Copland: Rodeo/Billy The Kid

Aaron Copland (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), New York Philharmonic (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: New York Philharmonic
• Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Aaron Copland
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000025JO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,142 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vinyl replacement, January 7, 2008

By 

Anne Greeson (Long Beach CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Copland: Rodeo/Billy The Kid (Audio CD)

Loved the music on vinyl and want it on CD. Sounds as good as the original only without the scratches.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incomparable!, September 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Copland: Rodeo/Billy The Kid (Audio CD)

No one else has come close to Bernstein's accounts Copland's music- including Copland himself. In every respect, this is best recording of Rodeo I've heard. The tempos are, if anything, a bit on the fast side of average. The recording quality is quite good, though the woodwinds can be a bit too quiet.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Rodeo alone, this beats the competition hands down, October 7, 2005

By 

Alan Majeska "Alan Majeska" (Bad Axe, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Copland: Rodeo/Billy The Kid (Audio CD)

Leonard Bernstein's Columbia recording of Copland's "Rodeo" with the New York Philharmonic, made in 1960 still beats the competition hands down for sheer excitement and power. Lenny's "Buckaroo Holiday" (I) is wonderful: very fast and spirited, and no holes barred, like riding a bucking bronco. When I first heard this recording on LP in 1974, I could hardly restrain myself, as it is not only fast, but well accented, and the recording really backs up what Bernstein was trying to do in this piece. Tempos are all sensible, but fast where needed, especially in I and IV, "Hoe down." I have heard other recordings: Dorati/Detroit (London), Johanos/Dallas (Vox), Abravanel/Utah (MCA), and they all have their merits, but for sheer excitement, Bernstein is the best to have.

"Billy the Kid", recorded in 1959, is also well recorded and performed. Bernstein's tempos are sensible, and he does alot with the crescendos and repeats in the final movement, "The Open Prairie" to make it more interesting than some conductors do. I also like recordings of this work by James Judd/New Zealand Symphony (Naxos), Johanos/Dallas (Vox) and Dorati/London Symphony (Philips Mercury - more than just the suite recorded here), but again Bernstein is very fine in comparison with any of them, although he doesn't stand out as much as with "Rodeo."

Recommended, either in this recording, or the Bernstein Century edition, also on Sony Classical, which also includes Bernstein/New York Philharmonic's 1961 Columbia recording of "Appalachian Spring."