Appalachian Spring

On this CD:

1. Appalachian Spring, concert suite
Composed by Aaron Copland
Performed by Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies

2. Symphony No. 2 ("Short Symphony")
Composed by Aaron Copland
Performed by Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies

3. Symphony No. 3: The Camp Meeting, for orchestra, S. 3 (K. 1A3) Andante Maestoso: "Old Folks Gathering"
Composed by Charles Ives
Performed by Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies

4. Symphony No. 3: The Camp Meeting, for orchestra, S. 3 (K. 1A3) Allegro: "Children's Day"
Composed by Charles Ives
Performed by Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies

5. Symphony No. 3: The Camp Meeting, for orchestra, S. 3 (K. 1A3) "Communion"
Composed by Charles Ives
Performed by Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies

Tracks:

Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato
Appalachian Spring: Fast
Appalachian Spring: Subito Allegro
Appalachian Spring: As At First (Slowly)
Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento
Appalachian Spring: Moderato - Coda
Rodeo: Buckaroo Holiday - Allegro con spirito
Rodeo: Corral Nocturne - Moderato
Rodeo: aturday Night Waltz - Introduction - Slow Waltz
Rodeo: Hoe-Down - Allegro
Billy The Kid: Introduction. The Open Prairie
Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance And Finale
Billy The Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
Billy The Kid: Celbration (After Billy's Capture)
Billy The Kid: Billy's Death
Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
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!

Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano

Average customer rating:

Universal music
Long-Time Favorite
Best Copland Album I've Ever Listened To
Test of Time--Passed with honors!
the PERFECT Bernstein recording

Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris
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Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain
Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid and Rodeo Suite; Ferde Grofé:Grand Canyon Suite
Barber's Adagio

ASIN: B0000025MO
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato
Appalachian Spring: Fast
Appalachian Spring: Subito allegro
Appalachian Spring: As At First (Slowly)
Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento (Shaker Melody 'The Gift To Be Simple')
Fanfare For The Common Man
El Salon Mexico
Danzon Cubano

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

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein was a friend of Aaron Copland's, and he approaches this music with rare flair and verve--as well as with sympathy and warmth--and, we can assume, with a good idea of the composer's intentions regarding it. This is a classic album, containing several of the works in the essential Copland oeuvre; the sound is not as good as you'll find in a more contemporary recording, but for most listeners the spirit will make up for that. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Universal music.......2006-07-14

This recording, aside of bringing back great memories of a live performance of Mr. Bernstein more than 25 years ago directing Mexico State Philarmonic Orchestra playing Salon Mexico, is of grand quality and Aaron Coplands music selection is escellent as is performed and recorded. My mom (77) and my daughter (8) enjoy it just the same.

Long-Time Favorite.......2005-03-16

When I was in the fifth grade, there was a district-wide competition called music memory, and one of the pieces I had to memorize for the competition was the last movement of Appalachian Spring. And I fell in love with that song. I went and bought the cassette of Appalachian Spring with Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic, and I listened to it almost every night before going to sleep. I even remember that one night I was listening to that final movement through my walkman as I was laying in bed. Evidently, I was humming along without realizing it, and I woke my parents, who slept downstairs and across the house, with my humming. Anyway, that's how good this recording is. And I'm still amazed at what great taste I had at that age. Now, eleven years later, I have upgraded to a CD, but I still listen to Copeland's masterpiece just about as much. I've heard a lot of great music in those intervening years, but I've still never heard anything quite this perfect. I doubt I ever do.

Best Copland Album I've Ever Listened To.......2004-05-15

I love Appalachian Spring Suite! When I went out to buy the music CD, I got This one because of the cool newspaper cover and it turned out to be the best one out there. I've listened to other recordings of Appalachian Spring performed by other orchestras, they just aren't as good. This is the absolute best one. Not only is this one of my favorite classical albums of all time, it's one of my favorite albums period. Every single track on this CD is money.

Test of Time--Passed with honors!.......2003-07-21

I have been a fan of Aaron Copland's from an early age--in fact, so early that I can hardly remember not knowing "Fanfare for the Common Man". As I became older, my appreciation grew and deepened. I still remember my first exposure to the "Gift to Be Simple" section of Appalachian Spring...it was in history class, played as part of a presentation. I can't even remember the subject of the presentation anymore--all I remember is that at that wild, joyous crescendo, I was not in the room. I was somewhere far away, flying. That is the power in a piece like this, and the standard to which I hold any musical recording.

When I began seeking a full version of Appalachian Spring for my own collection, I had the good fortune to get a "recommendation" of sorts for the definitive recording: Richard Wright, keyboardist of Pink Floyd, has more of a Copland influence than you might suspect. When I read his article in Record Collector Magazine, the particular rendition he recommended was this one--the 1962 recording for CBS, of which he seemed to have the original LP. Imagine my surprise and delight to find that it was still in print and easy to find in stores!

"Aaron Copland's an American classical composer," summarizes Mr. Wright, "and [Appalachian Spring] is his most famous work...Like all of my favourite music there's something in his material that touches me; I think it's the chordal progression and the melodic lines just above them that do it for me here - and the fact that it's very peaceful. When I listen to a lot of the stuff that I've played over the years I feel I've been heavily influenced by Copland, albeit subconsciously." (Note to Pink Floyd fans: Comparing the basic approach in "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and Copland's "Quiet City" may prove interesting.)

I am in full agreement here...it is absolutely striking what Copland was capable of creating. In his hands, simple, traditional harmonies were transformed into breathtakingly original works that reflect the best of the American spirit...innovative, beautiful, optimistic, and slightly wild. It never ceases to amaze me how he could weave such a beautiful musical texture with so few notes at times--it is indeed a gift to be simple. But Copland's work is not boring by any means--he also knows the place for grand, sweeping statements and shockingly unique, beautiful chord changes that occur seemingly out of nowhere.

As soon as I heard this disc, in comparison to other recordings I'd sampled, it was immediately obvious why this one survived the test of time, why it was still so vivid in the mind of Richard Wright. Copland and Bernstein seem always to be a good match for each other, but there was something very special going on the night this was recorded. Even if you own other renditions of "Appalachian Spring", even if you are interested in no other composition on this disc, this is an absolute must-have.

As for the other pieces, recorded in the early 60s as well, there's a similar magic--even though the "Fanfare" version is radically different, it's a real ear-opener. The pitch changes are done with a shocking fluidity, but it brings new interest to the piece. It is no replacement for the original; it's probably best to treat it as a different song. "Salon Mexicano" and "Danzón Cubano" are also excellently rendered and timeless.

All in all, this is a fantastic album--a must for any classical collection.

the PERFECT Bernstein recording.......2002-12-16

I have heard A LOT and i mean A LOT of Bernstein recordings...and...as far as post-Beethoven works go...this is it...this may only be comparable to his multiple Beethoven 5th Symphonies...
If you own ANYTHING with Leonard Bernstein's name on it...one should say "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony" on it...and the other should be this disc.

Copland: Appalachian Spring; Rodeo; Fanfare for the Common Man

Average customer rating:

Theme for the Common Man
Review of Aarom Copland CD: Appalachian Spring
Appalacian Spring
Copland performed at its best
Lane and Copland and Atlanta, what a great team!

Copland: Appalachian Spring; Rodeo; Fanfare for the Common Man

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris
Copland: The Music of America
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris
Ultimate Copland Album
Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano

ASIN: B000003CSW
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Buckaroo Holiday
Corral Nocturne
Saturday Night Waltz
Hoe-Down
Appalachian Spring (Suite)

Amazon.com

This sonically spectacular disc features three of Aaron Copland's most beloved Americana scores. Drawing on American folk themes, Rodeo and Appalachian Spring originated as ballet music, but they have found a larger life as light classic staples. They are briskly conducted by Louis Lane and played with élan by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Theme for the Common Man.......2007-01-13

Beautiful music. Aaron Copland really hit the target with this.

Review of Aarom Copland CD: Appalachian Spring.......2006-08-01

I used this CD as part of a dance history class on American Modern Dance, in conjunction with a DVD on dance pioneer Martha Graham. The music stands alone, and my students got a bit of music history along with their dance history.

Appalacian Spring.......2006-02-01

I bought it as a gift and the receiver LOVED it and plays it frquently.

Copland performed at its best.......2005-12-31

This CD is one of my favorites in my classical collection. Several years ago, I borrowed this recording from the library, and enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought my own Copland CD. I got the CD containing the New York Philharmonic's performance of Appalachain Spring (conducted by Bernstein), but was sorely disappointed. After a few months of searching (this was pre-Amazon days), I tracked down this CD and bought it. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is superb. I highly recommend this CD for any Copland fan, or anyone who wants to have a "token" classical CD.

Lane and Copland and Atlanta, what a great team!.......2001-01-30

The performance by all is first-rate; and the sonic picture is terrific!

The interpretation of Appalachian Spring is one of my absolute favorites--I treasure it.

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Saturday Night Waltz
From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Hoe-Down
From Old American Songs: Simple Gifts
Appalachian Spring: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
From Music For Movies: Grovers Corners (From Our Town)
From Billy The Kid: Introduction - The Open Prairie
From Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
From Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance
From Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
From Billy The Kid: Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
From Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
From Billy The Kid: El Salon Mexico
Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato: The Bride And Her Intended
Appalachian Spring: Fast: The Revivalist And His Flock
Appalachian Spring: Allegro: Solo Dance Of The Bride
Appalachian Spring: Meno Mosso
Appalachian Spring: Doppio Movimento: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
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.

Stars & Stripes: America's Greatest Hits

Average customer rating:

worth money
Great Patriotic Music
A good choice of tunes with good quality
Brilliant!!!
Best Patriotic Music I've Found

Stars & Stripes: America's Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Anthems
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The Military Band: Salute to the Services

ASIN: B000000BMS
Release Date: 1997-02-25

Tracks:

The Star Spangled Banner
George M. Cohan Medley: Yankee Doodle Dandy/Harrigan/Mary's A Grand Old Name/You're A Grand Old Flag
American Salute
The Washington Post
El Capitan
Armed Forces Medley: The Army Goes Rolling Along/Anchors Aweigh/Semper paratus/The U.S. Air Force...
God Bless America
Colonel Bogey
National Emblem March
Americans We
Manhattan Beach
Deep In The Heart Of Texas
The Yellow Rose Of Texas
Hoe-Down From 'Rodeo'
Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Overture To 'Strike Up The Band'
America The Beautiful
76 Trombones
Victory At Sea Suite
America From 'West Side Story'
Liberty Bell
Variations On 'America'
The Stars And Stripes Forever

Customer Reviews:

worth money.......2007-05-24

this cd set is definately worth the money spent. i haven't heard some of the music before but was willing to give it a try.

Great Patriotic Music.......2007-02-21

Beautiful music perfect for feeling patriotic. Received CD promptly and in great condition.

A good choice of tunes with good quality.......2005-06-30

If you like military tunes and marches, this 2-CD is a good choice. The orchestration is good, it is well played and the quality of recording is good. If you like this kind of music, it is a good choice to buy.

Brilliant!!!.......2003-08-11

I have the CD at home and the songs sound fabulous. I've heard the Houston Symphony's version of the Star Spangled Banner many times on TV as this anthem has been used at sign-off (when this was happening). It's as powerful a version you'll hear. Probably the finest patriotic music CD you can find out there.

Best Patriotic Music I've Found.......2001-09-20

Loved the CD! I am buying it to use with a Musical Freestyle Ride for a Quadrille. A horse oriented endeaver. The music will be perfect to bring positive patriotism to fairs and fund raisers for NYC.

Average customer rating:

A Song Of Home
A little too slick and a little too much Galway
Very Compelling Classy Classical Appalachian
Is it the music or the musicians?
A National Treasure

Song of Home
James Galway , Jay Ungar , and Molly Mason
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Harvest Home
The Lovers' Waltz
Civil War Classics
Waltzing With You
James Galway ~ Meditations

ASIN: B00006IGQ0
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

My Cape Breton Home
Foster's Ladies
Presidential Hornpipes
A Roving On A Winter's Night
The West Texas Waltz
Oh Shenandoah/Shenandoah Falls
The Lovers' Waltz
Bound For California
Heart Of The Heartland
Pretty Saro
The Mountain Ranger
Themes From 'Harvest Home Suite'
Amazing Grace

Customer Reviews:

A Song Of Home.......2005-07-09

You can feel his pride in his heritage in the way he plays on this CD

A little too slick and a little too much Galway.......2004-01-16

Based on the reviews I read about this album, I had high expectations. I am sorry to say that the album leaves me a little cold. The performances are superb, but unspontaneous. Another difficulty is with the orchestrations. In most cases on this album I think the flute just doesn't work. A case in point is Lover's Waltz, which is near perfect in the original Ungar/Mason version. Galway's flute just doesn't exude the same warmth. Another disappointment is Heart of the Heartland, which could have been an interesting conversation between Galway's flute and Ostroushko's mandolin. Instead we get another showcase for Galway with Ostroushko relegated to backup musician--what a shame! The only track I think that works well on this album is The West Texas Waltz, where we get a taste of how a really collaborative album might have sounded. I guess this album makes good easy listening, but it is certainly not the engaging album I would have expected of these folks.

After a year or two of owning this album, I have to say that the performances are even more stale that when I first reviewed it. I wish they'd let me take a star back.

Good for folks who like "easy listening". I like musicians who aren't afraid to challenge each other and themselves. This album had that potential, but falls flat.........

Very Compelling Classy Classical Appalachian.......2003-02-08

I get home from a hard day at the office and put on my headphones and am transported to heaven. If I had only two hours left of life on earth, I would want to listen to this album for one of them and we won't discuss the other hour please! Galway, Ungar, and Mason are superb. My wife and I were already of fan of Galway. Garrison Keillor's recommendation of "Waltzing with You" by Ungar and Mason (Sony) turned me on to Jay and Molly. Then on to "The Lover's Waltz" and "Harvest Home". The subtle blending and play between Galway's Flute, Jay's Fiddle, and Molly's Guitar . . . . God, there is nothing like it. If you buy this CD and don't like, I'll buy it off you and give it to a friend! ... Thanks Sir James, Jay and Molly.

Is it the music or the musicians?.......2002-12-07

During the many times I have listened to this album, I have posed myself the same question: is it the music I like best or the musicians that perform it? The music is compellingly rich for sure, music that makes the home a resonant place to live in the same way that a dancing wood fire speaks to the eyes of the soul. But the music sings with a penetrating warmth because of the seasoned artistry of the musicians who perform it. I have to give the tilt to the musicians who will forever haunt me with the flickering flames of their performance.

A National Treasure.......2002-10-20

This meeting of musical minds was a stroke of creative matchmaking by RCA. James Galway, the renowned flutist blends but does not blur with two of American folk music's more deeply rooted musical thinkers -- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason. Right from the start, "My Cape Breton Home," the art and craftsmanship, the painstaking selection and arrangement is evident. And this CD continues to delight the mind with an hour of the most beautiful music. All tunes, whether old favorites, like Stephen Foster's "Gentle Annie," or new and original, like "West Texas Waltz" by Jay Ungar, come together as naturally as the confluence of many streams. It seems as if you know these songs so well, which in my case is surprising, but perhaps not so surprising from a CD with Jay Ungar on it, composer of the evocative song for all time, "Ashokan Farewell." This piece has become a de facto theme for millions of people who heard it played again and again in the Ken Burns documentary on The Civil War.

The instrumentation, as you might expect, is the main feature of the CD. Flute, fiddle, piano, mandolin, guitar. But at what seems to be exactly the right time, Molly Mason and Ruth Ungar (Jay's daughter) voices sing out in harmony. And there is a deep understanding of the music here too, and therefore, much beauty in the sound. The rendering of "Pretty Saro" could stand alone as a classic, but when you hear it in order and against the background meticulously prepared by these musicians, it has a presence that is truly haunting.

Tracks:

Hoe-Down
Jumpin' At The Woodside
Nutcracker Suite, Waltz Of The Flowers
El Amor Brujo, Danza Del Juego De Amor
El amor brujo, Danza del juego del fuego (Para Ahuyentar Los Malos Espiritus)
Black Horse Troop
Capriol Suite, Pieds-en-l'air
Capriol Suite, Mattachins
Traditional: Shenandoah
Simple Gifts
Corral Nocturne
Introduction & Fandango, Introduction
Introduction & Fandango, Fandango
My Lord Of Oxenfordes Maske
Canzon Per Sonar Primi Toni
Dance Suite, Gavottes 1,2,3 & 6
Dance Suite, Volte II
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, III: Allegro
La SoirDans Grenade (Evening In Granada)
Main Street Electrical Parade (Baroque Hoedown) Disneyland in the Style of Vivaldi

Customer Reviews:

I love these guys!!!.......2007-01-02

At first I did not know anything about LAGQ. I was taking an intro to guitar class on the campus of USC. One of my assignments was to attend two guitar performances happening on campus and write about each. I was so fortunate to have picked LAGQ. I fell in love with their music and their humor. I was amazed by the variety of sounds coming out of the guitars. Although guitar playing is a hobby for me... these guys inspire me to study the guitar more seriously. This is the first album of theirs I bought. Their rendition of Shenandoah is the best. It is so beautiful I fall asleep to it. Simple Gifts is the most lovely version too. Jumpin' at the Woodside is another favorite... it jazzy bounce makes it a popular choice for background music to any situation. The Main Street Electrical Parade never fails to delight me and surprise my friends when I play it. These guys are silly...but in a good way. Its 2007 now and I still go back to the songs on this album. Great variety. This is a good starter to a LAGQ collection. Go see them live if you can!!!

Excellent album.......2004-11-23

Recently I learned about LAGQ and bought this album. I have been impressed by the arrangements and interpretation, the texture, innovative touches and originality. It is a treat!

This is only a warning.......2004-09-19

The LAGQ are fine players, and the music here is first rate as a summary of what they do, or for any purpose. HOWEVER, the transfer to CD on my disc was very poorly chosen, so that the top octave and a half was mostly missing (worse on some pieces than others, though). This takes the snap! out of guitar strings and notably attenuates your ability to tell what the 4 are doing with guitar timbre and the like. So, if you have wide-range audio gear, you might want to look elsewhere for an introduction to these players.

Recent Purchase that I'm Joyed to Find and Enjoy.......2001-01-27

Not until recently did I know about this guitar four. Hearing a number of their songs on internet classical radio, I decided I'd try this one.

What a great surprise --- their arrangements of Copeland to Sousa to Praetorius are excellent and in taste. I'll be venturing into their other works.

Simply Amazing.......2000-06-12

LAGQ is wonderful and this CD is a great compilation of some of their best work to date. Extremely versatile musicians, they perform swing music, Sousa march music, a Main Street Electrical Parade tune from Disneyland, as well as music by Copland and Praetorius. It's amazing how they are able to produce the sounds they do. A great compilation and one that would nicely add to your LAGQ collection or a great CD to start that collection!

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

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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:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Appalachian Spring
The Tender Land: Party Scene
The Tender Land: Finale: The Promise of Living
Billy the Kid -- Ballet Suite
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:

Another highlight in the Adagio series
A collection of masterpieces
Will transport you...
Contemplative Bliss
Beautiful compelation of classical music!

American Adagios

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Nature Of America: A Musical Impression
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Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings

ASIN: B000009RCU
Release Date: 1998-08-05

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings - Leonard Slatkin
Voyage For Flute And String Orchestra - Rudolf Werthen
Fantasy On A Hymn By Justin Morgan - Jesus Lopez-Cobos
Alleluia And Fuge - Rudolf Werthen
Anhran, From Flute Concerto - Houston Symphony
Andante From Violin Concerto - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Variations On A Shaker Melody From Appalachian Spring - Erich Kunzel
Gershwin Centennial: Lullaby for Strings - Erich Kunzel
Agnus Dei (Based On Adagio for Strings) - Robert Shaw

Customer Reviews:

Another highlight in the Adagio series.......2002-05-30

Many of the pieces of music on this disc are masterpieces and all are played to perfection.Barber's Adagio appears twice:in orchestral and choral versions,and the Agnus Dei choral is given loving treatment by the Robert Shaw festival singers.The familiar but never tiring Shaker variations of Copland and the exquisite Lullabye for strings of Gershwin are two quintessential slices of Americana performed by the Cincinnati Pops under Eric Kunzel.The most beautiful work of the collection may be the Anhran from flute concerto by Christopher Rouse.This little piece may find its way on many recordings in the coming years.With all around excellent performances and gorgeous sound this disc is definitely a keeper.

A collection of masterpieces.......2001-08-28

This Telarc CD is a compilation of selections from a dozen different albums. It features slow movements by such greats as Barber, Copland and Gershwin and includes beautiful works by lesser known composers. The album is stylistically varied but is uniformly beautiful, meditative and relaxing. I particularly enjoyed Thomas Canning's "Variations on a Hymn by Justin Morgan". However, I purchased this CD for the final piece, Barber's "Agnus Dei". This particular performance by the Robert Shaw Festival Singers is transcendental. Each time I listen to it, I feel like I've left the here and now and am somewhere that it better and very beautiful. I have other recordings of Agnus Dei that are nice, but seem kind of stiff in comparison to this one. This CD comes with my highest recommendations.

Will transport you..........2000-07-10

Adagios may be slower pieces, but this CD is definitely not simple background music. The tenderness of the Gershwin "Lullaby" and Barber's haunting "Adagio" demand your attention. This is music that soars and takes the listener along.

Contemplative Bliss.......2000-04-22

I bought this disk to get Barber's Adagio for Strings. The entire disk is a contemplatively blissful experience. I don't want to meet the person for whom the "Agnus Dei" based on Barber's Adagio doesn't open the cosmos. I'm online ordering six more copies for my wife to give to friends.

Beautiful compelation of classical music!.......2000-03-14

I am playing the Adagio for Strings by Barber in my orchestra and it is an absolutely moving piece. I watch the film Platoon now every weekend just because the Barber is so amazing to listen to. The Agnus Dei is great too and so are all the other pieces. A fantastic CD that is so much more than a few pieces for the orchestra.

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

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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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:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Buckaroo Holiday
Corral Nocturne
Saturday Night Waltz
Hoe-Down
Quiet City
Billy The Kid
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.

Music Review: