Britain just now for the music of York Bowen which completely bemuses me. Sub-Rachmaninov medioctrity!
There that's harsh!)

[mn dave]

I just purchased a Rorem CD last night. 

[Dundonnell]

I just purchased a Rorem CD last night. 

You don't say which one but I am sure that you will enjoy it

[mn dave]

You don't say which one but I am sure that you will enjoy it

It's the Three Symphonies disc on Naxos. I also read last night, after my purchase, that his best works are his songs. Nevertheless, I'm sure I will enjoy it!

[vandermolen]

There is something of a vogue for Ned Rorem at the present time. Certainly Naxos has done him proud with four CD releases in the American Classics series(the three symphonies, Piano Concerto No.2, Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, Flute Concerto and Double Concerto for Violin and Cello). Three of these CDs are conducted by Jose Serebrier, who obviously admires Rorem's music.
Now that is pretty generous. Rorem is an attractive composer whose music is undoubtedly pleasant on the ear but I don't rate him anywhere near as highly as Harris, Piston, Schuman, Diamond etc.

No doubt others will disagree!

(There is a vogue in Great Britain just now for the music of York Bowen which completely bemuses me. Sub-Rachmaninov medioctrity!
There that's harsh!)

Yes, my Bowen purchases were great disappointments. I must try again with Rorem. I  received a very charming letter from David Diamond years ago; another recipient of an unsolicited fan letter from me!

[karlhenning]

Très cool, Jeffrey!

[vandermolen]

Très cool, Jeffrey!

Thanks Karl, although you may well be the first person to use that expression ("cool") in relation to me, apart from occasional sarcastic use by one of my students 

[Hector]

That is a mighty fine disc!

Indeed, and he writes toons!

[Dundonnell]

Thanks Karl, although you may well be the first person to use that expression ("cool") in relation to me, apart from occasional sarcastic use by one of my students 

Oh, what do they know, Jeffrey! A generation which has turned words like "wicked" and-now-"fierce" into terms of approbation cannot be relied to demonstrate discriminatory good taste

[vandermolen]

Oh, what do they know, Jeffrey! A generation which has turned words like "wicked" and-now-"fierce" into terms of approbation cannot be relied to demonstrate discriminatory good taste

Whatever, yes, it's pants, I agree Colin! 

[karlhenning]

Oh, what do they know, Jeffrey! A generation which has turned words like "wicked" and-now-"fierce" into terms of approbation . . . .

That's long-standing tradition in Boston, where wicked is even used as an adverb ("a wicked good time") 

[Dundonnell]

That's long-standing tradition in Boston, where wicked is even used as an adverb ("a wicked good time") 

Oh dear! I am really getting old

[pjme]

Welcome to the club. 

Make sure that your eyes, ears, prostate and heart, lungs.... are checked every year!!

I'd love to see more C.M.Loeffler on (Naxos) disc !! Both Pagan poem and the 5 Irish fantasies could do with a new recording.
I have an old LP with Howard hanson conducting Loeffler's symphonic poems - lovely & lush music. don't know if it was t'ransfered to CD.



Peter

[pjme]

I found this beautiful drawing of Loeffler by John Singer Sargent.
An elegant man.....

Peter

[Dundonnell]

Welcome to the club. 

Make sure that your eyes, ears, prostate and heart, lungs.... are checked every year!!

I'd love to see more C.M.Loeffler on (Naxos) disc !! Both Pagan poem and the 5 Irish fantasies could do with a new recording.
I have an old LP with Howard hanson conducting Loeffler's symphonic poems - lovely & lush music. don't know if it was t'ransfered to CD.



Peter

Oh, please...stop!! I am still waiting for the wonderful National Health Service to deal with my double hernia. Don't mention other parts of the body

And...I have just gone off and ordered a New World CD of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra doing Loeffler's Symphonic Poem "La Mort de Tintagiles" and Five Irish Fantasies because of you!! Still, only £6.48. One dealer is looking for £115 for the Pagan Poem

[M forever]

I found this beautiful drawing of Loeffler by John Singer Sargent.
An elegant man.....

He looks like Lenin!

[Brian]

Wm Grant Still, Afro-American Symphony



Eventually, this piece will appear in the Horowitz book, Dave. It really is worth a listen.

Just stopping by to say, for a really jazzy take on the Still, get the Cedille recording (Chicago Sinfonietta, conducted by Paul Freeman). What a terrific symphony! Would be a big hit in Americana pops concerts 

[Christo]

Oh, what do they know, Jeffrey! A generation which has turned words like "wicked" and-now-"fierce" into terms of approbation cannot be relied to demonstrate discriminatory good taste

Good to learn! The same phenomenon can be observed in other languages, like German and e.g. Dutch – my students using terms like "wreed" (cruel) and "sluw" (wicked) in a similar fashion.

Still's Afro-American Symphony is one of my personal favourites too. It should be as popular as the Rhapsody in Blue or An American in Pari.  I learnt to know it from the Chandos recording by Neeme Järvi, who also recorded Still's Second (`Song of a New Race'), which isn't really as exciting as this First.



Other favourites in the American Classics series include all Barber CDs and the still incomplete series with David Diamond. Indeed, thanks to Jeffrey, I only discovered Diamond's symphonies late in my life, via this series, and he's now among my favourite Americans too. I agree with Colin and Peter that we're eagerly waiting for more Harris and Piston, instead of so many lesser composers. The three Rorem symphonies are a quite fierce/wicked/cruel however - no complaints about them. 

[Dundonnell]

I fully appreciate that a language must evolve over time and that evolution is the outcome of changes in popular usage but it does seem strange that there are words in several languages-as Christo has indicated-which are being used in a diametrically opposite sense to their generally accepted meaning.

Is this the result of an increasing moral ambivalence in so-called advanced societies?

(Just a thought )