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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Gottfried von Einem Philadelphia Symphony and "Die Stundenlied"
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on: June 25, 2018, 01:48:25 am
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It's a typical oversight that record companies are tripping all over themselves to celebrate Leonard Bernstein's centennial while giving us almost nothing of Gottfried von Einem on his centennial. I would have thought DGG or some other respected Old World labels besides Orfeo might have risen to the occasion. Crickets. The fact that his rollicking Concerto for Orchestra remains unrecorded is a particular disgrace, especially given that a society dedicated to his work is supposed to be spreading his legacy. Amazing. Anyway the Philadelphia Symphony is indeed an extraordinarily fine work with an excellent performance on this particular disc, though the other pieces do not reveal the charms quickly. IMHO!
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Duttons for May/June
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on: May 03, 2015, 03:57:26 pm
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Terrific idea about the Shepherd symphonies. I've heard that poor Lois Lane recording (sonically, not performance-wise) of the first symphony, "Horizons," and it's way overdue for a modern recording. Seems Shepherd really had something to say. Don't know anything about the second. I'm surprised the Mormons haven't stepped forward to do something to rectify matters, given his strong connections there.
Ultimately, so much of it comes down to funding. If a grant or gift can be made available to defray even just some of the costs, recording companies are more likely to consider a project. I remember writing to members of Ernst Bacon's family about their nonprofit, which funded musical performances of his very fine works. I suggested they use some of the funds to instead leverage a recording of his music to better cement and spread his legacy. Never heard back from them. This was just after Naxos did an excellent recording of his "Ford's Theater." Oh, well.
I've made it known to a few close acquaintances in the recording industry that if they ever attempt recordings of specific American works, I'd like to help out with a small grant or gift of, say, $5,000 or so. Even just that seems to get some attention, more so than if I'd come forward with nothing at all. And helping out with the notes and research (including, yes, tracking down manuscripts) helps, too.
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Duttons for May/June
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on: April 29, 2015, 04:25:41 am
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As one of the few around here passionately interested in American music, I can say I'm happy to see Dutton's interest in that vein continues. While Hadley's music has long struck me as undistinguished romanticism (though expertly crafted), the John Carpenter disc holds great promise. "Krazy Kat" is a hoot, typical of the composer at his best. While I'd rather see a second disc of Frederick Converse -- the tone poem "California," his "Scarecrow Sketches" and one of the late symphonies -- the Carpenter will serve very nicely. And, heck, I may even try out the Hadley. Thanks for the heads-up.
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Samuel Zyman (1956-) and José Rolón (1876-1945) PCs etc. from TYX Art
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on: August 15, 2013, 11:28:04 pm
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This probably isn't politically correct around here and I'm an absolute believer in copyright integrity, Kyjo, but if you're interested in any of the Moncayo works, I can probably cut you a CD-R of certain works, recognizing that this massive CD box is likely out of print and, even if it weren't, almost impossible to secure in the United States or Europe. I mean, if Records International can't get anymore copies....
LA OBRA COMPLETA EXISTENTE: CD 1: Música con piano: Obras para piano solo y Sonatas para cuerdad y piano CD 2: Música de Cámara: Dúos, Tríos, Amatzinac CD 3: Música orquestal I: Pieza para orquesta de cuerdas, Amatzniac, Hueyapan, Huapango, Llano Alegre CD 4: Música orquestal II: Sinfonía, Sinfonietta, Homenaje a Cervantes, Tres piezas para orquesta CD 5: Música orquestal III: Tierra de temporal, Cumbres, Bosques, La potranca, Tierra CD 6: Música vocal: Obras corales, ópera La Mulata de Córdoba
GRABACIONES HISTÓRICAS: CD 7: Grabaciones históricas I: Obras varias CD 8: Grabaciones históricas II: Huapango
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Samuel Zyman (1956-) and José Rolón (1876-1945) PCs etc. from TYX Art
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on: August 15, 2013, 05:19:37 am
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Yes, Records International. The proprietor mentioned having only a handful of copies in his monthly bulletin so I rang him out in Tucson and ordered it sometime in late fall or winter. (I've been ordering from this business since the late 1970s.) Didn't wait, owing to my enjoyment of the occasional recordings made of Moncayo's music and the realization I'd have a hard time finding it otherwise. Interesting set with some excellent archival materials, many piano works and all of the orchestral works, including such rare pieces as "Cumbres." Have you sounded out Records International about their ability to get more copies? Sometimes they can work minor miracles. :)
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: Samuel Zyman (1956-) and José Rolón (1876-1945) PCs etc. from TYX Art
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on: August 15, 2013, 04:38:50 am
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Totally agree. I had high hopes for Dudamel and de la Parra but neither seems truly committed to bringing so many of these critical works to the recording studio. They make a big splash in the media using the music of their countrymen, then go off in directions that stamp them as minor stars at best. Puzzling. Result: those of us who love Latin American music must rely on obscure labels with short shelf lives and unreliable suppliers and dubious performances. Then again, this makes the occasional discovery that much more exciting. Recent evidence: an 8-CD set of music by Pablo Moncayo with most of his orchestral works and plenty else.
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Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: What are you currently listening to?
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on: August 12, 2013, 06:36:57 am
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Luc Brewaey's vibrant, colorful "recompositions" for orchestra of Debussy preludes (a 2-CD set on the obscure Talent label), Alfred Newman's classic film score "The Robe" (even Aaron Copland regarded Newman as an exceptional American composer) and Bloch's "Three Jewish Poems" (Atlas conducting, on the ASV label). Good listening all around, especially after a long, tiring, six-day work week!
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: John Knowles Paine Symphony No.1 from Naxos
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on: August 07, 2013, 05:23:55 pm
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Thanks for the heads-up, Kyjo. I will definitely check it out in hopes of broadening my horizons (and likely my advocacy of American music) even further. And, yes, I should not have forgotten Edward Burlingame Hill, a noted figure in American music at one time. Many of these individuals seemed to recede into the background as Copland, Harris, Schuman, Piston and others arrived on the scene. I believe I heard one of Hill's "Stevensonia" suites something like 40 years ago and recall being pleased to the point of wondering, again, why others weren't jumping all over this music. Perhaps I'm a little harsh about Paine's worth -- again, his music is expertly constructed -- but I believe we can all agree that Falleta and others of her caliber would be better off investing their considerable talents in some exciting revelations beyond Paine's works. Or, for that matter, yet another disc of George Gershwin!
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: John Knowles Paine Symphony No.1 from Naxos
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on: August 07, 2013, 04:53:30 am
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By request, those far, far more deserving who spring immediately to mind: As you might expect from my spirited advocacy of him elsewhere in this forum, rollicking American composer Anthony Philip Heinrich, more historically relevant and far more innovative and lots more fun than Paine (evidence: "Mastodon Symphony," "Wildwood Spirits' Chant"), plus Edgar Stillman Kelley ("New England Symphony," "Gulliver"), Daniel Gregory Mason (three symphonies, including "Lincoln"), Arthur Farwell ("Rudolph Gott Symphony"), Carl Eppert (several symphonies), Frederick Converse ("California," "Scarecrow Sketches," the late symphonies) and Charles Cadman ("Pennsylvania Symphony"). My interests are primarily mid-20th century American composers, but this list should get you started. Kyjo has even more interesting ideas in this regard. To conductor Falleta's credit: her excellent performance of John Powell's "Virginia Symphony" and her disc of Converse. But I expect far more of her than Paine. Sorry!
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