Customer Reviews

Copland: Dance Symphony; Symphony No. 1; Short Symphony

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

 

 

Slack, unidiomatic performances -- if you love Copland's music, as I do, it is painful to hear performances like these and to see them praised and bought instead of worthy ones. Slatkin Aaron Copland: Organ Symphony/Dance Symphony/Short Symphony/Orchestral Variations does all three plus the Orchestral Variations; Batiz does the Dance Symphony on a bargain collection of fine performances Copland: Appalachian Spring; Billy the Kid; Rodeo; Organ Symphony (No.1 is a later arrangement of this for practical reasons): Litton A Copland Profile, Bernstein Copland: Symphony No. 3 - Symphony for Organ & Orchestra or The Copland Collection: Early Orchestral Works, 1922-1935 (the Copland-conducted performances of the other two pieces aren't first choice but easily above Alsop's); Symphony No.2 ('Short'): Tilson-Thomas Aaron Copland: The Essence of America [Box Set] or Copland the Modernist. Many of these are as much or more of a 'bargain' than the Naxos offering here. Even if you disagree with my assessment of this recording, these alternatives are worth looking at.

Yes - as alluded to by another reviewer, I always wondered, since I first heard #3 over 50 years ago, if there was a 1 and 2. Now I know, and I have heard them for the first time. Maybe I haven't been paying attention since 90% of my music listening has been chamber music from all eras. I was pleasantly suprised to stumble across this CD, and glad I did. There are pieces and parts of other Copland music, so these were precedents, and quite interesting to see how they fit into the composers history.

Maybe it's me, but I never heard of the conductor or the orchestra. But I have to say that the music presented very well - probably as good as a well known conductor and orchestra. By the way the recording was excellant audio-wise. It really exersized my dolby surround sound receiver even though not an SACD recording.

I highly recommend if you are a Copland fan - and even if you're not.

Symphony No. 1 is an arrangement of Copland's earlier and more popular Symphony for Organ and Orchestra. In fact, if you are familiar with that earlier work, as I am, you will say to yourself, upon hearing Symphony No. 1 for the first time, "Where's the organ?". Copland substituted woodwind and brass instruments, for the organ, in this later work. The Symphony is in 3 movements, slow-fast-slow. The melodies are easy to listen to, especially in the lively 2nd movement. This Symphony is well orchestrated, with less percussion, than is found in Copland's more popular pieces of music. After listening to this Symphony a few times, you will forget about the organ, and realize that this Symphony stands on its own. The Second or Short Symphony is also in 3 movements, fast-slow-fast. It is also well orchestrated, and there is much interplay of themes throughout the Symphony. The Dance Symphony is an arrangement of an earlier ballet by Copland, based on the subject of vampires. It too is well orchestrated, and is also in 3 movements. There is more use of percussion instruments in this Symphony, than in the other 2, and it sounds similar to other ballets of Copland. I highly recommend this recording to those who like Copland's music. It is hard to find recordings of these earlier and less known symphonies by him, so get it while you can.

The Dance Symphony by Aaaron Copland exhibits a mature composer, a master of alternate compasses or rythms (specially the third movement). The orchestra has a monumental balance and the melodies are Copland himself at his best. It's possible to see here the ground material (technics, use of woodwinds, metals, constrasts and texture) that is later to be found in -this a very precise example- Fancy Free by Leonard Bernstein. In certain way, both composers evolve through paralell paths... This is a specially good recording.

Javier Ruiz de la Presa, México

I have listened to Copland's Third Symphony for years. This album answered the question of what came before. A worthwhile investment of time and money.