Jack Gallagher (1947-): Symphony no. 2 etc. from Naxos (to be released 2014)

[kyjo]

Not a new release (it won't be released until sometime in 2014), but I thought it would be worth mentioning that JoAnn Falletta and the LSO are currently undergoing recordings session for American composer Jack Gallagher's substantial (hour-long) Symphony no. 2 Ascendant and a shorter work entitled Quiet Reflections. I very much enjoyed the Naxos disc of Gallagher's orchestral music released in 2010, which contains a near-masterpiece, the Symphony in One Movement: Threnody. Here's an extensive article on the two works, which include YouTube links to clips from the recording sessions: http://www.naxos.com/news/default.asp?op=1085&displayMenu=Naxos_News&type=2

[Dundonnell]

Hmmmm.

I wonder who financed this recording ??? The London Symphony Orchestra does not come cheap ::)

The excerpts from the pieces sound interesting and atttractive.....but another in the Naxos American Classics series by a composer not well known to us. I see that next month will bring a recording of the Symphony No.1 by Cindy McTee ??? ???

Sorry to be sour but when there are so many really great unrecorded or, now very aged recordings of American symphonies by symphonic masters(Piston, Mennin, Diamond, Persichetti, Rochbeg, Harbison etc.) I am left dumbfounded and very very puzzled.

[kyjo]

I see your point, but I think Gallagher is a very fine composer, definitely a cut above many contemporary American composers Naxos and Albany record. Have you heard the already-released Naxos disc of his orchestral music? I think it's substantial, enjoyable stuff. The McTee recording doesn't sound very promising, though! ::)

Maybe you should write to Mr. Heymann about your thoughts? Be sure to emphasize the dire need for the remaining Diamond symphonies to be recorded if you do! You are quite an articulate letter-writer! :)

[lescamil]

I just got that new McTee recording. I have heard her Double Play before. Colorful, textured music, but nothing to write home about. She probably has the inside track to getting her music recorded because she is married to Leonard Slatkin. I'll listen to the disk and give her a fair shot, though. The other stuff might be better!

Also, yes, I agree, the American symphonists need some new recordings! I'd love to see a complete Persichetti cycle myself. The Harbisons need commercial recordings, though (all 6 should be available online in broadcast form). Gallagher hasn't exactly done it for me with his first disk, but I need to listen to it again.

[Dundonnell]

I just got that new McTee recording. I have heard her Double Play before. Colorful, textured music, but nothing to write home about. She probably has the inside track to getting her music recorded because she is married to Leonard Slatkin. I'll listen to the disk and give her a fair shot, though. The other stuff might be better!

Also, yes, I agree, the American symphonists need some new recordings! I'd love to see a complete Persichetti cycle myself. The Harbisons need commercial recordings, though (all 6 should be available online in broadcast form). Gallagher hasn't exactly done it for me with his first disk, but I need to listen to it again.

McTee is married to Leonard Slatkin ???  Ahhhh....that explains everything ::)

[SerAmantiodiNicolao]

McTee is married to Leonard Slatkin ???  Ahhhh....that explains everything ::)

To quote a college friend of mine: Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally?

Regarding the Gallagher: I agree that he's a cut above many of his contemporaries.

I do wish, however, that more was being done to support the earlier generations of American composers.  Pre-Persichetti et al. - we at least have some recordings of many of their works.  But there is very little in the catalogue by Horatio Parker right now.  Very little by Charles Wakefield Cadman - none of the operas, and a small smattering of chamber music.  Not nearly enough Converse and Hadley, though there's just enough Converse scattered across labels that I might be persuaded to duck that issue.  Burrill Phillips?  Robert McBride?  Harl McDonald?  Louis Gruenburg?  Deems Taylor?  Norman Dello Joio?  Each is represented in the catalogue by not very much.  Not nearly enough, in my opinion.

Also, I seem to recall a promise being made at the time the American Classics series was established that the symphonies of Florence Price would be recorded.  Where are they?  Why is there nothing by Margaret Bonds?  Mary Carr Moore?  Mabel Wheeler Daniels?  The operas of Harry Lawrence Freeman?  Where's the George Frederic Bristow?  There's one disc of William Henry Fry - how about more?  What of the large-scale Chadwick works, the operas and choral pieces?  Dudley Buck?  Edgar Stillman Kelley?

A lot of the music does still exist - a lot of it's digitized, even.  But nobody's even attempting to make inroads into it.

[Dundonnell]

OK....THIS time I shall write, not to Klaus Heymann himself(unlikely to get a reply methinks) but to Walter Simmons-who is the Naxos American Classics repertoire adviser and just happens to be someone I have previously had very lengthy email correspondence with :) Walter has written two books, one  about Barber, Flagello, Giannini, Bloch, Hanson and Creston and the other about Schuman, Mennin and Persichetti.

Although my own personal tastes runs to these composers rather than the Horatio Parkers of this world I shall-in the spirit of this forum-not shy away from mentioning the earlier composers listed :)

[SerAmantiodiNicolao]

OK....THIS time I shall write, not to Klaus Heymann himself(unlikely to get a reply methinks) but to Walter Simmons-who is the Naxos American Classics repertoire adviser and just happens to be someone I have previously had very lengthy email correspondence with :) Walter has written two books, one  about Barber, Flagello, Giannini, Bloch, Hanson and Creston and the other about Schuman, Mennin and Persichetti.

Although my own personal tastes runs to these composers rather than the Horatio Parkers of this world I shall-in the spirit of this forum-not shy away from mentioning the earlier composers listed :)

Ooh, ooh, more Giannini please!

Just as an aside, I'm not Parker's biggest fan.  But I do find that later in his career he wrote some lovely passages...sometimes I think it's time I give him a reexamination.  I sang something of his once, from The Legend of St. Christopher, that was almost heartbreakingly lovely.

[kyjo]

Ooh, ooh, more Giannini please!

Yes, indeed! Creston hasn't been mentioned yet.....I'm still waiting for the rest of his orchestral music to be recorded. Also, the music of impressionist composer Edward Burlingame Hill cries out for modern recordings. Oh, and we shan't forget poor old Arthur Farwell! His Gods of the Mountain Suite is quite a stunner!