Peter Mennin(1923-83)-a Great American Symphonic Composer

[Karl Henning]

Cool!

[cilgwyn]

The Ginastera is going to have to wait! I enjoyed Mennin 4 so much I'm listening to it again!!

Actually, the quiet bits probably sap some of that energy and momentum;but I feel I'm going somewhere with this. It's not wasting my time,put it that way!!
Also,choral American symphonies don't seem to be that thick on the ground;although I expect there are quite a few,I just haven't heard them. Either way,it's allot better than Hanson's Seventh or the Harris Fourth. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.
As to the performance. If only more neglected music was performed with this level of enthusiasm.

Love the ending. Classic Mennin!

And now the Ginastera!!



I'm in danger of repeating myself here!!

The short version: Great cd!!!

[cilgwyn]

Nah! When you put on one of his orchestral symphonies the shortcomings of No 4 are pretty obvious!
I did like it though,and I think it deserves more attention than it gets. Having said that,I think it's one for confirmed Menninites!!!
Great performance and sound quality,though!

[Karl Henning]

"Mennin-ites" do make me think of Ohio, somehow . . . .

[cilgwyn]

I just googled (ixquicked!) 'menninites'!! Menninarians,perhaps? Or what about just 'people who like Mennin's music!'

Or,whatever?!!!

[North Star]

Menningitis

[Karl Henning]

I just googled (ixquicked!) 'menninites'!! Menninarians,perhaps? Or what about just 'people who like Mennin's music!'

Or,whatever?!!!

Hah!  The proper spelling (of the non-musical variety) is Mennonites, of course.

[Karl Henning]

Menningitis

Ouch!

[springrite]

Menningitis

I like this one. It is better than Menninoma and less terminal.

[cilgwyn]

Let alone being struck down with the blood curdling and truly horrifying Dongillisitis Fever!

[Ken B]

"Mennin-ites" do make me think of Ohio, somehow . . . .

Do you find Vernon Duke a bore?

[Karl Henning]

Revisiting the Eighth Symphony after a long break from Mennin.

I found a review of the première which reads like a parody.  Or did Mr Deitch actually feel that "my attention span for this piece was limited" reflected well on himself and poorly on the music?

"Unexciting Première of Mennin's 8^th"

Peter Mennin's Eighth Symphony was given its world première Thursday night by Daniel Barenboim and the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall.  In his notes, Mennin says that "the thrust of the Eighth Symphony has a diversity and contrast of musical ideas and of moods, texture, and instrumental relationships," but there are essentially no new ideas.

Each of the four movements is based on a Biblical text:  "In the Beginning," "Day of Wrath," "Out of the Depths," and "Praise Ye the Lord."  Mennin was able to communicate the mood of these allusions, but this is about the only positive thing that can be said about the symphony.  Despite the interesting dissonances that characterize Mennin's works, some fancy percussion passages, and an unusual feeling of timelessness in a few places, my attention span for this piece was limited.  I found myself, instead, reading Mennin's impressive biography provided in the program (he is president of the Juilliard School) and inhaling the assortment of expensive perfumes around me.  The symphony, by the way, was well-received by the audience, which still baffles me.

(Edward Deitch, from the Columbia Daily Spectator, 25 November 1974)

The symphony, by the way, was well-received by the audience, which still baffles me.  Good on the audience!

[snyprrr]

Revisiting the Eighth Symphony after a long break from Mennin.

I found a review of the première which reads like a parody.  Or did Mr Deitch actually feel that "my attention span for this piece was limited" reflected well on himself and poorly on the music?

The symphony, by the way, was well-received by the audience, which still baffles me.  Good on the audience!

And you? You didn't say how YOU received it this afternoon. Was it that bad?

I mean, we all know that Mennin has THAT reputation. Maybe the audience was drunk? Drunk!

[Karl Henning]

Love this piece, crunchy but never arid, delicate but never sentimental.

[snyprrr]

Love this piece, crunchy but never arid, delicate but never sentimental.

So, you're saying he's the 'Milky Way' bar of the Composing World? nuts... nougat...

[Karl Henning]

If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it?

[Karl Henning]

Riff on, blithe spirit!

[cilgwyn]

A Mennin symphony every day helps you work rest and play!

[kyjo]

Mennin's 5th Symphony has been one of my greatest recent discoveries - a viscerally exciting, powerful, and concise work. The lyrical, modal slow movement serves as great contrast to the outer movements and is occasionally reminiscent of Vaughan Williams. I'm always a sucker for pieces with a great timpani part, and this piece certainly has one - as well as some great writing for the horns. It's available in this excellent recording:

[asin]B0000049RF[/asin]

https://youtu.be/8vyAocmfepk

I also know his 3rd Symphony, which is not quite as inspired as the 5th IMO but is still a very fine work. I'm certainly looking forward to exploring more of Mennin's music.

[Mirror Image]

Mennin's 5th Symphony has been one of my greatest recent discoveries - a viscerally exciting, powerful, and concise work. The lyrical, modal slow movement serves as great contrast to the outer movements and is occasionally reminiscent of Vaughan Williams. I'm always a sucker for pieces with a great timpani part, and this piece certainly has one - as well as some great writing for the horns. It's available in this excellent recording:

[asin]B0000049RF[/asin]

https://youtu.be/8vyAocmfepk

I also know his 3rd Symphony, which is not quite as inspired as the 5th IMO but is still a very fine work. I'm certainly looking forward to exploring more of Mennin's music.

Mennin is one of those American composers from my favorite generation of American composers that I have never got into. I just don't seem to connect with it in the same manner as Copland, Barber, Schuman, Diamond, and Piston. Of course, Schuman and Mennin were 'adversaries' if this is a term I can use to describe their relationship. I'm firmly in the Schuman camp.