I really enjoy the "American Classics" series on Naxos. It's pretty much what one would expect, classical music from American composers, but they cover a lot of ground: from Cage, Carter & Feldman, to Copland, Gershwin, & Bernstein, to dozens of lesser known composers. All those I've heard are great.
That being said, I don't have very many of them. In an effort to explore more American music, I was wondering if anyone here wanted to share some of their favorites in the Naxos "American Classics" series.
As for me, I really like the Marin Alsop Bernstein discs that I have: Symphonies 1 & 2, & Chichester Psalms. I also really like Alsop's Samuel Barber symphonies disc. I recently got Cage's Sonatas & Interludes w/ Boris Berman. Looking forward to exploring that.
Anyone been listening to any entries in this series lately?
I am not sure if they are officially part of the American Classics series, but the Pacifica Quartet recordings of Carter's String Quartets almost rate a "must have".
You seem to have said you only have one CD of Alsop's Barber recordings. If that is so, I urge you to get the rest.
There are Naxos sets of William Schuman's symphonies and Ned Rorem's works conducted by Jose Serebrier. I am not sure about their availability, but I would suggest those are worth checking into.
[That said, my chief attraction to Naxos is their issues of living composers. I find it to be a good way of finding out if I like them.
Also, Hovhanness, Diamond, Creston, Piston. The classics 8)
I've collected a good deal of Schuman, Rochberg, Hovhaness, Wuorinen, Cowell and Carter in particular. Also a few others, such as Crawford-Seeger, Gloria Coates orchestral (skipped the quartets), Schwantner (Distant Runes), Copland, Cage (S&I), etc.
I think I should go for supplementary Piston and Diamond in particular, if I want more.
Quote from: MusicTurner on April 04, 2020, 05:26:01 PM
I've collected a good deal of Schuman, Rochberg, Hovhaness, Wuorinen, Cowell and Carter in particular. Also a few others, such as Crawford-Seeger, Gloria Coates orchestral (skipped the quartets), Schwantner (Distant Runes), Copland etc.
I think I should go for supplementary Piston and Diamond in particular, if I want more.
Re Coates: yes to her stuff, including her chamber works. Although she's one of the "living composers" I was referring to, that's why I didn't specify her.
Quote from: JBS on April 04, 2020, 05:34:17 PM
Re Coates: yes to her stuff, including her chamber works. Although she's one of the "living composers" I was referring to, that's why I didn't specify her.
I understand, but regarding the quartets, I only found one tiny of them not having the 'glissandi-style', as far as I remember ...
Quote from: MusicTurner on April 04, 2020, 05:36:47 PM
I understand, but regarding the quartets, I only found one tiny of them not having the 'glissandi-style', as far as I remember ...
Glissandi style?
Wait....
:-[
I got myself mixed up. I was thinking of Joan Tower.
Sorry about that.
Ok, I haven't really heard the music of Joan Tower, I own a Piano Concerto on another label though.
James Aikman
Margaret Brouwer
Philip Glass
David L. Post
Ned Rorem
Joseph Schwantner
David Winkler
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
Crumb.
I have quite a few of these discs.
John Corigliano (Symphony No. 1 (c/w Torke, Copland), Circus Maximus, A Dylan Thomas Trilogy)
Michael Daugherty (Metropolis Symphony, Philadelphia Stories, UFO, Fire and Blood, Motor City Triptych)
Leonard Bernstein (Mass, the symphonies, Chichester Psalms)
Samuel Barber (Symphonies, Knoxville, 3 Essays, Toccata Festiva, Cello Concerto)
I also have the original Delos issue of David Diamond's Symphonies 2 & 4 that was later reissued on Naxos. Among others.
Quote from: vers la flamme on April 04, 2020, 03:53:45 PM
I really enjoy the "American Classics" series on Naxos. It's pretty much what one would expect, classical music from American composers, but they cover a lot of ground: from Cage, Carter & Feldman, to Copland, Gershwin, & Bernstein, to dozens of lesser known composers. All those I've heard are great.
That being said, I don't have very many of them. In an effort to explore more American music, I was wondering if anyone here wanted to share some of their favorites in the Naxos "American Classics" series.
As for me, I really like the Marin Alsop Bernstein discs that I have: Symphonies 1 & 2, & Chichester Psalms. I also really like Alsop's Samuel Barber symphonies disc. I recently got Cage's Sonatas & Interludes w/ Boris Berman. Looking forward to exploring that.
Anyone been listening to any entries in this series lately?
I happened to listen to this one yesterday;
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71UwSKNDT8L._AC_UL320_ML3_.jpg)
which is very good. Not the best best version of the Violin Concerto perhaps but still very good and Souvenirs here - OK its quite a light weight piece - gets a lovely performance. Also listened to a recent release of the 3 Gould Symphonettes;
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ZYTWNvsyL._AC_UY218_ML3_.jpg)
Again quite light repertoire - and I love this music - but this performance is really quite disappointing. Perfectly well played by a good orchestra (they sound terrific on the new recording of Bernstein Mass for instance) but here its a routine play through. Most of the blame is with conductor Arthur Fagen who just under-characterises everything. If you listen to any other recorded version of these works the personality jumps out. Disappointing as Gould deserves being wider known and this is a good/intelligent/unique coupling of some of his most accessible music.
Quote from: André on April 04, 2020, 05:17:56 PM
Also, Hovhanness, Diamond, Creston, Piston. The classics 8)
Agree with all these (Diamond's Third Symphony is a particular favourite). Here are some others that I have enjoyed:
[/img]
(//)
I appreciate all the participation, everyone. I ought to hear more of the Barber series (I also have the Piano Concerto, which I forgot to mention, but it is great!) plus the Carter quartets with the great Pacifica Quartet, recordings which appear to have been sanctioned by the composer.
This is one of my favourite discs of the series. Schuman's 'Symphony No.6' once described as a 'Requiem for the 20th Century' is a darkly impressive work. The other works on the CD are great as well:
(//)
Jack Gallagher
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51L6KjGgcVL.jpg)
I think my favorites have all been mentioned at least once. If I had to choose a Top 3:
Carter Quartets
Schuman Symphony #6
Rochberg Symphony #1
I could also mention the Piston Syms. 2 & 6, but that's actually a repackaged Delos recording.
Quote from: vandermolen on April 05, 2020, 08:04:43 AM
This is one of my favourite discs of the series. Schuman's 'Symphony No.6' once described as a 'Requiem for the 20th Century' is a darkly impressive work. The other works on the CD are great as well:
The full Schuman set can be had rather cheaply
[asin]B003NEQATA[/asin]
It does not include the Violin Concerto
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71O9--Zh7%2BL.jpg)
The Rorem is even cheaper
[asin]B0042A86W8[/asin]
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91mRyf2zvKL.jpg)
What is Schuman's music all about? I'm asking because I've heard a few works of his—In Praise of Shahn & To Thee Old Cause, on a disc conducted by Bernstein, and I couldn't make any sense of them.
Quote from: vers la flamme on April 05, 2020, 03:49:18 PM
What is Schuman's music all about? I'm asking because I've heard a few works of his—In Praise of Shahn & To Thee Old Cause, on a disc conducted by Bernstein, and I couldn't make any sense of them.
Symphony No. 3 is his most famous piece. Try Bernstein/Sony and crank the volume a bit.
Quote from: vers la flamme on April 05, 2020, 03:49:18 PM
What is Schuman's music all about? I'm asking because I've heard a few works of his—In Praise of Shahn & To Thee Old Cause, on a disc conducted by Bernstein, and I couldn't make any sense of them.
All the info and opinions you need:
https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,1820.0.html
Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on April 05, 2020, 04:08:21 PM
All the info and opinions you need:
https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,1820.0.html
Thanks, I'll do some reading (and listening) and see if I can figure out what he's all about.
Quote from: vers la flamme on April 05, 2020, 03:49:18 PM
What is Schuman's music all about? I'm asking because I've heard a few works of his—In Praise of Shahn & To Thee Old Cause, on a disc conducted by Bernstein, and I couldn't make any sense of them.
Try Symphony No.3 and the New England Triptych.
For those of us in Western Europe, and who like downloads (or who buy them to attempt to avoid being told off for buying more CDs), Qobuz has the whole series - indeed the whole Naxos label - at 50% off at the moment - so £2.90 for standard CD quality, £3.65 for hi-res.
Boy, Naxos really churned out the American Classics series when it first came out in the late 90's and early 2000's. I can't say they come out at that pace nowadays, but maybe they offer less for higher quality? I certainly don't purchase them like I used to either; too many so-so works vs. ballpark hits in the end, although discovery is part of the fun.
It seems since then, Naxos acquired a lot of Gerard Schwarz's back catalog from Delos and rebranded many of them into the series. This seems to include a different offshoot - the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music, which has been interesting too.
As I am looking back at some of those American Classics early releases I purchased, I am not exactly pining to listen to them again. Those Russian and Eastern-European orchestras were so variable, as was the sound. I have a lot of the JoAnn Falletta and Leonard Slatkin ones from the last decade (not so many Alsop), and I think more highly of them.
In any case, I think my first purchase was the symphonies of Meredith Willson. As I am listening, I really like this music; it is well constructed, interesting Latin and jazz inflections, but it receives middling playing from the Moscow orchestra. The liner notes mention another 10 major orchestral works from Willson sitting around somewhere, but I don't think anyone went back to find more music. Oh well...we'll see how many of these I want to revisit.
(https://ia802902.us.archive.org/14/items/mbid-ff4d92a2-2361-4c33-a683-44145cced2f7/mbid-ff4d92a2-2361-4c33-a683-44145cced2f7-15676312905.jpg)
Some of the Ukraine discs conducted by Kuchar are very good, e.g. Creston symphonies and Piston violin concertos. They are not as refined as the best Western orchestras, but they seem to play with enthusiasm in the right hands.
Many of the contemporary American Classics releases are dedicated to living American composers, like Roberto Sierra, Joan Tower, and Aaron Jay Kernis. Seems like a conscious trade-off to spend less time documenting the nation's musical past and more on its present. However last year they started a cycle of the Florence Price symphonies. Not sure if they are good pieces, haven't listened, but musicologically very important.
I'm fortunate in recent years to not have to worry about the cost of building a robust library of good music (and the advent of pretty comprehensive streaming services further adds to that), but I will always be grateful to Naxos for putting low cost, wide ranging, accessible music in my hands.
Whatever the quality of some recordings, for an eager young man keen to expand his understanding on a very limited budget, they were a godsend. I would certainly never have discovered Diamond, Creston, large swathes of Hovhaness, et al., without them.
Quote from: foxandpeng on June 06, 2021, 03:10:12 PM
I'm fortunate in recent years to not have to worry about the cost of building a robust library of good music (and the advent of pretty comprehensive streaming services further adds to that), but I will always be grateful to Naxos for putting low cost, wide ranging, accessible music in my hands.
Whatever the quality of some recordings, for an eager young man keen to expand his understanding on a very limited budget, they were a godsend. I would certainly never have discovered Diamond, Creston, large swathes of Hovhaness, et al., without them.
I'm grateful to Naxos for the same reason.
QuoteHenry Kimball Hadley
The Ocean, op. 99
The Culprit Fay, op. 62
Symphony 4 in d minor, op. 64
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
John McLaughlin Williams
MusicWeb International provides John McLaughlin Williams' personal note about putting this recording together, and it is a wonderful read:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/july01/Hadley.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/july01/Hadley.htm)
The liner notes mention that the recording session dates are from 1-7 December, 1999; what a committed amount of rehearsal/recording time!
Quote from: foxandpeng on June 26, 2021, 03:57:30 PM
I love this release. Thank you for sharing.
I had just posted how Naxos' American Classics series could often be less interesting entries of under-recorded American composers, sometimes in dim sound, under-rehearsed, or all three combined. All of this despite the ability to be introduced to a wide variety of repertoire rather cheaply.
So in revisiting
Henry Hadley after all of these years, and not remembering this particular recording, it was nice to find such stunning playing in music of high romanticism, if not a little on the lighter side.
I think I will return to John McLaughlin Williams' readings of
George Frederick McKay and
John Alden Carpenter when I have time next. I will certainly approach this series with more hope than I had planned on.
Anyone have the Stefan Wolpe discs? Interested to explore this composer's music.
Quote from: VonStupp on June 27, 2021, 05:20:13 AM
I had just posted how Naxos' American Classics series could often be less interesting entries of under-recorded American composers, sometimes in dim sound, under-rehearsed, or all three combined. All of this despite the ability to be introduced to a wide variety of repertoire rather cheaply.
So in revisiting Henry Hadley after all of these years, and not remembering this particular recording, it was nice to find such stunning playing in music of high romanticism, if not a little on the lighter side.
I think I will return to John McLaughlin Williams' readings of George Frederick McKay and John Alden Carpenter when I have time next. I will certainly approach this series with more hope than I had planned on.
This Ukrainian Orchestra is interesting. You are quite right - sometimes they can sound very rough but on other occasions really very good indeed. I was impressed with them in the Morton Gould disc they made
(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81jZyqYRmTL.__AC_SY445_SX342_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
Probably helps that conductor Theodore Kuchar literally speaks their language and having lived in the US understands Gould's idiom too. That said I seem to remember the same team's Prokofiev - which you'd think would be in their bones - was very average.....