Ferde Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite & Concerto For Piano And Orchestra/George Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue

On this CD:

1. Grand Canyon Suite for orchestra
Composed by Ferde Grofe
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Ferde Grofe

2. Concerto for piano & orchestra in D minor
Composed by Ferde Grofe
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with Jesus Maria Sanroma
Conducted by Ferde Grofe

3. Rhapsody in Blue for piano & orchestra (orchestral version by F. Grofé)
Composed by George Gershwin
Performed by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Jesus Maria Sanroma
Conducted by William Steinberg

Tracks:

Billy The Kid: Suite: Introduction: The Open Prarie
Billy The Kid: Suite: Street In A Frontier Town
Billy The Kid: Suite: Mexican Dance And Finale
Billy The Kid: Suite: Prairie Night: Card Game
Billy The Kid: Suite: Gun Battle
Billy The Kid: Suite: Celebration: After Billy's Capture
Billy The Kid: Suite: Billy's Death
Billy The Kid: Suite: The Open Prairie (reprise)
Rodeo: Suite: Buckaroo Holiday
Rodeo: Suite: Corral Nocturne
Rodeo: Suite: Honky Tonk Interlude
Rodeo: Suite: Saturday Night Waltz
Rodeo: Suite: Hoe-Down
Grand Canyon Suite: Sunrise
Grand Canyon Suite: Painted Desert
Grand Canyon Suite: On The Trail
Grand Canyon Suite: Sunset
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.'

Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite/Mississippi Suite

Average customer rating:

Favorite then and now!!!
Grand Canyon Suite Review
Makes you feel like you are there!
Musical interpretation
Great Kostelanetz, awful Bernstein

Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite/Mississippi Suite

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Grofe: Death Valley Suite
Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano
Copland: Rodeo/Billy The Kid
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain
Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris

ASIN: B0000025PE
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Grand Canyon Suite: I - Sunrise
Grand Canyon Suite: II - Painted Desert
Grand Canyon Suite: III - On The Trail
Grand Canyon Suite: IV - Sunset
Grand Canyon Suite: V - Cloudburst
Mississippi Suite: I - Father Of The Waters
Mississippi Suite: II - Huckleberry Finn
Mississippi Suite: III - Old Creole Days
Mississippi Suite: IV - Mardi Gras

Customer Reviews:

Favorite then and now!!!.......2007-06-11

When these recordings first came out I was too young to
have it on record, but later I had it on tape, and now
on CD. This is the best recording by far of these two works.
This recording I really love it. I remember as a teen in
the late 80's and early 90's comming home from school, how
I loved to listen to the "Grand Canyon Suite", how much
I like the "special effects" such as the "thunder storm" in the
last movement, and the "donkey" or "horse" steps as it would walk
through the desert. Grofe used such "special effects" I guess
to help us imagine better what he was trying to describe in his
music. The Mississippi Suite has always been a favorite too, with
its "Mardi Gras" finale, which depicts a carnival parade, so pupular
in the south as in many parts of the world. Kostalanetz, Bernstein
and the New Yorkers really put a "good show".

Grand Canyon Suite Review.......2007-01-13

While driving through the Painted Desert in Arizona on my way to NAU in Flagstaff I was listening to this CD and it just made the Painted Desert come alive. I could just picture each area of the Grand Canyon as the music came on. It was one of the most plesant drives I've taken in years. Also I was replacing a CD that had gotten stolen and I missed this mucic, so I ordered a replacement. I'm glad that I did. I danced to this mucis years ago at a ballet recital and the music had always remained with me. I really recommend playing this music as you pass through the Grand Canyon area but it's just as beautiful if you're sitting in your own living room or parlor listening to it.

Makes you feel like you are there!.......2007-01-10

I first had the Grand Canyon Suite conducted by Berstein as a vinyl recording. I missed it very much when I could no longer play it. I have two other conductors and orchestras doing Grand Canyon, but they are both lacking the expression in which this performance excels. I was thrilled to get this CD!! Berstein definitely understands the power of this great composition.

Kostelanetz does a great job with the Mississippi Suite. I have it on one other CD and, though that one is good, Kostelanetz brings a flavor to it that makes me think I am actually on the river. I was born in Memphis and go back to visit relatives frequently. The music and the flow and the majesty of the river is wonderfully depicted.

Musical interpretation.......2006-02-19

The Utah Orchestra plays with depth and interpretation of Grofe's music images of the Grand Canyon. Having hiked the Canyon myself as well as experienced the many moods, this recording evokes them very well

Great Kostelanetz, awful Bernstein.......2004-07-10

Given the fact that The Grand Canyon suite is a concert pops piece, it should be a piece of cake for Lenny to pull this off. Well, he can't, and it's terrible. The most famous movement, On The Trail, is lacking the excitement and spirit that this needs. His celeste solo is so over blown with extra accents and mannered phrasing, you realize just how self indulgent Bernstein is. Compare this to Stanley Black. His Grand Canyon is terrific. With Phase 4 engineering, great strings and plenty of spirit, he captures the mood of the piece with great verve. Skip the Bernstein tracks and just listen to Kostelanetz. The string sound he gets from the NYP is much better than Bernstein. It's hard to believe that it's the same orchestra. Even though this work is much shorter, Kostelanetz gives it his all. Daybreak is uplifting and majestic. Since this piece is rarely played, it's nice to have it on cd. Kostelanetz is the only version you'll need. Skip Bernstein and listen to Kostelanetz.

Average customer rating:

Grand Grofé
The Treasures of Ferde Grofé
Majestic!
Programmatic music at its finest!
Another "new" work by Ferde Grofe!

Grofé: Orchestral Works
William T. Stromberg , Ferde Grofe , and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Grofe: Death Valley Suite
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Barber: School for Scandal/Symphonies 1 & 2
Victory at Sea (Music from the Original Television Series)

ASIN: B00000IXIW
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

Mississippi Suite: I. Father of Waters
Mississippi Suite: II. Huckleberry Finn
Mississippi Suite: III. Old Creole Days
Mississippi Suite: IV. Mardi Gras
Grand Canyon Suite: I. Sunrise
Grand Canyon Suite: II. The Painted Desert
Grand Canyon Suite: III. On The Trail
Grand Canyon Suite: IV. Sunset
Grand Canyon Suite: V. Cloudburst
Niagara Falls Suite: I. Thunder Of The Waters
Niagara Falls Suite: II. Devil's Hole Massacre
Niagara Falls Suite: III. Honeymooners
Niagara Falls Suite: IV. Power of Niagara - 1961

Customer Reviews:

Grand Grofé.......2007-07-13

What a fabulous collection of the best of Grofé conducted by the composer himself. If there is a better recording of any of these selections, I have not heard it and I have heard many.

The Treasures of Ferde Grofé.......2007-03-27

Ferde Grofé, born in the late 19th century New York, had a varied musical career as a composer, arranger, and pianist. He was a performer and arranger for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and later arranged Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" for orchestra. Best known as a composer for "Grand Canyon Suite," his style combined classical, jazz and Hollywood cinematic styles in a series of unique "paintings" that managed to evoke the images that his sounds represented.

This collection from Naxos includes the aforementioned "Grand Canyon Suite," as well as his lesser known "Mississippi Suite" and "Niagara Falls Suite." All are quite moving, although "Grand Canyon" is far and away his most brilliant. Niagara displays a fine range of images and moods, from the power of the waters themselves to the cinematic lyricalism of honeymooners.

The quality of the CD is excellent. I have been quite pleased with the quality of their releases. William Stromberg and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra capture the essence of these wonderful compositions.

Majestic!.......2002-10-14

Probably everyone with any familiarity with American classical composers has heard at least some of the "Grand Canyon Suite" at some point, but the other two suites on this CD (the "Mississippi" and the "Niagara Falls") may not be quite so familiar. They should be, and this version is a splendid (and inexpensive) way to own them. I bought the CD chiefly because I had heard of the "Mississippi" and wanted to find out what it was like. It is a fine piece of music, with much of the rolling expansiveness of the Big River captured in it. And the "Niagara Falls" ranges from Native motifs that will be familiar to all TV-Western buffs, to the Gershwinesque. Of course, there's no need to describe the centerpiece. I've always loved the kind of music that lifts you out of your seat, and all these pieces do.

If this is a typical Naxos product, I'm sure I'll be adding a lot more of them to my collection.

Programmatic music at its finest!.......2002-01-20

Ferde Grofé's mastery of the orchestral palette is breathtaking. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his seminal work, the GRAND CANYON SUITE. This work portrays 24 hours of contrasting moods in America's most famous natural habitat, from the stillness of morning in "The Painted Desert" to the thunder of a rare nighttime "Cloudburst." No matter what time of day, you may feel as if the sky is brighter after listening to "Sunrise." One can sense the demeanor of the donkey forced to make the journey "On the Trail." I always feel the regret of another day passing during "Sunset."

The other two orchestral suites on this CD are also great, but they simply do not compare to the majesty of the GRAND CANYON. The MISSISSIPPI SUITE is a short four-movement exploration of Americana along the great river. The NIAGARA FALLS SUITE is overwhelming in its portrayal of the power of the Falls, enhanced by the quiet sections of the inner movements.

Like me, you may be a bit leery of purchasing a CD from a budget label featuring artists and ensembles of whom you've never heard. Rest assured, this CD is a bargain that you will not regret purchasing. I have never been disappointed with a NAXOS CD, and both the Bournemouth Symphony and William T. Stromberg are excellent. Stromberg, a native Californian and only 34 years old at the time of this recording, lends a sensitivity to the quiet passages and incredible zest and energy to the dynamic passages, most notably to the NIAGARA FALLS SUITE.

Another "new" work by Ferde Grofe!.......2000-12-11

The close of the last century was a good time for the late American composer Ferde Grofe, with two never-before-recorded works popping up on CD! I refer to "Broadway at Night," recorded by the Beau Hunks, and "Niagra Falls Suite," the last and best performed of the three suites featured on this CD.

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue
An American In Paris
Grand Canyon Suite: l. Sunrise
Grand Canyon Suite: ll. Painted Desert
Grand Canyon Suite: lll. On The Trail
Grand Canyon Suite: lV. Sunset
Grand Canyon Suite: V. Cloudburst

Amazon.com

Back in the 1950s and '60s, when George Gershwin was taken for granted more than he was respected, Leonard Bernstein was one of his only champions in high-classical-music circles, and to judge from these recordings, he got away with a lot. He would seem to be attempting to out-swagger Arthur Fiedler in the jazzier passages, but on the plus side, what can sound freeze-dried with some conductors has a welcome heat here, especially in An American in Paris. That piece receives one of its best-ever recordings and sounds great in the bright, clear recording venue, Brooklyn's Hotel St. George. However, Bernstein's tempo extremes tax the cohesion of Rhapsody in Blue. And Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite receives a sympathetic performance, though the acoustics of the Lincoln Center recording venue are so cavernous and diffuse you'd think it was recorded in the location of the title. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Two Great Gershwin Recordings.......2007-06-27

I first heard the recording of "An American in Paris" on the radio, and I immediately concluded that this was a recording I needed to order. I ordered this CD solely for the recording of "An American in Paris", everything else was a bonus. "An American in Paris" was worth the price of the whole CD, but so is "Rhapsody in Blue", which I believe could easily be the definitive recording of this great work. Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite" is a pleasant bonus, but not the substance of this recording. I would highly recommend this recording.

Gershwin fan.......2007-04-01

I am, definitely, absolutely and totally sold on Gershwin, so there is no question as to whether this CD is good or not, since it has Gershwin's two "hits", Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris, it is good and enjoyable. I only feel that the Ferde Grofé part, though outstanding, is too overpowering vis-a-vis the Gershwin part. But it is definitely an OK CD, no question about it.

Sorry - it's not the best........2007-03-13

This recording is okay in many respsects...but many people (yours truly) find it lacking in something. Dare I say the interpretation is slightly off?

Sorry - there are better out there.

Two of LB's quintessential recordings.......2007-01-09

This bids fair to be the most famous recording of American music ever made, so it's strange for the Amazon reviewer to condescend to LB's readings of Gerhswin, only to call it one of his best. The more renowned recording is Rhapsody in Blue with Bernstein at the piano and a pickup orchestra--no doubt recruited form the NY Phil.--that's bigger than a jazz band but still lean. (Arthur Fiedler's version, also famous, is far more square.) If anything, the American in Paris recording is better; I can't imagine a more vibrant reading. The orchestration is more symphonic than the Rhapsody, but LB makes sure that the rhythms swing. A ollector could stop and buy no other readings, but the ones by Andre Previn on EMI have updated sound and also come across with jazz spirit. The filler here is Grofe's once-famous Grand Canyon Suite, a negligible piece of fluff with truding donkeys and a thunderstorm. LB does it proud, however; one wonders if he even had to rehearse it--probably not.

Brilliant is the word!.......2006-11-29

No other director in the history has achieved such expression level and plain domain of the idiomatic lexicon of George Gershwin as Bernstein did it. There are two main reason for it, his enormous talent and his condition as pianist.

So, Gershwin may be very grateful because of that because for the posterity , the future newcomers in music will have the chance to analyze, scrutinize and explore all the factors that made possible this testimonial.

Totally recommended.

Copland: Billy the Kid; Rodeo; Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite [Hybrid SACD]

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Copland: Billy the Kid; Rodeo; Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000E1NWIM
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

Introduction: The Open Prairie
Street Into A Frontier Town
Mexican Dance And Finale
Prarie Night: Card Game
Gun Battle
Celebration: After Billy's Capture
Billy's Death
The Open Prarie (Reprise)
Billy The Kid: Waltz
Buckaroo Holiday
Corral Nocturne
Honky Tonk Interlude
Saturday Night Waltz
Hoe-Down
Sunrise
Painted Desert
On The Trail
Sunset
Cloudburst

Ferde Grofé: Grand Canyon, Mississippi & Niagara Suites [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

Descriptive American Orchestral Suites Beautifully Done

Ferde Grofé: Grand Canyon, Mississippi & Niagara Suites [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves; Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis [Hybrid SACD]
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B000260QF6
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

Father Of Waters
Huckleberry Finn
Old Creole Days
Mardi Gras
Sunrise
The Painted Desert
On The Trail
Sunset
Cloudburst
Thunder Of The Waters
Devil's Hole Massacre
Honeymooners
Power Of Niagara

Customer Reviews:

Descriptive American Orchestral Suites Beautifully Done.......2004-08-09

To Americans of a certain age, the name Ferde Grofé conjures up images of the Grand Canyon, because for many years one heard in all kinds of venues music from, or arranged from, his very popular Grand Canyon Suite, which is included on this SACD disc from Naxos. It also includes the Mississippi Suite and the Niagara Falls Suite. It seems as if Grofé was dedicated to writing music to describe all manner of American landscapes, activities, holidays, etc. This CD is one of several that have been issued by Naxos that give us a pretty good taste of his up-front, middle-American, easy-to-understand music. He was an expert at painting musical pictures. Probably most famous of such passages in his music is the hee-haw of the burro at the beginning of 'On the Trail' from 'Grand Canyon,' followed by a whiny violin cadenza that signifies the burro's reluctance to begin the descent down into the canyon. And then comes the familiar clip-clop of the burro's hooves. Also extraordinarily pictorial is the final section of the suite, 'Cloudburst,' which does indeed picture a desert storm.

The Mississippi Suite is just as descriptive, and even more so is the Niagara Suite which begins with a eerily accurate percussion imitation of the roar of the water going over the Falls.

These perfomances have all been released before on a plain-vanilla CD (and I urge you to read the reviews for that release to gain more information) and here it is in the more vivid surround-sound SACD format. I will admit I have not heard it in surround sound, because I haven't converted to the format, but from previous listens of other Naxos SACD on such equipment, I can confidently predict that the sound would be awesome.

Strong performances by the Bournemouth Symphony under William T. Stromberg, a conductor who has made a career of conducting film scores. Grofé music is not film music, but it could easily be taken for such.

TT=67:46

Scott Morrison

Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Porgy & Bess Symphonic Suite "Catfish Row"

Average customer rating:

Poor volumn control
THE GRAND CANYON SUITE - An American Classic

Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Porgy & Bess Symphonic Suite "Catfish Row"

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Copland: The Music of America
American Piano Classics
Orchestral Spectaculars
Symphonic Spectacular
Fiesta!

ASIN: B000003CT1
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

I. Catfish Row
II. Porgy Sings
III. Fugue
IV. Hurricane
V. Good Morning, Sister
Sunrise
Painted Desert
On The Trail
Sunset
Cloudburst
Crickets & Distant Thunder
Cloudburst (With Thunderstorm Effects)

Customer Reviews:

Poor volumn control.......2005-09-21

The music is wonderfull, especially the real thunder. Unfortunately the sound is either too low or too high and the volumn control has to be adjusted constantly to hear the whole CD properly.

THE GRAND CANYON SUITE - An American Classic.......2003-11-26

___________________________________________________________________________________

This is an abolutely masterful rendition of The Grand Canyon Suite! By far the best I've ever heard. Erich Kunsel is to be highly praised for this masterpiece. The recording quality is magnificent and it comes with two versions of the thunderstorm movement; a traditional one with instruments only and an utterly fantastic one with actual thunderstorm recordings which is extremely well done. What a wonderful American classic! I venture to say that anyone listening to this performance could not help but develop a much greater appreciation of Ferde Grofe and the musical heritage he left this country.

Tracks:

Grand Canyon Suite: 1. Sunrise
Grand Canyon Suite: 2. The Painted Desert
Grand Canyon Suite: 3. On The Trail
Grand Canyon Suite: 4. Sunset
Grand Canyon Suite: 5. Cloudburst
Mississippi Suite: 1. Father Of Waters
Mississippi Suite: 2. Huckleberry Finn
Mississippi Suite: 3. Old Creole Days
Mississippi Suite: 4. Mardi Gras
Concerto No. 2 In E Minor For Cello And Orchestra, Op. 30: 1. Allegro impetuoso
Concerto No. 2 In E Minor For Cello And Orchestra, Op. 30: 2. Lento - Andante tranquillo
Concerto No. 2 In E Minor For Cello And Orchestra, Op. 30: 3. Allegro

Amazon.com

Grofe lost no time capitalizing on the spectacular success of his Grand Canyon Suite, churning out several others, of which the Mississippi Suite is probably the best. Both pieces are very well performed by composer/conductor Howard Hanson and his excellent conservatory orchestra. The music itself is charmingly jazzy and very much of its period. Victor Herbert's Cello Concerto is a typically well written work by the famous operetta composer, and it has the singular distinction of having inspired Dvorák to compose his own Cello Concerto--the greatest ever written for the instrument. It's nice to have it back in the catalog in such a sympathetic performance. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Some wonderful performances in great old stereo.......2005-08-08

I concur with the other review to get Mercury CDs while they can be gotten. The early stereo sound on these 1958 recordings is valuable not only as a historic benchmark in early stereo production but for the way they project the orchestra in sections.

I find equally winsome the performances of Ferde Grofe's two symphonic suites about the Grand Canyon and Mississippi -- which is about the river, not the state -- and the Victor Herbert Cello Concerto No. 2, which I have heard in more recent recordings not done as well as here. Cellist Georges Miquelle emphasizes the songful aspects of Herbert's friendly score in this memorable performance.

Having just read a review of popular American music in a well-known American classical music magazine, I was displeased to learn they did not recommend this recording for the Grand Canyon Suite, which is surely the meatiest section. The performance here by the Eastman Rochester Orchestra are vividly done with sensitivity to the Wild West aspects of the music. You can probably find a better version of "On the trail" but you'll never hear better work in the Mississippi Suite, which with excellent bass response rises to a level of the better known composition.

I very much enjoyed this small tour of Americana through Howard Hanson's Rochester forces circa 1958. I found the recording not wanting in any area and the players -- with a small accommodation necessary for a thin string tone -- being otherwise up to the task and turning in really memorable performances of the Mississippi Suite and Herbert concerto.

Get Mercury Living Presence Before Its Dead.......2003-08-16

When I first started collecting classical CDs, I only had a few Mercury Living Presence (MLP) titles. In my quest to get the absolute best, or at least a definitive recording, of the major works of the standard repertoire, MLP discs rarely topped the critics' lists. In fact, only three MLP recordings have been earmarked as "Essential Recordings" by amazon -- Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Byron Janis performing Rachmaninov's 2nd & 3rd Piano Concertos, and Yehudi Menuhin performing Bartok's 2nd Violin Concerto, all three with Antal Dorati as conductor. It is also safe to say that three other titles are equally essential for their historical value alone. They are Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake by Dorati (the first recording of the complete ballet), Janis performing Liszt's Piano Concertos (the first recordings made in the Soviet Union by American technicians, musical staff and equipment), and Kubelik's Chicago Symphony performance of Pictures at an Exhibition (one of, if not the single best mono recording ever, and the one that led the New York Times critic to coin the phrase "Living Presence," from which the label named its series). But how does a CD line go from having a half-dozen must have recordings, to being this reviewer's all-time favorite classical label?

Tracks:

Summertime - Jean-Pierre Rampal
Simple Gifts - Aaron Copland
Saturday Night Waltz - Aaron Copland
Hoedown - Aaron Copland
Maple Leaf Rag - Jean-Pierre Rampal
On The Trail - Ferde Grofe
Very Slowly; Allegro - Aaron Copland
Bethena - A Concert Waltz - Jean-Pierre Rampal
Andante con moto e poco rubato - Jean-Pierre Rampal
Bess, You Is My Woman Now - Jean-Pierre Rampal
A Ragtime Two Step - Jean-Pierre Rampal
The Story Of Grover's Corners - Scott Joplin
Souvenir D'Amerique, 'Yankee Doodle,' Op. 17 - Henri Vieuxtemps
Andante - George Gershwin

Customer Reviews:

An American Picnic.......2002-08-11

I have three of the Dinner Classics. "Dinner For Two" "Romance"
and "A Cocktail Party" All are wonderful cd's and I would like to find more, other than what is listed here. "An American Picnic" is good but I like "Dinner For Two" the best.

Worth It.......1999-11-29

This album is one of the "must haves" in the great "Masterworks Dinner Classics" series. Beautiful!

Average customer rating:

Good, not grand, sound on Grofe fifties fest.

Great American Grofé

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000002SP9
Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

Grand Canyon Suite: Sunrise
Grand Canyon Suite: Painted Desert
Grand Canyon Suite: On The Trail
Grand Canyon Suite: Sunset
Grand Canyon Suite: Cloudburst
Mississippi Suite: Father Of Waters
Mississippi Suite: Huckleberry Finn
Mississippi Suite: Old Creole Days
Mississippi Suite: Mardi Gras
Death Valley Suite: Funeral Mountains
Death Valley Suite: 49er Emigrant Train
Death Valley Suite: Desert Water Hole
Death Valley Suite: Sand Storm
Grand Canyon Suite: Cloudburst

Customer Reviews:

Good, not grand, sound on Grofe fifties fest........2002-03-11

Felix Slatkin's renditions of Ferde Grofe's "Grand Canyon" and "Mississippi" suites are good, though the spacious fidelity required for this music isn't here--even by 1956 standards, the acoustics are cramped. Contrast this with the big-sounding Andre Kostelanetz version from 1941 that was consistently reissued on Columbia for decades, from shellac to vinyl, and then from monaural to reprocessed stereo. (Why isn't this masterful performance on CD??) Otherwise, the scrunched dynamics and tape hiss are no worse than one would expect from the period--better, perhaps. Frankly, I didn't know that stereo existed in 1956, but apparently it did. Though it sounds a tad empty, this is authentic stereo.

The real reason to buy this CD, however, is the Grofe-conducted "Death Valley Suite," which I happen to love in spite of its many faults, not the least of which is a joyous but corny Stephen Foster medley that abruptly pops out of the sand in "Desert Water Hole," the third movement. This is very 1939 in character, with the feel of a patriotic movie short, making it only slightly anachronistic for 1949, the year of the suite. The concluding "Sand Storm" plows along in triple-forte fashion with howling wind machines and a shameless indulgence in whole-tone modality, the storm ending with an augmented-triad overlap of woodwinds and strings. A lovely and richly-scored reprise of a second-movement theme brings this fun, if not awfully serious, work to an end. For a 1954 recording, "Death Valley" sounds very good, with less tape hiss and dynamic flattening-out than there could have been. Oh, and there's the fastest "Cloudburst" ever recorded, with Grofe again at the baton, as a bonus track. This is also from 1954. A very nice buy.

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