With the imminent release by Naxos of a cd containing David Diamond's Symphony No.6 I thought that I might revisit one of my lists.
I have excluded Alan Hovhaness (just too many!) and the withdrawn Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 by Peter Mennin, Vincent Persichetti and William Schuman (although both Mennin's Second and Schuman's Second have been performed). John Harbison's Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 and 6 are available for digital download from the Boston Symphony Orchestra's website.
So-
Paul Creston: Symphony No.6 (1981)
David Diamond: Symphony No.7 (1959), Symphony No.9 (1985), Symphony No.10 (1989-2000) and Symphony No.11 (1989-92)
Vincent Giannini: Symphony No.1 (1950), Symphony No.2 (1955) and Symphony No.5 (1965)
Morton Gould: Symphony No.1 (1943) and Symphony No.6 (1983)
Roy Harris: Symphony No.10 (1965), Symphony No.12 (1968-69) and Symphony No.13 (1975-76)
George Rochberg: Symphony No.3 (1966-69), Symphony No.4 (1976) and Symphony No.6 (1986-87)
Christopher Rouse: Symphony No.5 (2016)
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Symphony No.5 (2008)
Fortunately almost all of these symphonies can be heard in off-air recordings although the sound quality of some leave a lot to be desired. In fact the only symphonies listed above which cannot be accessed in this way are Diamond's 11th, Giannini's 1st and the recent Christopher Rouse 5th which was premiered by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in February 2017 and may therefore be around in someone's possession? I would certainly like to see the missing Creston, Diamond, Rochberg and Zwilich on cd (the three Roy Harris are perhaps best ignored :-[)
Yes I am really looking forward to listening to the David Diamond release from Naxos.... I wonder if university orchestras are the only way we may hear unsung compositions... then I got out my Howard Hanson recordings and there was the Eastman School of Music-Rochester Orchestra.
