African Heritage Symphonic Series, Vol. 1 [Import]

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (Artist), Fela Sowande (Artist), William Grant Still (Artist), Paul Freeman (Artist), Chicago Sinfonietta (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Cedille
• ASIN: B0000521XM
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,994 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. African Suite: Danse Nègre

2. Petite Suite de Concert, for orchestra (or piano), Op. 77: La caprice de Nannette

3. Petite Suite de Concert, for orchestra (or piano), Op. 77: Demande et réponse

4. Petite Suite de Concert, for orchestra (or piano), Op. 77: Un sonnet d'amour

5. Petite Suite de Concert, for orchestra (or piano), Op. 77: La tarantelle frétillante

6. African Suite, for string orchestra: I. Joyful Day - Allegro giocoso

7. African Suite, for string orchestra: II. Nostalgia - Andante

8. African Suite, for string orchestra: V. Akinla - Allegro non troppo

9. Symphony No. 1 ('Afro-American'): I. Moderato assai

10. Symphony No. 1 ('Afro-American'): II. Adagio

11. Symphony No. 1 ('Afro-American'): III. Animato

12. Symphony No. 1 ('Afro-American'): IV. Lento, con risoluzione

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant remake of Freeman's old Columbia LP records, September 28, 2003

By 

S.R.W. (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: African Heritage Symphonic Series, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

I wondered for years why Columbia Records' "Black Composer Series" was not reissued on CD. In that outstanding contribution to the classical catalogue, a young Paul Freeman conducted a half-dozen superb LPs that for the most part contained rich, memorable music.

I was thrilled to see that a mature Maestro Freeman is revisiting some of the same works for a new digital series, with an even better orchestra than the under-rehearsed ensembles used for some of the Columbias: the Chicago Sinfonietta, which probably shares many members with the CSO.

The sound quality is spectacular, and the performances are full bodied yet nuanced. Coleridge-Taylor's delectable, tune-filled suite was played for decades in the British Isles and even conducted by Barbirolli. George Weldon's old HMV recording here meets its match (avoid the version on Naxos now that the new Freeman is available.) And the Cedille production has the finest sound of all. Freeman draws more expression and poignancy out of the music, which sounds very much like good-natured Grieg.

The Sowande suite is a conventional work for strings, a bit derivative of European style but sporting African melodies given charming treatment.

The Still symphony is now well known and represented in several other recordings, of which Jaervi's is most prominent on Chandos. I would prefer this, or Freeman's earlier Columbia Lp edition, for panache and cheeky spirit.

This is a fabulous CD and a treat to lovers of classical music who insist on melody and color, but have tired of endless editions of the effete late nineteenth century second rate works of, say, Massenet, Goldmark, or Macdowell.