Sunday, November 07, 1999
CDs capture 20th century
Some orchestras are looking back at the American symphonic tradition of the 20th-century. The three most famous symphonies are the Third symphonies of Roy Harris, William Schuman and Aaron Copland.
Roger Sessions' eight symphonies cover a wide range of emotions — from the Second, commemorating President Franklin Roosevelt, to the Seventh, memorializing the Vietnam War. Walter Piston's eight symphonies are models of elegance and clarity.
Other Americans worth exploring include Howard Hanson, Easley Blackwood and Elliott Carter (whose Symphony is called “a delightful piece of Americana” by New York Philharmonic program annotator Michael Steinberg).
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich continued the great American symphonic tradition with her Symphony No. 1, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983.
Here are some suggested recordings of 20th-century American music. Cost per CD is about $15.99, but I've found some on sale for less. Boxed set prices noted.
• An American Celebration. A 10-CD box set from the New York Philharmonic. The set features more than six decades of live performances (1936-99) led by 21 conductors. The limited edition includes music by Howard Hanson, Roy Harris, Lukas Foss, Joan Tower, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and William Bolcom (New York Philharmonic, $185). Call 1-800-557-8268 or visit www.newyorkphilharmonic.org.
• American Dreams. Indianapolis Symphony, Raymond Leppard, conductor. This mostly 20th-century collection includes John Alden Carpenter's Sea Drift of 1933 (Decca).
• Copland, Symphony No. 3; Harris, Symphony No. 3. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi, conductor (Chandos).
• The John Adams Earbox. A 10-CD retrospective of Mr. Adams' inventive and often visionary work. The set includes the early Shaker Loops (1978), Violin Concerto (with Gidon Kremer) and John's Book of Alleged Dances (the Kronos Quartet), plus operas Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer (Nonesuch, $99.98).
• John Cage, A Chance Operation. This two-disc set is a tribute to Mr. Cage by the cream of America's avant-garde, including Frank Zappa (performing 4'33”), Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, Larry Austin and Yoko Ono (Koch International).
• Elliott Carter, Piano Concerto; Concerto for Orchestra. The Sudwestfunk (Southwest Radio) Orchestra, Michael Gielen, conductor; Ursula Oppens, piano (Arte Nova Classics). Mr. Gielen, former music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, also recorded the Concerto with the CSO and Ms. Oppens (New World Records).
›John Corigliano, Symphony No. 1, Of Rage and Remembrance. Several orchestras have recorded Mr. Corigliano's elegy for friends who died of AIDS, including the National Symphony under Leonard Slatkin (RCA Victor Red Seal).
• Bright Sheng, Song of Majnun. The Chinese-American composer's widely-hailed opera to Andrew Porter's libretto was recorded live during a performance by Houston Opera Studio, Houston Grand Opera (Delos).
• Dracula. The cutting-edge Kronos Quartet plays an arresting new score by Philip Glass to the classic film (Nonesuch Records).
• Philip Glass and John Adams, Violin Concertos. Houston Symphony, Christoph Eschenbach, conductor; Robert McDuffie, violin. The American violinist Robert McDuffie performs with panache (Telarc).
• The Lark Quartet Plays Aaron Jay Kernis. Mr. Kernis' String Quartet No. 1, “musica celestis,” draws from the heavenly realm of Hildegard of Bingen, as well as funk and jazz (Arabesque Recordings).
• Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening. For those interested in meditative music (New Albion).
• Industry. Bang on a Can All-Stars. An urban jungle of sound, these compositions are edgy and angst-ridden (Sony Classical).
• William Grant Still, Afro American Symphony; Kaintuck' and Dismal Swamp. Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra, Jindong Cai, conductor; Richard Fields, piano. Blues, jazz and the spiritual merge with the European symphonic tradition (Centaur).
• Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Symphony No. 1. Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, John Nelson, conductor (New World Records).
— Janelle Gelfand
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