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THE MUSIC OF AMERICA Series
3 CD sets for each of these composers:
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The Music of America CD Series
(Music by Barber, Bernstein, Copland, Ives, Williams)Rather than discuss each CD set separately, I will offer my observations about all the CD sets here.
First, I would like to commend Sony Masterworks and especially the Project Director, David Foil, for producing these handsomely produced three CD sets of music by some of the best known American composers of the 20th century.
Of the five composers represented it is especially gratifying to see Samuel Barber included, especially this year being the centennial anniversary of his birth. Listeners will discover that he composed much more worthwhile music besides his Adagio for Strings.
Each set has many laudable recordings from the past that some listeners, including myself, already have in their library. But even so, these CD sets are especially welcome for they provide handy surveys of great works by these five American master composers.
Naturally, one could disagree with some of the recording choices.
For example, I prefer the old recording from 1950 by Eleanor Steber, who gave the premiere performance of Barber's sensitive and superb classic, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, to the one by Leontyne Price on the CD set which is also very good. I believe Steber presented a warmer and more nuanced rendition of this music, set to words by James Agee. As composer Ned Rorem has written about this Barber piece, it "has become the most loved, most performed, most 'honest' and nostalgic and direct of all Sam's works, on the most original of prose texts."
Though there have been numerous fine recordings of Copland's best known and greatest work, Appalachian Spring (especially by Leonard Bernstein and Michael Tilson Thomas), I would have preferred Copland's own recording with the Columbia Chamber Ensemble. His recording of the chamber music version (A Copland Celebration Vol. 1) remains the best one in my mind since it presents the composer's own interpretation and is sensitively performed and beautifully recorded as well.
Also on these CD sets, the soloists and conductors are appropriate choices. Among the the best known and most respected performers on these CDs are: Benny Goodman, Thomas Hampson, Marilyn Horne, Itzhak Perlman, Leontyne Price, Isaac Stern, Frederica von Stade, and Yo-Yo Ma.
There are also conductors who have been identified with these composers, such as Thomas Schippers with Samuel Barber's music, and Michael Tilson Thomas with the music of Charles Ives. Of course four of the sets with Barber, Bernstein, Copland and Williams feature the composers themselves performing or conducting some of their music and they are carefully chosen to best represent their careers.
In the CD set of music by John Williams, two of the three CDs feature his classical side and serve to illustrate his versatility as a master composer. That set is especially recommended to those who think of Williams only as a popular and prolific film composer.
The illustrations in these CD sets are most attractive with vintage photographs of the composers. The booklet notes by Elizabeth Bergman are concise yet also quite informative. But the foldout cardboard slip cases make it somewhat difficult to remove each CD without ripping the sleeves. That is a minor annoyance. It is also helpful to have different color CDs in each set to set them apart. The art direction and design by Roxanne Slimak was very carefully organized and executed. Also the bold and bright sound levels by mastering and transfer engineer, Maria Triana, makes these recordings, including the older ones, come alive for today's listeners.
The Music of America CD sets are all very worthwhile. Each disc presents a good deal of music (usually over one hour) and at a budget price too.
These CD collections are ideal for those seeking out some of the best examples of great music composed in America during the past century.
Highly recommended!
-- reviewed by Roger Hall, July 2010
To order any of these CD sets, click on the links for each title:
The Music of America: Samuel Barber
Disc One (10 tracks = 65:40)
Overture to The School for Scandal, Op. 5 - New York Philharmonic,
Thomas Schippers, conductor
Dover Beach for Voice and String Quartet, Op. 3 - Samuel Barber, baritone;
Curtis String Quartet
Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 - Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra,
Leonard Stalkin, conductor
String Quartet, Op. 11 - Tokyo String Quartet
Adagio for Strings - New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Disc Two (9 tracks = 64:36 )Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14 - Isaac Stern, violin;
New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Second Essay for Orchestra, Op. 17 - New York Philharmonic,
Thomas Schippers, conductor
Medea's Dance of Vengeance, Op. 23a - New York Philharmonic,
Thomas Schippers, conductor
Sonata for Piano, Op. 26 - Vladimir Horowitz, piano
Disc Three (18 tracks = 73:03)Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 - Leontyne Price, soprano;
New York Philharmonic, Thomas Schippers, conductor
Hermit Songs, Op. 29 - Leontyne Price, soprano; Samuel Barber, piano
I Hear an Army, Op. 14, No. 3 - Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano;
Martin Katz, piano
Nocturne, Op. 13, No. 4 - Leontyne Price, soprano; David Garvey, piano
Sure on This Shining Night, Op. 13, No. 3 - Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano;
Martin Katz, piano
Must the Winter Come So Soon? (from Vanessa) -
Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
Steven Blier, piano
Give Me Some Music and Give Me My Robe (from Anthony and Cleopatra, Op. 40) Leontyne Price, soprano; New York Philjharmonic, Thomas Schippers
Agnus Dei - The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge,
Richard Marlow, chorus master
The Music of America: Leonard Bernstein
Disc One (18 tracks = 63:35)
Overture to Candide -- New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story -- New York Philharmonic, L. Bernstein
Prelude, Fugue and Riffs -- Benny Goodman, clarinet, Columbia Jazz Combo,
Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Serenade for Violin, Strings, Harp and Percussion -- Hilary Hahn, violin,
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman, conductor
Disc Two (18 tracks = 63:40)
Chicester Psalms for Chorus and Orchestra -- John Bogart, alto; Camerata Singers,
New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Songfest -- Linda Hohenfeld, soprano; Wendy White, mezzo-soprano; Patricia Spence, mezzo-soprano; Walter Plante, tenor; Vernon Hartman, baritone, John Cheek, bass,
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Hymn and Psalm: A Simple Song from Mass -- Alan Titus, baritone; Norman Scribner Choir; The Berkshire Boy Choir; Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Nachspiel and Dream with Me from Arias and Barcarolles -- Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano; Martin Katz, piano & vocal
Disc Three (17 tracks = 63:49)
Maria, Tonight, America, Somewhere (Ballet) from West Side Story --
Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence, Reri Grist, vocals; Max Goberman, conductor
Lonely Town, Lucky to Be Me, Some Other Time from On the Town --
John Reardon, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Christ Alexander, Nancy Walker, vocals; Leonard Bernstein, conductor
Ohio, A Little Bit in Love, A Quiet Girl, Conga! from Wonderful Town --
Rosalind Russell, Jacquelyn McKeever, Sydney Chaplin, vocals,
Lehman Engel, conductor
Paris Waltz, The Best of All Possible Worlds, It Must Be So, Glitter and Be Gay, I'm Easily Assimilated, Make Our Garden Grow from Candide -- Max Adrian, Barbara Cook, Robert Rounseville, Irra Petina and Chorus,
Leonard Bernstein, conductor
The Music of America: Aaron Copland
Disc One (4 tracks = 66:02)Fanfare for the Common Man -- London Symphony Orchestra,
Aaron Copland, conductor
Appalachian Spring -- San Francisco Symphony,
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Quiet City -- London Symphony Orchestra, Aaron Copland, conductor
Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp, and Piano -- Benny Goodman, clarinet;
Laura Newell, harp; Abba Bogin, piano; Columbia Symphony Orchestra,
Aaron Copland, conductor
Disc Two (17 tracks = 68:24)
An Outdoor Overture -- London Symphony Orchestra,
Aaron Copland, conductor
Rodeo: Four Dance Panels -- New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein,conductor
Billy the Kid (Orchestral Suite) -- New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Lincoln Portrait -- Henry Fonda, narrator; London Symphony Orchestra,
Aaron Copland, conductor
The Promise of Living from The Tender Land -- Tanglewood Festival Chorus, John Oliver, director; Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, condductor
Disc Three (18 = 71:16)The Red Pony (Suite) -- New Philharmonia Orchestra, Aaron Copland, conductor
Old American Songs, Set 1 -- William Warfield, baritone, Columbia Symphony
Orchestra, Aaron Copland, conductor
Music for Movies -- New Philharmonia Orchestra, Aaron Copland, conductorConcerto for Piano and Orchestra -- [Aaron Copland, piano], New York Philharmonic,
Leonard Bernstein, conductor
The Music of America: Charles Ives
Disc One (5 tracks = 65:04)
Symphony No. 2 -- Concertgebouw Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
From the Steeples and the Mountains -- San Francisco Orchestra,
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Robert Browning Overture -- American Symphony Orchestra,
Leopold Stokowski, conductor
Disc Two (10 = 68:12)
Variations on America (arr. William Schuman) -- The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, conductorA Symphony: New England Holidays -- Fred Spector, Jew's Harp; Chicago Symphony Chorus; Chiacgo Symphony Orchestra, Margaret Hillis, director; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
The Things Our Fathers Loved and Memories -- Thomas Hampson, baritone;
Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
The Circus Band -- San Francisco Chorus, Vance George, director; San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven -- Thomas Hampson, baritone;
San Francisco Chorus, Vance George, director; San Francisco Symphony,
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductorIII. Fugue from Symphony No. 4 -- American Symphony Orchestra
Disc Three (8 tracks = 56:02)
Symphony No. 3: "The Camp Meeting" -- Concertgebouw Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Three Places in New England -- San Francisco Chorus, Vance George, director; San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
The Unanswered Question (Revised Version) -- Adolph Herseth, trumpet; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductorCentral Park in the Dark -- Chicago Symphony Orchestra -- Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
The Music of America: John Williams
Disc One (14 tracks = 62:49)
Air and Simple Gifts -- Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Itzhak Perlman, violin; Gabriela Montero, piano; Anthony McGill, clarinet
American Journey -- Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles, John Williams, conductor
Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello and Orchestra (Suite) -- Yo-Yo Ma, cello;
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Song for World Peace -- Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles,
John Williams, conductor
Disc Two (12 tracks = 56:13)Summon the Heroes (for Tim Morrison) -- The Boston Pops Orchestra,
John Williams, conductor
Hymn to New England -- Utah Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
The Five Sacred Trees (Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra) --
Judith LeClair, bassoon; London Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Sound the Bells! -- Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles,
John Williams, conductorElegy for Cello and Orchestra -- Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Recording Arts Orchestra of Loas Angeles, John Williams, conductor
The Mission Theme (Theme for NBC Nightly News) -- Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles, John Willima,s conductor
March from 1941 -- The Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
The Olympic Spirit -- The Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Disc Three (13 tracks = 67:09)Main Title from Star Wars -- London Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Theme from Jaws -- London Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Theme from Sugarland Expres -- Toots Thielemans, harmonica; The Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Flying Theme from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial -- London Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Suite from Born on the Fourth of July -- Tim Morrison, trumpet;
The Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, conductorTheme from Schindler's List -- Itzhak Perlman, violin; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Theme from Jurassic Park -- The Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams
Cadillac of the Skies from Empire of the Sun -- American Boychoir, James H. Litton, director; Tanglewood Festival Chorus, John Oliver, director; The Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, conductorRaiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark -- The Boston Pops Orchestra,
John Williams, conductorExcerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- The Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
Throne Room and Finale from Star Wars -- The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra, John Williams, conductor
See also
Home page: Classical Composers
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