Customer Reviews

David Diamond: Symphony No. 3; Psalm, Kaddish

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David Diamond (b. 1915), along with the even older Elliott Carter, is one of the two remaining giants among American composers who came into their maturity between the world wars. These performances were originally recorded for a series of Diamond orchestral works from Delos Records, with Gerard Schwarz conducting the Seattle Symphony. Unfortunately, one gathers that series was curtailed because of economic pressures; if I'm not mistaken Delos is no more. Naxos is doing a major service by picking up what there is of this series and re-releasing them at budget prices. For some reason the content of these Naxos CDs is not arranged as it was on Delos. For instance, the Third Symphony and Kaddish were together on Delos, but not coupled with the Psalm.

The pieces span much of Diamond's composing life: the Psalm is from 1936, the Kaddish for Cello and Orchestra from 1987. The latter, composed for Yo-yo Ma and played here by cello superstar Janos Starker, is immediately attractive and given a superb performance. What is it about thematically Jewish music and the cello? One immediately thinks of Bloch's Schelomo and Bruch's Kol Nidrei. The Diamond Kaddish is a worthy addition to that group.

Psalm is a short (eight minutes), mostly quiet, spare piece which doesn't have to shout to make its intensity felt.

The Third Symphony, one of my favorites of Diamond's symphonic output, was written in 1945 and given its premiere five years later by Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony. It is consistently tonal, even austerely Romantic, in language, and has memorable melodies, infectious rhythms, masterful orchestration, and an inventive but not daunting harmonic language. The decisive first movement is in sonata form. The following Andante is lightly scored and makes much use of chambermusic-like scoring, featuring harp, piano, flutes. The Scherzo is energetic and driven forward by rushing strings and winds and by an active part for the snare drummer. The Finale is lyrical, elegiac and has a sumptuous middle section featuring oboe and clarinet. There are thematic ties among all four movements. This symphony deserves to be a repertory work for American orchestras, in my opinion.

The performances are all one could ask. Clearly Schwarz and his orchestra are on friendly terms with Diamond's style and it is unlikely these works will receive better recordings any time soon. I am so pleased that Naxos is including these works in its acclaimed American Classics series.

Highly recommended.

Scott Morrison

This is a rewarding release of some very fine music and evidence that a comprehensive survey of David Diamond's music could easily become another (artistic, at least) success for Naxos. The third symphony is the major offering here. It is a piece of neo-classical Americana, and as such similar in conception to very many other works out there. But Diamond's level of invention and skill in putting his ideas together are superior to most. The third symphony contains a welter of good tunes and a very taut and convincing construction. The scoring is also superb, adding flavor to an already very rewarding work. The first movement is spright and muscular, rhythmically buoyant and full of good ideas, and the second quite beautiful with some gorgeous textures and (again) very rewarding melodic ideas. With the third movement we are back to invigorating, bracing fast music of spirit and flair, and the work is capped off by a wonderful, gently poignant, slow finale. Again, this is music that ought to be heard by anyone caring for American twentieth century music.

The couplings are not quite on the same level. The Psalm is an early work incorporating influences from impressionism (or post-impressionism). I am glad to have heard it, but don't find it strong enough to want to return to it very often. The Kaddish for cello and orchestra is more rewarding if hardly a masterpiece; it is a thoughtful, elegiac work of atmosphere and depth but lasts a little longer than ideal. Still, the performance by Janos Starker is superb and he gets fabulous support from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under Gerard Schwarz, who also gives us big-boned, colorful and vital readings of the other works. The sound quality is good as well, and as a whole this is a rewarding issue well worth acquiring.