Naxos American Classics

[pjme]

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

I find that an extremely fine disc. Very " fin de siècle" - refined but not weak . The Fantasies ( The hosting of the sidhe/The host of the air/The fiddler of Dooney/Ballad of the foxhunter/The song of Caitilin ni Uallachain) form a beautiful cycle, now very impressionistic and subdued, then light and fast (The fiddler)The foxhunter is my favorite - really touching . Caitilin ( How tossed, how lost...) is a pathetic prayer, but Loeffler gives it a brillant treatment and the song ends in a blaze of bells & brass.
Tintagiles - with solo viola d'amore- is a somber and passionate symphonic poem based on Maeterlinck's quite gruesome story.

Pagan poem should be available in Stokowski's version on EMI - I suppose ( MATRIX series /4). Manuel Rosenthal recorded it (mono / Rarissimes) aswell.
Check Arkiv.

Enjoy.
Peter

[eyeresist]

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

No, that's still an adjective. 

[karlhenning]

Pardon, but in that phrase "wicked" is an adverb modifying the adjective "good";  it answers the question "How?"

How good? Wicked good.

[Szykneij]

Oh dear! I am really getting old

[Christo]

(Just a thought ) 

Thanks for sharing it anyhow! In the rather wicked society I happen to live in, it's not specifically the younger generation that's showing `moral ambivalence', so, no, I won't blame them. 

All seems to be part of a broader postmodern phenomenon: in the 1980s I already noticed new types of jokes and humour, also based on this mixing up of categories. The present digital world with its side-effect of virtualization of the actual world, seems to have been preceeded (historically) by a cultural tendency to `virtualize' language, meaning, a.s.o. But, no more than just a thought!    0:)

[Dundonnell]

Thanks for sharing it anyhow! In the rather wicked society I happen to live in, it's not specifically the younger generation that's showing `moral ambivalence', so, no, I won't blame them. 

All seems to be part of a broader postmodern phenomenon: in the 1980s I already noticed new types of jokes and humour, also based on this mixing up of categories. The present digital world with its side-effect of virtualization of the actual world, seems to have been preceeded (historically) by a cultural tendency to `virtualize' language, meaning, a.s.o. But, no more than just a thought!    0:)

That was something I talked about in the speech at my retirement dinner. I said quite a bit about the philosophical theories of Jean Baudrillard in that speech. I am sure that the audience found it really fascinating

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

That was something I talked about in the speech at my retirement dinner. I said quite a bit about the philosophical theories of Jean Baudrillard in that speech. I am sure that the audience found it really fascinating

I hope they didn't simulate interest, Colin...

[Dundonnell]

I hope they didn't simulate interest, Colin...

[karlhenning]

Oh, I've had to sit in on seminars where I've needed to simulate interest . . . .

[Christo]

Oh, I've had to sit in on seminars where I've needed to simulate interest . . . .

Better than giving a seminar, faking enthusiasm for the obligatory subject, for an audience doing the same - a position I sometimes find myself in. (Bud hardly postmodern) 0:)

BTT, my absolute favourite in the series:
                                                       

[vandermolen]

I buy almost all the cd's in this series, and the latest that I played, was the one below.
Flagello's work, as well as Rosner's are of extra ordinary quality, and I love this music very much. The element of two symphonic
Masses, so Orchestral works, without the chorus, was very appealing to me, and I was proven right.

This is a great CD! (Flagello's Missa Sinfonica and Rosner's Symphony No 5) Many thanks for the recommendation Harry 

Flagello's Missa Sinfonica (1957) is quite beautiful. In parts it reminded me of the contemporaneous Ninth Symphony of Vaughan Williams.

Jeffrey

[Dundonnell]

This is a great CD! (Flagello's Missa Sinfonica and Rosner's Symphony No 5) Many thanks for the recommendation Harry 

Flagello's Missa Sinfonica (1957) is quite beautiful. In parts it reminded me of the contemporaneous Ninth Symphony of Vaughan Williams.

Jeffrey

Did you miss my post about Rosner, Jeffrey? If so, here is the link-

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,5743.0.html

If not, I apologise for bringing it up again

[vandermolen]

Did you miss my post about Rosner, Jeffrey? If so, here is the link-

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,5743.0.html

If not, I apologise for bringing it up again

I totally missed the thread Colin. But not any more 

Actually the American work which sounds more close to VW to me is the (excellent) Three New England Sketches by Walter Piston (on Naxos with Piston's 4th Symphony). The opening of the last movement 'Mountains' is very similar to the opening of VW's 9th Symphony. Both works are from 1958.

[johnQpublic]

and Rorem's three symphonies, which sound a bit like Copland crossed with Hindemith:

NO!! Rorem's #1 is a worthless piece. I was driving long distance and turned on my radio & found myself hearing from what was (in hind sight) the middle of the work to its end. I prayed that I would hear the announcer tell me what that meandering mess was so I could avoid it. My prayer was answered.

[Grazioso]

NO!! Rorem's #1 is a worthless piece. I was driving long distance and turned on my radio & found myself hearing from what was (in hind sight) the middle of the work to its end. I prayed that I would hear the announcer tell me what that meandering mess was so I could avoid it. My prayer was answered.

Let's just say you're in the critical minority I'd advise interested listeners to audition the samples on Naxos.com.

[vandermolen]

I can enthusiastically recommend at least two: Joan Tower's Made in America, and Huang Ruo's Chamber Concerto cycle.  The former has three substantial Tower works, beautifully played by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra with Leonard Slatkin, and the latter is the first release by the up-and-coming International Contemporary Ensemble (a.k.a., ICE), with works by one of the most interesting young composers on the scene.  But given the size of the list (here), I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.

--Bruce

Have just received Joan Towers's 'Made in America' and have greatly enjoyed it; so thank you Bruce. I liked all the pieces on the CD but especially 'Made in America' which is great fun. I have made two excellent discoveries through this thread, the Flagello/Rosner CD and the Tower one. Both fortunately on Naxos, so I don't feel so guilty about buying them!

[Christo]

Baudrillard

Ah, Baudrillard ... Again one of those unknown but no doubt great composers I must get to learn!   

[vandermolen]

I buy almost all the cd's in this series, and the latest that I played, was the one below.
Flagello's work, as well as Rosner's are of extra ordinary quality, and I love this music very much. The element of two symphonic
Masses, so Orchestral works, without the chorus, was very appealing to me, and I was proven right.

This was a GREAT recommendation Harry.

Many thanks

Jeffrey

[Hector]

I'm listening to this: http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product/8559320.htm

[vandermolen]

I have four Naxos CDs now featuring the music of George Frederick McKay (1899-1970). There is something I find very endearing about this composer and his style is unique in its way. My latest aquisition is a new release below. A long work of over an hour with a lovely slow movement, like an American Delius. At one point I thought that the third movement was going to develop into the Pines of Rome! However, if you want to explore one disc by this composer I'd recommend the one with the Violin Concerto and Suite on Sixteenth Century Hymn Tunes (1962), which has echoes of Vaughan Williams. Also on this CD is my favourite work by McKay the Song Over The Great Plains; a haunting work which I have played over and over again. McKay's Symphony for Seattle is also worth exploring.