American Orchestral Works

Barbara Kolb (Composer), Aaron Jay Kernis (Composer), Michael Hersch (Composer), John Corigliano (Composer), John [1] Harbison (Composer), Carlos Kalmar (Conductor), Grant Park Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Grant Park Orchestra
• Conductor: Carlos Kalmar
• Composer: Barbara Kolb, Aaron Jay Kernis, Michael Hersch, John Corigliano, John [1] Harbison
• Audio CD (June 27, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cedille
• ASIN: B000FUF8ZW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #373,514 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times

[Carlos] Kalmar and the Grant Park Orchestra perform . . . with exuberance, commitment and edge.

About the Artist

The Grant Park Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the Grant Park Music Festival, which is dedicated to providing the public with free, high-quality orchestral performances through the presentation of classical-music concerts. Founded by the Chicago Park District in 1935 and co-presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs since 2001, the Festival is the nation's only remaining free, municipally funded outdoor classical music series. The Grant Park Orchestra was created in 1943. Nicolai Malko was named the first principal conductor in 1945, a post he held through 1956. Since then, other prestigious conductors have held the position, including Irwin Hoffman, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Zdnek Macal, and Hugh Wolff. In October 1999, Carlos Kalmar was named the Festival's newest principal conductor. In 2002, Christopher Bell was installed as the Festival's chorus director. In addition to performing an array of classical repertoire, the Grant Park Orchestra is renowned for its focus on contemporary American music. The Grant Park Music Festival runs for ten consecutive weeks each summer. In 2004, the Festival moved to its new home, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, a state-of-the-art venue designed by internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry with sound system designed by the Talaske Group of Oak Park, Illinois.

Carlos Kalmar is the Principal Conductor of Chicago's Grant Park Music Festival and Music Director of the Oregon Symphony. Mr. Kalmar was born in 1958 in Montevideo, Uruguay, to Austrian parents. He studied conducting with Karl Österreicher at the College for Music in Vienna, and won First Prize at the Hans Swarowsky Conducting Competition in Vienna in June 1984. From 1987 to 1991 he was chief conductor of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, and general music director and chief conductor of the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra between 1991 and 1995. From 1996 through 2000, Carlos Kalmar was the general music director of the Opera House and Philharmonic Orchestra in Dessau, Germany. Between 2000 and 2003, he was principal conductor and artistic director of the Tonkünstler Orchestra in Vienna.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First rate collection, November 14, 2007

By 

S. Jones (Schenectady) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Orchestral Works (Audio CD)

I'm always on the lookout for great 20th-21st century composers, and this collection looked promising. Harbison and Corigliano were known quantities and the Hersch selection is perhaps his most famous (though I hadn't heard it before). All of the selections are fine works, always interesting and frequently beautiful. Kolb's All in Good Time flirts with minimalism at time -- too much for my taste -- but the rest of the time it's a memorable work. The other selections are great, although the Harbison is not quite as engaging as usual. The performances are excellent, and sound fine. The reason for giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is the temporary repetition in the Kolb work, and the limited entertainment-value of the Harbison. Both might seem exceptional in a different compilation; here the high quality of the other entries show up their minor shortcomings.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great program!, June 28, 2009

By 

Thomas Martin "sonomatom" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Orchestral Works (Audio CD)

This is an excellent CD! The recorded sound and orchestral playing are top-notch. Kalmar is a fine conductor, and the Grant Park Orchestra is very impressive. The CD is worth purchasing for the Hersch (especially if you like Shostakovich, or just exciting music!), Kernis (phew!), and Corigliano. The Kolb and Harbison are nice make-weights, but they pale next to the other three. HIGHLY recommended.