Customer Reviews

American Light Music Classics

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, here is an English orchestra recording pieces that some American orchestra should have done long ago. This is music to have fun with and much to my delight was a piece that I have only heard on a 10 inch LP. That is Sym 5 1/2 by Don Gillis. This is one of the best light pieces written in the 20th Century by an American, but sadly little performed. Buy it just for the Gillis piece and consider all the others as frosting on the cake. Take a break from Wagner and Glass and get this one and the three CD's of British Light Music. Just enjoy. Aloha..

This recording is the kind that some American "Pops" Orchestras should be making. Most of these light classics are ones that the Boston Pops have recorded before, but I don't think have been done as well as Mr. Corp and the New London Orch., have done them. This disc is a real treat and I hope just the first of many. We as Americans need to rediscover our musical works.

British composers are well known for writing for the "Proms" concerts that feature light symphonic fare. There is much less American music in the same vein as Eric Coates, Edward German and Ronald Quilter, but conductor Ronald Corp has unearthed some real treasures on this disc of mostly short, light pieces. Amazon's listing doesn't include two of the best selections on the disc, Richard Rogers' Carousel Waltz and Don Gillis entertaining Symphony 5 1/2, subtitled "Symphony for Fun." It's a real crowd pleaser, and the fine sound on the recording is a good match for the entertaining repertoire.

What a wonderful collection of excellently performed and acoustically marvelous music -- rousing, contemplative, romantic, cheery - some of which were the long-remembered and not-often-heard-now favorite songs of my childhood and youth.

Make sure you read the enclosure that is tucked away into the front cover of this CD -- written in 3 languages, it proides little-known informatin about some of these wonderful tunes and their composers, and the illustrations throught the booklet are also a very nice touch.

Listening to this CD can be an intoxicating experience - what delightful selections all on one CD! From Gershwin to Gould, from Anderson to Sousa and more - a lovely Broadway tune (from Carousel), and the old familiar Arkansas Traveler as well, (and even a little barking and whistling on "The Whistler and His Dog"!) this eclectic collection of pieces was artfully and unforgettably performed, much to my great enjoyment. Although this was the first time I ever heard the New London Orchestra perform, you can be sure that now I will look for other recordings of theirs. I also plan to buy another copy so I can play it in my cubicle (quietly when at work, but LOUDER when I am by myself -- hee hee!!).

What more can I say? I love this CD with its remarkable collection of songs!!!

This CD was purchased particulary for "Nola". I was very elated to find other of my favorite light classics presented with a full symphonic orchestra. A number of these had escaped my memory, what a pleasure to have them available in my music collection.