Copland: Billy the Kid (Complete Ballet), etc.

1. Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet
Composed by Aaron Copland
Performed by Ballet Theater Orchestra Conducted by Joseph Levine

2. Facsimile, ballet
Composed by Leonard Bernstein
Performed by Ballet Theater Orchestra Conducted by Joseph Levine

3. Fall River Legend, ballet
Composed by Morton Gould
Performed by Ballet Theater Orchestra Conducted by Joseph Levine

Copland: Billy the Kid (Complete Ballet), etc.,Leonard Bernstein,Aaron Copland,Morton Gould,Joseph Levine,Ballet Theater Orchestra,Angel Records,20th/21st Century Ballet,20th/21st Century Orchestral Work with Descriptive Title,Ballet,Classical,Classical Music,Orchestral,Suite for Orchestra

Average customer rating: What more could one ask for? Definitive Is Right Definitive Recordings of Copland's Popular Ballet Scores From Bernstein, NYPO American Music at its Highest The best of Copland

Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bernstein Century - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc Bernstein: Candide; West Side Story; On the Waterfront; Fancy Free Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony ASIN: B0000029XG Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

1. Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
2. Appalachian Spring: Allegro
3. Appalachian Spring: Moderato
4. Appalachian Spring: Fast
5. Appalachian Spring: Subito Allegro
6. Appalachian Spring: As At First (Slowly)
7. Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento
8. Appalachian Spring: Moderato - Coda
9. Rodeo: Buckaroo Holiday - Allegro con spirito
10. Rodeo: Corral Nocturne - Moderato
11. Rodeo: aturday Night Waltz - Introduction - Slow Waltz
12. Rodeo: Hoe-Down - Allegro
13. Billy The Kid: Introduction. The Open Prairie
14. Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
15. Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance And Finale
16. Billy The Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
17. Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
18. Billy The Kid: Celbration (After Billy's Capture)
19. Billy The Kid: Billy's Death
20. Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
21. Fanfare for the Common Man: Molto deliberato

Amazon.com essential recording

Happy is the composer who has an advocate as passionate and talented as Leonard Bernstein. These Copland performances have been the preferred versions since they were first issued--better even than the composer's own, later recordings. Originally they were spread over two discs, but thanks to the extended playing time of the compact disc, you can now get all three great Copland ballets together, along with the ever popular Fanfare for the Common Man. Bernstein brings to this music the right sharpness of rhythm but also a typically open-hearted warmth. He coaxes a virtuoso response from the New York Philharmonic, which knows this music as well (or better) than anyone. Self- recommending. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

What more could one ask for?.......2007-06-27

Aaron Copland's masterful works are here interpreted by Bernstein. Nothing says the American sound like Copland, and there is no better interpreter than Bernstein. This recording is one of the best in my collection. I would recommend this to anyone (even non-classical music fans).

Definitive Is Right.......2007-02-27

I have the SACD version of these recordings (except for the "Fanfare" which, in this case, is the version taken from Bernstein's recording of Copland's Third Symphony) and I must agree with others here that the performances are definitive. The "Rodeo" has more energy than any other recording I know of, in fact it can almost go over the top! "Billy the Kid" is quiet and tender, dramatic and bold and "Appalachian Spring" is dead-on. The last section of this ballet is one of my very favorite pieces of music and Bernstein's tempo and phrasing here could well be called perfect.

Definitive Recordings of Copland's Popular Ballet Scores From Bernstein, NYPO.......2007-02-11

Without question, this splendid CD is my favorite recording of some of Aaron Copland's most popular orchestral ballet scores. In Leonard Bernstein he had both a good friend and a devout ally, who successfully championed Copland's music, helping to ensure his reputation as one of the greatest - if not the greatest - 20th Century American composer. Sony has done a superb job in digitally remastering this recording, offering some of the best sound I've heard from a vintage Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic recording. But more importantly than the recording's superb sonic quality is the quality of these performances of Copland's scores. Bernstein leads in New York Philharmonic in these virtuoso performances, replete with lush, vibrant playing from the winds, horns and strings. His warm, truly heart-felt interpretation of "Applachian Spring" is truly mesmerizing, and the best I have heard from a recording. And yet, I am am just as impressed with his conducting of both "Rodeo" and "Billy the Kid"; the latter replete with superb solos from the orchestra's timpanist. An elegant performance of "Fanfare for the Common Man" closes out this CD recording. Fans of Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra shouldn't hesitate in acquiring this superb CD.

American Music at its Highest .......2007-02-04

If I was forced to recommend one CD of American music, I would feel very safe in backing this one. These interpretations have yet to be surpassed, and not even Copland himself could muster the same type of perfection that Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic did in this recording. Bernstein's way with Rodeo is unbelievable, and this alone is worth the price of the disc. The music on this recording has a lot to do with why, as Americans, we can all be proud of our place in the history of western music.

With 39 reviews under me, I will dispense with the adjectives to try and describe each interpretation of each piece on this disc, and simply say that these performances have been recommended by almost everyone (professional critics included of course) since they appeared; get it and find out why.

The best of Copland.......2007-01-09

For the Aaron Copland fan, this CD has the essentials: the most popular and easy listening of the Copland body of creations. Enjoy!

Average customer rating: Superb For Rodeo alone, this beats the competition hands down A TWO-PUNCH PARTNERSHIP Incomparable!

Copland: Rodeo/Billy The Kid Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite/Mississippi Suite Prokofiev: Peter And The Wolf/Saint-Saëns: The Carnival Of The Animals ASIN: B0000025JO Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: I. Buckaroo Holiday
2. Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: II. Corral Nocturne
3. Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: III. Saturday Night Waltz
4. Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: IV. Hoe-Down
5. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): Introduction: The Open Prairie
6. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): Street In A Frontier Town
7. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): Mexican Dance And Finale
8. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
9. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): Gun Battle
10. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
11. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): Billy's Death
12. Billy The Kid (Ballet Suite): The Open Prairie Again

Amazon.com

If Copland's own recordings of his music have the warmth of a soft summer night, those by Leonard Bernstein convey the blazing heat of noon. In his later remakes of several of these scores for Deutsche Grammophon, Bernstein exhibited a tendency toward overly-nuanced readings. But his earlier accounts with the New York Philharmonic, recorded by CBS in the late 1950s and early 1960s, are still incomparable in their vitality and impetus. Bernstein's way with the Western ballets is exuberantly personal and persuasive. He has the ability to move between delicacy and brashness, always getting the gestures right, and he delivers magical characterizations of both scores. The Phiharmonic's playing, while sometimes a bit raw, is confident and rhythmically secure; there is certainly nothing to apologize for here. There is a wonderful sense of immediacy to Bernstein's account of the Appalachian Spring Suite, in which the New Yorkers give a virtuosic account of themselves, playing in a rhythmically incisive fashion that puts Copland's account with the London Symphony in the shadows. The couplings are a mixed bag, however. Bernstein always had the measure of El Salon Mexico, and gives a rousing account of it here. But the so-called Fanfare for the Common Man is lifted from his recording of the Third Symphony; its beginning is not the same as that of the real fanfare. Both recordings have been wonderfully remastered by their original producer, John McClure, and have excellent presence and a palpable sense of atmosphere in the quiet pages. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2007-03-18

It does not get better than Bernstein conducting Copland. I have seen both ballets many times and this CD brought back vivid memories. No one has ever captured the sounds, rythms and spirit of the West as well as Copland. The album is a treasure. I never tire of listening to it.

For Rodeo alone, this beats the competition hands down.......2005-10-08

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."

A TWO-PUNCH PARTNERSHIP.......2002-05-31

Bernstein and Copland, two of the giants of the American classical scene are here in this excellent recording of the latter's homage to the Old West. Every major filmed western of the 50's owes its score beginnings to themes found in Copland's music.

Just take a listen and "saddle up" for the musical ride.

Incomparable!.......2000-09-01

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.

Average customer rating: Best of the the popular Copland... A Great American Album Must have this one...

Ultimate Copland Album Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Baltimore Symphony Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Detroit Symphony Orchestra | ( D ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO Copland: Music for Films Copland: Appalachian Spring; Rodeo; Fanfare for the Common Man Bernstein Century - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris ASIN: B00002S5EW Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

1. Fanfare For The Common Man
2. From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Saturday Night Waltz
3. From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Hoe-Down
4. From Old American Songs: Simple Gifts
5. Appalachian Spring: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
6. From Music For Movies: Grovers Corners (From Our Town)
7. From Billy The Kid: Introduction - The Open Prairie
8. From Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
9. From Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance
10. From Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
11. From Billy The Kid: Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
12. From Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
13. From Billy The Kid: El Salon Mexico
14. Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
15. Appalachian Spring: Allegro
16. Appalachian Spring: Moderato: The Bride And Her Intended
17. Appalachian Spring: Fast: The Revivalist And His Flock
18. Appalachian Spring: Allegro: Solo Dance Of The Bride
19. Appalachian Spring: Meno Mosso
20. Appalachian Spring: Doppio Movimento: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
21. Appalachian Spring: Moderato: Coda

Customer Reviews:

Best of the the popular Copland..........2004-12-26

Here's a great introduction to the popular music of Aaron Copland. When "Fanfare for the Common Man" begins, sparks of recognition will fly for most listeners. This song has been everywhere: presidential inaugurations, the olympics, commercials, movies, etc. Some flatten it as hopelessly clichéd, while others find it moving and inspiring. Copland also reprised it in the finale of his Third Symphony. Arguably Copland's most famous piece, "Appalachian Spring" closes the CD. In between, more great Copland: excerpts from 'Rodeo' (apparently the beef lobby has appropriated "Hoe-Down" as one of their themes); a great vocal rendition of "Simple Gifts" and a large chunk of another of Copland's best known works: "Billy the Kid". The only confusing piece is the "Variations on a Shaker Hymn" from Appalachian Spring when the entire Appalachian Spring is already included. Seems slightly redundant.

Though most of the pieces on this CD were written in the 1930s and 1940s, they tend to evoke the old west. With titles such as "Rodeo" and "Billy the Kid" this shouldn't surprise too many people.

Copland went on to compose more dissonant and twelve tone compositions later on in his career. These obviously weren't as popular with the public in general as the pieces on this CD. Nonetheless, if this disc whets the appetite, a foray into Copland's less popular works will yield much. It will help to expose the totality of Copland's output. This disc only represents a small portion of his work. Regardless, this disc is a great starting point for getting to know one of the United States' best known composers of the twentieth century.

A Great American Album.......2004-02-13

This is a great album representing true patriotic American music. Songs like "Hoe-Down" are lively and energetic and give rememberance to what one can imagine as the true American spirit.

Must have this one..........2002-09-17

I like all types of music, I wanted this album because I liked the song "RODEO" that is used on the beef commercials. This CD has made me into a Copland fan. It has many great songs. If you want a CD that says "I am an American." This is it. I am sending copies to a friend in Bombay and Tel Aviv. This is who I am put to music.

Average customer rating: Astounding "Canyon"; "Rodeo" Rivals NYP Superb recordings of American classics. Copland and Gould - LSC-2195 Gould conducts Copland and Grofe Superlative performance of Copeland

Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid and Rodeo Suite; Ferde Grofé:Grand Canyon Suite Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grofé, Ferde | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Grofé, Ferde | ( G ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection Copland: Appalachian Spring; Gould: Fall River Legend Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris Copland: Appalachian Spring; Rodeo; Fanfare for the Common Man ASIN: B000003FGZ Release Date: 1993-05-11

Tracks:

1. Billy The Kid: Suite: Introduction: The Open Prarie
2. Billy The Kid: Suite: Street In A Frontier Town
3. Billy The Kid: Suite: Mexican Dance And Finale
4. Billy The Kid: Suite: Prairie Night: Card Game
5. Billy The Kid: Suite: Gun Battle
6. Billy The Kid: Suite: Celebration: After Billy's Capture
7. Billy The Kid: Suite: Billy's Death
8. Billy The Kid: Suite: The Open Prairie (reprise)
9. Rodeo: Suite: Buckaroo Holiday
10. Rodeo: Suite: Corral Nocturne
11. Rodeo: Suite: Honky Tonk Interlude
12. Rodeo: Suite: Saturday Night Waltz
13. Rodeo: Suite: Hoe-Down
14. Grand Canyon Suite: Sunrise
15. Grand Canyon Suite: Painted Desert
16. Grand Canyon Suite: On The Trail
17. Grand Canyon Suite: Sunset
18. Grand Canyon Suite: Cloudburst

Customer Reviews:

Astounding "Canyon"; "Rodeo" Rivals NYP.......2007-01-05

Close your eyes and be transported to the Canyon. In this remastering of a 1960 recording, Morton Gould shows his chops as a superlative conductor and interpreter of this Grofe classic. The work itself is wonderful, but Gould and his orchestra provide nuances that absolutely delight. Of the five movements of "Grand Canyon Suite", the final, "Cloudburst", ceases becoming music and is elevated to pure sensory experience. It is no longer notes on a page finely executed; it IS the sky, the wind, the sheets of rain (a sheer, shimmering slide of sound), the thunder, and it is perfect. The four prior movements are nearly as excellent, with the second, "Painted Desert", casting an eerie shadow over the listener's mind with spellbinding brush strokes. This is a performance delivered with painstaking care.

Gould's treatment of Copland's works, recorded three years earlier, were of great personal interest, as one of my earliest exposures to "serious" music was the great Bernstein recording of "Rodeo", and "Buckaroo Holiday" in particular. Surprisingly, Gould and company give the NYPO a run for its money. They are just as energized, brash and even raw (hear the horns, and it's fitting) as New York; ditto the "Gun Battle" episode of "Billy". Gould threw himself into Copland's scores and whipped his musicians into a frenzy when called for, and the results place Gould's readings of these two pieces of Americana right behind Bernstein.

This CD - beautifully remastered - is a bargain.

Superb recordings of American classics........2004-04-27

I thoroughly agree with all other reviewers (though I wish some would spell Copland's name right!) Morton Gould conducts with great verve and sensitivity. "Rodeo" is terrific and it also includes the seldom heard "Honky-Tonk Interlude" which is a delight in itself.
The Grand Canyon Suite is a highlight with its marvellous orchestration and melodic richness. Although the score is influenced by a number of composers such as Dukas, Ravel, Respighi and even Richard Strauss, it nevertheless feels entirely
original. "On the trail" is beautifully rhythmical,one can really feel the trotting
of the donkeys, and the sound effects are pure joy. Note the
ee-ah-ing of the donkeys, so superbly part of the music. (somewhat reminescent of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream overture.) The Cloudburst is a sonic triumph.
This recording comes from 1957, but digitally remastered. Sound is demonstration quality. Still probably the best available, highly recommended.

Copland and Gould - LSC-2195.......2004-02-12

I've heard Copland conducting these two works on recordings and I've heard the famous NYPO/Bernstein's 1960 recording of these two works on Columbia Records, yet Gould and his Orchestra fills in the blank spaces that was left out in previous and recent recordings.

He takes his troup to NYC to Manhatten Center, in Oct of 1957, and have the legendary RCA producer, John Pfeiffer and Lewis Layton, produce and engineer this recording session to be encaptured on 3-track tape (where the "Billy the Kid" was released on RCA "New Orthophonic tape recording" - the BCS-130), then to eventual vinyl (LM/LSC-2195). Gould, being somewhat of an arrangement conductor in the 50's, manage to pull the stops out in how these two Copland pieces are to be presented-to where the listener can feel that they themselves are back in the Wild, Wild West of the 1880's. He doesn't rush through these two pieces like some other conductors do. Gould takes his time trying to tell the story within the music. He uses emphasis, emotion, tempo and dynamics where it should be per each chapter in a story. Excellent listening for all!

This BMG "Living Stereo" release of the LSC-2195 Copland/Gould is a faithful reproduction as it can be of the original vinyl release.

Gould conducts Copland and Grofe.......2003-11-21

It may surprise some to discover that American composer/conductor Morton Gould conducted such fine performances of other American composers' music. These RCA Victor "Living Stereo" recordings are vivid, excellent proof that Gould was a really fine conductor and not just of his own music.

The performances of the suites from Copland's ballets "Billy the Kid" and "Rodeo" are among the best ever recorded. They benefit not only from Gould's wonderful sensitivity and appreciation but from excellent playing by the "pickup" orchestra and the still remarkable "Living Stereo" recording process, in which RCA used only three microphones and advanced mastering techniques.

Ferde Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite" was a "labor of love" as the skilled composer/arranger spent considerable time carefully depicting his impressions of one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Grofe had been a very successful arranger for Paul Whiteman and is still remembered for the very first orchestration of George Gershwin's "An American in Paris," premiered by Gershwin at the piano with Whiteman conducting in New York's Aeolian Hall in February 1924.

Grofe composed a number of original orchestral works in later years and the "Grand Canyon Suite" is probably his best. It contains memorable melodies and is skillfully orchestrated throughout. It so impressed Arturo Toscanini that he recorded it in 1945 for RCA Victor, under the supervision of the composer. Grofe himself conducted a recording of the suite for Everest Records in 1960. Gould's recording is excellent. The final movement, depicting a spectacular thunderstorm, is absolutely awesome. I think this recording may surpass an earlier favorite, also recorded for RCA Victor, by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston "Pops" Orchestra.

This is all very fun and very exciting American music.

Superlative performance of Copeland.......1999-12-26

Billy the Kid & Rodeo were both etched in my soul when as a young boy I listened along with my mother. This performance by Morton Gould remains for me above any other that I have heard and I have heard many given my love for them. This is a re-issue of an original 3 microphone/3 track TRUE stero recording made by RCA in their 'Living Stero' series and originally recorded in 1957. A must have for Copeland listeners. It is a bonus that it also contains 'Grand Canyon Suite.'

Average customer rating: Aaron Copland Best Collection of Aaron Copland The finest version of Appalachian Spring -- bar none! Outstanding Collection of Copland Music Breathtaking, beautiful and aweinspiring!

Aaron Copland: Greatest Hits Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bach: Greatest Hits Mozart: Greatest Hits Wagner: Greatest Hits Tchaikovsky: Greatest Hits Beethoven: Greatest Hits ASIN: B000003F5S Release Date: 1991-09-06

Tracks:

1. Fanfare For The Common Man
2. Appalachian Spring
3. The Tender Land: Party Scene
4. The Tender Land: Finale: The Promise of Living
5. Billy the Kid -- Ballet Suite
6. Rodeo: Hoedown

Customer Reviews:

Aaron Copland.......2007-05-13

It's okay but I dont listen to it much. I have other things I would rather listen to like Chris Isaak Lawrence Welk Bee Gees etc

Best Collection of Aaron Copland.......2005-12-21

Aaron Copland is for me one of three of America's greatest composers of the 20th Century. Bernard Herrmann and Jerome Moross are the other two. Aaron Copland would have been 100 years old on November 14, 2000. In reflection I turn back to my first Copland album, "Copland's Greatest Hits." I was familiar as most people are with "Hoe Down" and that was the springboard for me. What attracted me was that distinctive "American" sound and "American" quality of the piece. This "American" sound is very present in Jerome Moross' score for the epic Western film, "The Big Country." One can also find similar influences in Bernard Herrmann's score for "The Kentuckian" and very much like Copland, Herrmann researched and interpolated regional folk songs and integrated them into his own unique style. Because I always liked film scores and also very much liked Copland's "Hoe Down" I always thought there had to be some connection with the musical approach. When I got this album and listened to "Appalachian Spring" for the first time I knew that I had discovered pure "Americana" and I have found that sound replicated in so many films. If you listen to the scores for "The Natural" or "Field of Dreams" or even recently to "Saving Private Ryan" this sound is present. This is a tribute to Copland and American music. Copland reinvented American music by giving it his unique structure. Copland's music is so simply melodic yet richly textured that it has an inherent sophistication that defines our nation. This is my favorite Copland album. That may be sentimental, but it helped me try to define a sound that I personally found moving and uplifting. I highly recommend this album of collected recordings. The recording of "Appalachian Spring" on this CD performed by the New York Philharmonic and conducted by Leonard Bernstein is my favorite recording of this piece to date.

The finest version of Appalachian Spring -- bar none!.......2001-12-09

I marvel at this CD every time I listen to it. This CD features Aaron Copland conducting the Boston Symphony in a performance of his own Appalachian Spring. There are many poignant hesitations and nuances in this performance. There is good reason why this piece has become synonymous with Americana -- listen to it, close your eyes and just let the images unfold.

This CD also contains Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Philharmonic in the Billy the Kid Ballet Suite. It is a spectacular performance as well.

Outstanding Collection of Copland Music.......1999-11-09

Every cut on this CD is very good. My personal favorites are "Appalacian Spring", and the "The Tender Land - Finale: The Promise of Living." I would recommend this CD to anyone who is a fan of Classical Music.

Breathtaking, beautiful and aweinspiring!.......1999-07-12

This is no doubt one of the most beautiful classical CD's I have ever listened to. Copland was and is an extremely gifted composer.

Average customer rating:

Copland: Billy the Kid; Rodeo; Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite [Hybrid SACD] Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grofé, Ferde | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Pops Caviar: Russian Orchestral Fireworks [Hybrid SACD] Respighi: Pines of Rome; Fountains of Rome; Debussy: La mer [Hybrid SACD] Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique [Hybrid SACD] Mendelssohn: Italian & Reformation Symphonies [Hybrid SACD] Ravel: Bolero; La Valse; Rapsodie Espagnole [Hybrid SACD] ASIN: B000E1NWIM Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

1. Introduction: The Open Prairie
2. Street Into A Frontier Town
3. Mexican Dance And Finale
4. Prarie Night: Card Game
5. Gun Battle
6. Celebration: After Billy's Capture
7. Billy's Death
8. The Open Prarie (Reprise)
9. Billy The Kid: Waltz
10. Buckaroo Holiday
11. Corral Nocturne
12. Honky Tonk Interlude
13. Saturday Night Waltz
14. Hoe-Down
15. Sunrise
16. Painted Desert
17. On The Trail
18. Sunset
19. Cloudburst

Average customer rating: + 1/2 stars...The Dean of American Composers This is not Copland at his best The title says it all An outstanding Copland collection An outstanding Copland collection

Copland: The Music of America Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Copland: Appalachian Spring; Rodeo; Fanfare for the Common Man Copland: Music for Films Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Porgy & Bess Symphonic Suite "Catfish Row" Aaron Copland: Greatest Hits Ultimate Copland Album ASIN: B000003CZE Release Date: 1997-01-28

Tracks:

1. Fanfare For The Common Man
2. Buckaroo Holiday
3. Corral Nocturne
4. Saturday Night Waltz
5. Hoe-Down
6. Quiet City
7. Billy The Kid
8. Appalachian Spring

Amazon.com

When it comes to light, folk-flavored listening, the music of Aaron Copland is some of the best and most popular. When it comes to crowd-pleasing conducting, Erich Kunzel is one of the great successes. This album contains most of Copland's essential compositions, in all or part: "Fanfare for the Common Man," four movements from "Rodeo," "Quiet City," "Billy the Kid," and "Appalachian Spring." All are performed in fine form; it would be nice to have all of "Rodeo," but this is otherwise all the Copland that most folks will need, and in one package. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

+ 1/2 stars...The Dean of American Composers.......2004-03-18

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)was the quintessential American composer of the 20th Century, and conductor Erich Kunzel with his Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is the leading popularizer of classical music.

This album brings together some of Copland's most well known pieces like "Fanfare for the Common Man," along with his three great ballets: "Billy the Kid," "Appalachian Spring" and "Rodeo." [The "Rodeo" extract "Hoe-Down" will be immediately recognized as the American Beef Council's theme music.]

Copland reamins the defining sound of American concert music and this recording is both accessible and very enjoyable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This is not Copland at his best.......2003-05-05

Aaron Copland is without a doubt my favorite composer of all time. I have collected many CDs of his work over the years, and have therefor have many recordings of all his most famous works. With that knowledge, I have to say that this is not the best recording on the market.

The sparkle and jazz of Copland's style is missing from this CD. The orchestra doesn't show off the playful side of Copland's work, which is what I think sets Copland apart from every one else. That is why I don't feel that is the best Copland CD availiable today

The title says it all.......2003-04-13

Aaron Copland created classical music for about and by America. This extremely well performed and well selected album served as my true introduction to Copland's work. Vibrant,dramatic, passionate and utterly beautiful, this sampler of Copland's oevre really captivates the listener. I have lost many hours listening to "Quiet City" and "Appalacian Spring" two breathtakingly poetic pieces that approach religious like rapture. I have also used this CD in both my Writing and Acting classes as stimuli designed to inspire original performances and short stories. In short, this is a must own CD.

An outstanding Copland collection.......2002-04-02

This album is an inclusive anthology of Copland's most popular orchestral works. I don't know what a previous reviewer was referring to when he/she said that Rodeo was incomplete, it seems like it's all there to me, and I've played it.

Solid, energetic, musically sensitive performances by the Cincinnati Pops. The recording is well-balanced and vibrant. This is not just a pops CD. Classical music snobs (like me) will find it very satisfying.

Incidentally, I really like the cover art.

An outstanding Copland collection.......2002-04-02

This album is an inclusive anthology of Copland's most popular orchestral works. Solid, energetic performances by the Cincinnati Pops. The recording is well-balanced and vibrant. A wonderful CD!

Incidentally, I really like the cover art.

Average customer rating: Henry Fonda's Reading of Lincoln Portrait..... Wonderful! Portrait is closer to how Lincoln would have said it Best versions of Appalachian Spring /Billy the Kid! Appalachian Spring, the simple version

Copland conducts Copland Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Portraits Of Freedom: Music of Aaron Copland and Roy Harris Copland Conducts Copland Copland: Symphony No3; Symphony Copland: Music For The Theatre/Piano Concerto Copland: Old American Songs/Canticle Of Freedom/Four Motets ASIN: B0000026GH Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Very Slowly
2. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Allegro
3. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Moderato
4. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Fast
5. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Subito Allegro
6. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Meno Moso; As At First (slowly)
7. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Doppio Movimento
8. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Rather Slow
9. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Very Deliberate
10. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Poco Piu Moso
11. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): A Trifle Slower
12. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Molto Allegro Ed Agitato
13. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Broadly
14. Appalachian Spring (Original Version): Moderato (Like A Prayer)
15. Lincoln Portrait: Lento
16. Lincoln Portrait: Subito Allegro
17. Lincoln Portrait: 'Fellow Citizens, We Cannot Escape History...'
18. Billy The Kid ( Ballet Suite): Introduction: The Open Prairie
19. Billy The Kid ( Ballet Suite): Street In Frontier Town
20. Billy The Kid ( Ballet Suite): Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
21. Billy The Kid ( Ballet Suite): Gun Battle
22. Billy The Kid ( Ballet Suite): Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
23. Billy The Kid ( Ballet Suite): Billy's Death
24. Billy The Kid ( Ballet Suite): The Open Prairie Again

Amazon.com

Although it has come to be much better known in Copland's arrangement for full orchestra, Appalachian Spring was originally composed for a chamber-sized complement of 13 instruments, the maximum that would fit in front of the stage at the Coolidge Auditorium in the Library of Congress, where Martha Graham's company gave the premiere of the ballet in 1944. Many listeners prefer the more vibrant and homespun sound of this original version, with its intimate expressiveness, to the splashiness and color of Copland's rescoring, brilliant as it is. Here, Copland conducts a hand-picked group of New York freelancers in what must be counted a definitive performance. The playing is energetic and expressive, the sentiment deep but not too sweet. Copland's 1968 account of his Lincoln Portrait, with Henry Fonda as narrator, and 1969 reading of the suite from Billy the Kid round out the disc most satisfactorily. All three recordings are remarkably vivid. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Henry Fonda's Reading of Lincoln Portrait............2006-12-16

.....alone makes this cd worth the price. This may say more about me than I like, but I own several versions of Appalachian Spring. It was worth adding one more to the collection just so I could get my hands on Henry Fonda's reading of the Lincoln Portrait. I've listened to almost all of them but this one best captures Lincoln's decency and moral stature. Fonda reads it with great emotion and warmth. When you really want to understand the best of American values this is the place to start.

Wonderful!.......2006-08-10

This was my first exposure to Copland. Copland is the quintessential American composer. His compositions are some of my favorites. As for this verson, Henry Fonda is by far the best orator for The Lincoln Portrait. James Earl Jones comes a close second. If you enjoy good music, you will enjoy this album.

Portrait is closer to how Lincoln would have said it.......2006-07-14

I can appreciate the previous reviewer who felt that Henry Fonda's interpretation of the Lincoln Portrait was a bit bland. I respectfully disagree.

We know from research that Abraham Lincoln was a soft spoken man with a thin reedy voice. His delivery, it has been speculated, would have been firm but with a bit of a down home quality. I believe the late Henry Fonda has the best reading of this text. The versions by Charlton Heston, James Earl Jones and William Warfield are excellent but they all have a dramatic quality that is very unlike Lincoln the man.

I will agree that the mixing on the this recording could have been better, but I still prefer that restrained yet confident sound of Henry Fonda. To me it has the same quality as his "I'll be there" speech at the conclusion of The Grapes of Wrath.

Very moving.

Best versions of Appalachian Spring /Billy the Kid!.......2004-02-14

If I had to choose one Copland album over all others in my collection, this would be the one!
When I purchased this cd many years ago, I hadn't realized at the time that this was the original, longer version of "Appalachian Spring" for chamber orchestra until I first played it, and it totally took me by surprise - what a revelation! It's become both my favorite version and recording of this piece.

The orchestration in "A Lincoln Portrait" is superb, and although the late Henry Fonda's reading does have a certain, peculiar quality to it, it's a vast improvement over the sound of the vinyl.

The "Billy the Kid" suite is absolutely thunderous and intensely psychotic, the BEST version ever recorded, IMHO, with the opening tympani beats guaranteed to shake your speakers and sub-woofers and the house along with it.

Appalachian Spring, the simple version.......2003-08-25

This version of Appalachian Spring is truly the original version. If you are looking for the true American spirit in Copland's music, by all means, buy this cd. Appalachian Spring is already such a simply beautiful piece of music, but when Copland conducts, you can really hear how Copland feels about the piece. I find the simple elegance of this piece inspiring, and this cd has helped me form a good idea of the style Copland would want for when I perform this piece with an orchestra.

Average customer rating: A Excellent CD

Copland: Appalachian Spring; The Tender Land (Orchestral Suite); Billy the Kid (Ballet Suite) Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ASIN: B000003EQB Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Appalachian Spring
2. The Tender Land: Introduction and Love Music
3. The Tender Land: Party Scene
4. The Tender Land: Finale: The Promise of Living
5. Billy the Kid -- Ballet suite

Customer Reviews:

A Excellent CD.......2000-01-26

This CD gives you two of Aaron Copland's most popular ballets, with Appalachian Spring being a performance conducted by the composer himself. Both Copland and Ormandy give wonderful readings of both works and the Boston Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra are excellent. This CD also includes a wonderful performance of a work that I feel is often unfairly neglected, the Tenderland Suite. In my opinion, this is some of Copland's best and most beautiful music, and the conductor's excellent reading with the Boston Symphony deserves to be listened to.

Average customer rating: Bought this for Concerto for Clarinet Aaron Copland: Populist and Conductor Tribute to Lincoln A great way to get your dose of Copland.... Well balanced retrospective, -or- Listen to this!

The Copland Collection: Orchestral & Ballet Works, 1936-1948 Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Copland Collection: Orchestral Works, 1948-1971 A Copland Celebration Vol. 3 Copland: Music for Films A Copland Celebration Vol. 1 Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers ASIN: B0000027BJ Release Date: 1991-01-18

Tracks:

1. El Salon Mexico
2. An Outdoor Overture
3. Billy The Kid: Introduction: The Open Prairie
4. Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
5. Billy The Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
6. Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
7. Billy The Kid: Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
8. Billy The Kid: Billy's Death
9. Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
10. Quiet City
11. John Henry
12. Our Town
13. Las Agachadas
14. Fanfare For The Common Man

Tracks:

1. Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): I. Buckaroo Holiday
2. Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): II. Corral Nocturne
3. Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): III. Saturday Night Waltz
4. Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): IV. Hoedown
5. The City: New England Countryside
6. Of Mice And Men: Barley Wagons
7. The City: Sunday Traffic
8. Our Town: Grovers Corners
9. Of Mice And Men: Threshing Machines
10. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Very Slow
11. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Fast
12. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Moderato
13. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Fast
14. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Still Faster
15. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): As At First (Slowly)
16. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Calm And flowing
17. Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Moderato; Coda
18. Letter From Home
19. Danzon Cubano

Tracks:

1. Lincoln Portrait: Lento
2. Lincoln Portrait: Subito Allegro
3. Lincoln Portrait: 'Fellow Citizens, We Cannot Escape History...'
4. Symphony No. 3: I. Molto Moderato-With Simple Expression
5. Symphony No. 3: II. Allegro Molto
6. Symphony No. 3: III. Andantino Quasi Allegretto
7. Symphony No. 3: IV. Molto Deliberato
8. Concerto For Clarinet, Strings, Harp, & Piano

Amazon.com

Aaron Copland made numerous recordings of his own music, including an extensive series for CBS during the 1960s and '70s, mostly with London orchestras. He was not an especially proficient conductor--consequently, the performances he conducted often lacked pace and rhythmic punch. His last recordings of his most popular scores have been reissued by Sony on an exceptionally well-remastered 3-CD set. These accounts do a good job of conveying the overall shape of the pieces, and they deliver telling characterizations of many episodes. Details emerge that are lost in some other accounts, and there is an appealing gentleness and sweetness to the approach. But the readings do not have as much grip as those of Bernstein and Slatkin, among others, and in spite of the authority they automatically possess, they are not necessarily preferable. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Bought this for Concerto for Clarinet.......2007-07-14

The sum is greater than the parts. This is a great Copland collection and shows his diversity. Yet as divers and the three CD are they are all distinctively Copland. Benny Goodman is usually associated with jazz yet he was also diverse in his career. "Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, and Harp & Piano" is a mantra that will carry you to a timeless place.

An added plus is the many other popular pieces that you know you heard but did not realize it was Copland especially the music from movies.

You may have to play the set a few times before being able to recognize the different tracks by name. The down side is many of Copland's works are outside of the date range of this collection.

Aaron Copland: Populist and Conductor.......2005-03-29

If you want a prime collection of Copland's more accessible works, this is it. Yes, it's true that Bernstein's recordings of individual pieces are often bolder and livelier; but this set offers the composer's own authoritative view of his work, and for that reason alone it is priceless. In addition, it includes virtually all the orchestral pieces he composed during his "populist phase," from El Salon Mexico (1936) to the Clarinet Concerto (1948). You won't find some of these lesser-known gems, such as An Outdoor Overture (1938) or Letter from Home (1944, written--like Rhapsody in Blue--for Paul Whiteman), on typical single-disc Copland compilations. I'd even go so far as to claim this as one of the four indispensable compilations of American instrumental music from the first half of the twentieth century (the others on my list--in case anyone cares--are Joshua Rifkin playing Scott Joplin, Oscar Levant playing Gershwin, and the Blanton-Webster band recordings of Duke Ellington).

What amazing riches flowed from Copland's pen during the period covered by these three discs! Billy the Kid (1939), Quiet City (1940), Our Town (1940), Fanfare for the Common Man (1942), Rodeo (1942), Lincoln Portrait (1942), Appalachian Spring (1944), and the Third Symphony (1946)--all are here. Some of this music is so familiar, so deeply ingrained in America's cultural consciousness, that we might be tempted to take it for granted. But imagine how much poorer the American concert repertoire would be without it. It's almost impossible, at this point, to conceive of a time when this wonderful music--which is to America roughly what Mussorgsky's music is to Russia, Grieg's to Norway, and Falla's to Spain--didn't exist. It was during the dozen years covered by this collection that Copland pulled away from the pack of his talented contemporaries (Hanson, Thomson, Harris, etc.) and, in a way, but with greater technical sophistication, filled the void left by the tragically early death of Gershwin, whose heyday, 1924-1935, immediately preceded the composition of the works on this collection.

The ballet music is all presented here in the familiar orchestral suites Copland arranged. Most of the selections are played by the London Symphony Orchestra, although the New Philharmonia and the just-plain Philharmonia get cracks at a few key works. The last-named orchestra, for instance, takes on the biggest piece on the program, Copland's Third, the closest thing American music has to a Beethoven's Ninth (although the work's sublime rhetoric has never completely convinced me--it's neither my personal favorite by Copland nor my favorite American symphony . . . but it sure has its moments). In addition to the fine orchestral playing, another treat is that Henry Fonda narrates the Lincoln Portrait--an almost inevitable pick, given the virtually mythic way his acting style embodied the American spirit and the fact that he had portrayed the sixteenth president in John Ford's classic film Young Mr. Lincoln (1939).

The set concludes with what, over the years, has become my favorite work by Copland, the Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp, & Piano, written for and performed here by surely the last century's greatest clarinetist, Benny Goodman. This work effects a concise synthesis between Copland's mature style and his earlier jazz stylings from the 1920s; in addition, the searing eloquence of the opening slow movement seems to me the most profound lyrical writing Copland ever achieved. Stoltzman's recording, ironically enough, swings harder than the king of swing's, but this collaboration between the composer and the man who commissioned it is for the ages.

The only major "populist" scores written after the period this collection covers are the film scores to The Red Pony (1948) and The Heiress (1949). Both can be acquired on an essential Leonard Slatkin CD for RCA. And since this collection doesn't include chamber music, the great Violin Sonata (1943), a kind of more intimate counterpart to Appalachian Spring, will have to be sought elsewhere. (One good option is Gil Shaham/Andre Previn on DG.) A serious Copland collector will also want to grab the other two volumes of the Copland Collection itself. The early set features important works such as the Organ Symphony (1924), Music for the Theater (1925), and the Short Symphony (1932)--but both of the other collections also include long, thorny pieces like the early Symphonic Ode and the late Connotations that can be rather difficult for the average enthusiast to enjoy.

Most of the essential, universal Copland is to be found on this second installment of the Copland Collection, and I would definitely recommend it as the place to start exploring Copland's magnificent contribution to American music. It has been a wonderful and treasured companion of mine for many years, and it also serves to conjure up a timely and inspiring vision of open prairies, nocturnal cityscapes, and the populist, humane values that America should, ideally, epitomize.

Tribute to Lincoln.......2001-10-28

I purchased this set of Copeland CD's because I wanted the Tribute to Lincoln narrated by Henry Fonda. This is a masterful recording especially for Americans in this time. The Tribute sends chills down my spine whenever I her it. My greatest joy however, was how much I have enjoyed all of the CD's in the set. I tend to be much more of a classical listener. I have heard Copeland but not in any organized fashion. This set has brought a new and delightful experience to my listening options.

A great way to get your dose of Copland...........2000-06-30

The 2nd of this three CD collection is wonderful. My favorite though is the third one. Doesn't mean this isn't good. This Sony Copland Collection set is worth the money for. Copland is sooo much more then Appalachian Spring, Fanfare for the Common Man, Rodeo, etc... But you get a lot of typical Copland on these CDs. Songs we all know and love. But there are some unfamiliar good ones too. Concerto for Clarinet took me by storm. So did Letters from Home. Good quality, good booklet, good recording, good playing (how Copland got the London Symphony to play something right I will never know), good everything. It's not perfect because it doesn't compete with THE best Copland like the third CD set of this collection, or the The Tendeer Land. Oh, these three CD sets don't cover all Copland, but it does for the most part. It doesn't have many chamber works, two choral works, and his two operas. You can cover some of those with the full version of Tender Land and of Second Hurricane (which also comes with the choral work, In the Beginning). But this is a good series. I highly recommend it!

Well balanced retrospective, -or- Listen to this!.......1999-08-11

Mr. Copland's works, as always, are exceptional This album, which consists of his work both as a composer and as a conductor, brings his music to life in a way no other conductor can. This is a well mastered and well produced work and worth the listen. To hear Arron Copland's music as he intended is wonderfull.

Music Review:

1. Dvorak: Stabat Mater Op58; Biblical Songs Op99
2. Emperor Waltz: Famous Vienna Waltzes
3. Ex Machina (Trans)
4. Favorite Arias
5. Great Moments from Verdi's 'La Traviata"
6. Haydn, Beethoven, Weber
7. In Shikara Tala [Live]
8. International Salute
9. Liszt: Consolations; Funérailles
10. Liszt: Dante Symphony; Bergsymphonie No1

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