Piston: Symphony 4 / Three New England Sketches

Walter Piston (Composer), Gerard Schwarz (Conductor), Therese Elder Wunrow (Performer), New York Chamber Symphony of The 92nd Street Y (Orchestra), Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)

Product Details

• Performer: Therese Elder Wunrow
• Orchestra: New York Chamber Symphony of The 92nd Street Y, Seattle Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Gerard Schwarz
• Composer: Walter Piston
• Audio CD (December 11, 1992)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Delos Records
• ASIN: B0000006XS
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #339,868 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Walter Piston (1894-1976) is part of that American generation that produced Roy Harris, Howard Hanson, and Aaron Copland. His music was always romantic and, in execution, rather conservative. This collection represents the man quite well. His Symphony 4 (1950) is a conventional work of American romanticism, but splattered here and there are slightly dissonant moments that provide drama. His Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra (1965) has a Spanish dance-rhythm to it, sensual and flirtatious. The Serenata (1956) is a suite for orchestra of broken rhythms and wild ostinatos. Piston's famous Three New England Sketches (1960) is one of the few programmatic works he wrote. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost treasure, April 15, 2000

By A Customer

The music on this disc will come as a heart-warming discovery to listeners interested in quality music that occupies a part of the repertoire off the beaten path.

The Symphony no. 4 evokes an unmistakably American atmosphere without resorting to cliches. This fine four-movement, 24-minute work is thematically rich and yet economical in structure. Piston's style has a certain Stravinskian brittleness at times but this is balanced with his gift for assimilating a subtly folksy tunefulness.

The Capriccio and the three-movement Serenata (a bite-sized symphony) are similarly rewarding pieces: there is nothing lush and romantic about them but they grow on you with repeated listening.

The Three New England Sketches consists of movements entitled "Seaside", "Summer Evening" and "Mountains". Again, Piston's penchant for painting in subtle colors is on display; for example, "Seaside" avoids the cliches that we sometimes associate with musical depictions of the sea. That hushed bassoon solo near the end of the movement is reminscent of some kind sailor chant as heard from a distance--highly evocative! The other two movements also hint at their respective subjects in wisps rather than with lush romantic imagery.

Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony give exceptionally fine performances and are very well recorded.