Naxos American Classics

[vandermolen]

Really? 

One has to be spontaneous sometimes 

[Leo K.]

I continue to listen to Stephen Albert's music from this release:



The Voice of the Composer: New Music from Bowling Green, Vol. 2:

Emily Freeman Brown (Conductor), Bowling Green Philharmonia (Orchestra)


Yesterday I heard his Clarinet Concerto (named "Wind Canticle" from 1992) for the first time...if I'm not mistaken this was his second to last work.

The whole work runs about 13 or so minutes.  The solo clarinet enters after a whisper from the orchestra and throughout the rest of the work an intimate and determined diaglogue ensues between these two forces...I listened to the work numerous times thoughout the day and I'm slowly starting to hear the main thematic material and how it's permutations influence the overall form.  I was told this work uses a modified sonata form structure (ie. the exposition, development, and Recapitulation) as the roadmap for the constantly developing melodic material.  I won't be able to hear this structure until I can hear the main musical themes with more clarity which will take more listens without using a score.  The orchestration is percise and stunning in it's evocation of shifting time and intimate drama.  A stunning work.

[Leo K.]

Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Ilkka Talvi, violin
Seattle Symphony

Stephen Albert (1941-1992)
Violin Concerto (In Concordiam) (1986)


I just heard Albert's Violin Concerto recently and I was very taken with the sound and the way he incorporates melody into the various sections.  Like his Wind Canticle this is another extended sonata form structure, this time lasting about 18 minutes.

More thoughts will come as I listen more...

[vandermolen]

Anyone heard of Robert Kurka (1921-1957), whose Second Symphony I would rate very highly? Sadly he died of Leukaemia very young. I suspect that, had he lived on, Kurka would have been as well-known as Copland, Barber, Harris etc. The three movement Second Symphony (premiered posthumously in 1958) is a very powerful work - not unlike an American Prokofiev, it has been suggested but also a work of considerable originality. There are two recordings (not Naxos by the way). The triumphant/defiant finale I find very moving in the circumstances.

http://www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=2&composerId_2872=870

[listener]

KURKA
     I did enjoy his opera setting of Hašek's  The Good Soldier Schweik    available on Cedille

[vandermolen]

KURKA
     I did enjoy his opera setting of Hašek's  The Good Soldier Schweik    available on Cedille

Thanks - must look out for it.

[vandermolen]

Any information on or admirers of the American composer Thomas Jefferson Scott (1912-1961)? There is a Cala CD of Stokowski's premiere recording of Vaughan Williams's 6th Symphony which also includes a piece called 'From the Sacred Harp'. It is a rather beautiful and moving folk-song inspired work of seven minutes. This is from a 'V-Disc', apparently issued to American servicemen during and after World War Two and features a short introductory speech by the composer; 'Hi fellas, this is Tom Scott...' who was also apparently a singer. He evidently wrote a symphony which I would be very interested to hear. Certainly, I really enjoy 'From the Sacred Harp' and am now listening to it for the third time in a row. There is no separate American composers thread which is why I have put it here despite the CD not being a Naxos disc:
[asin]B000222YGO[/asin]

[vandermolen]

Any information on or admirers of the American composer Thomas Jefferson Scott (1912-1961)? There is a Cala CD of Stokowski's premiere recording of Vaughan Williams's 6th Symphony which also includes a piece called 'From the Sacred Harp'. It is a rather beautiful and moving folk-song inspired work of seven minutes. This is from a 'V-Disc', apparently issued to American servicemen during and after World War Two and features a short introductory speech by the composer; 'Hi fellas, this is Tom Scott...' who was also apparently a singer. He evidently wrote a symphony which I would be very interested to hear. Certainly, I really enjoy 'From the Sacred Harp' and am now listening to it for the third time in a row. There is no separate American composers thread which is why I have put it here despite the CD not being a Naxos disc:
[asin]B000222YGO[/asin]

I'll take that for a no then 

But if you get the chance do listed to 'From the Sacred Heart' by Tom Scott.

[Cato]

Listed on Wikipedia under "Tom Scott" born in 1912:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Scott_%28composer%29

[Mirror Image]

I really wish Naxos would get back to recording mid-20th American composers. Some new recordings of Randall Thompson's symphonies would be nice.

[Cato]

I really wish Naxos would get back to recording mid-20th American composers. Some new recordings of Randall Thompson's symphonies would be nice.

True!  Roger Sessions also! 

How about 21st century composers like "our" esteemed Karl Henning?

[Mirror Image]

True!  Roger Sessions also! 

How about 21st century composers like "our" esteemed Karl Henning?

It's sad to say that Naxos isn't too kind (from what I hear) more unknown American composers like Karl for example. I had a friend named Justin Taylor, who is Canadian, and had an absolute horrible time dealing with them. You pretty much have to pay for everything and Naxos will just handle the distribution.

[Ken B]

I really wish Naxos would get back to recording mid-20th American composers. Some new recordings of Randall Thompson's symphonies would be nice.

Yes indeed.

[betterthanfine]

It's sad to say that Naxos isn't too kind (from what I hear) more unknown American composers like Karl for example. I had a friend named Justin Taylor, who is Canadian, and had an absolute horrible time dealing with them. You pretty much have to pay for everything and Naxos will just handle the distribution.

This is true. But also understandable. How else would they keep the price of their releases so ridiculously low?

This way of working is fairly standard practice at record companies these days. I worked for Challenge Classics for a good while, and we would often have releases of recordings that the artists brought in wrapped up and ready. Then we would take care of the artwork, distribition, and promotion. It's just too much of a risk to fund the recording of an unknown artist nowadays. In most cases, you hardly break even.

[Christo]

I really wish Naxos would get back to recording mid-20th American composers. Some new recordings of Randall Thompson's symphonies would be nice.

+1

[vandermolen]

Thanks so much for the replies! 

[Ken B]

This is true. But also understandable. How else would they keep the price of their releases so ridiculously low?

This way of working is fairly standard practice at record companies these days. I worked for Challenge Classics for a good while, and we would often have releases of recordings that the artists brought in wrapped up and ready. Then we would take care of the artwork, distribition, and promotion. It's just too much of a risk to fund the recording of an unknown artist nowadays. In most cases, you hardly break even.

Right. John is looking at it backwards. Naxos is offering a service: they will help package, distribute, and market your recording. That would have been nearly impossible in the days of vinyl. It is easier now.
An anology is Amazon self publishing. They shouldn't be thought of as a publisher, but as offering a service to those who want to publish a niche product.

[Karl Henning]

Right. John is looking at it backwards. Naxos is offering a service: they will help package, distribute, and market your recording. That would have been nearly impossible in the days of vinyl. It is easier now.
An anology is Amazon self publishing. They shouldn't be thought of as a publisher, but as offering a service to those who want to publish a niche product.

Yes.  In theory, Henningmusick via Naxos is a possibility.

[Karl Henning]

Another warm review of the Jack Gallagher Symphony № 2.

"If you're brought up in Long Island, Ohio is kind of the Wild West," Gallagher quips.

[foxandpeng]

Anyone heard of Steven Gerber (b 1948) here?

I've just listened to his Symphony No 1 (Chandos) which I impulse bought a while back.  It is very good - a dark, tonal and lyrical score with echoes of Irish composer John Kinsella.  This CD has been a nice discovery for me.

A very belated 'Yes' from me. Only 14 years late, mind. I made a playlist of his music on Spotify a couple of years ago and never went back to it. Seeing it referred to today in the WAYLT thread made me put it on. I know it is still my first spin, but how good is this? I've never been great at describing what I am listening to, but I know I want to hear more of it.