richard mullany | waynesville, north carolina United States | 09/11/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If ever a recording was made that demonstrated the ability to reproduce a certain quality of sound this is one of them. I never fail to be impressed by the capture of the sound of the DSO in this "Grand Canyon". I think it way ahead of the competition in evoking the vastness of the scene. You need a good speaker system to do justice to it. The Porgy and Bess" is excellent; here is a big orchestra that knows how to count and so they sound perfectly at home with the music. I cringe when I hear an orchestra of hundreds playing something with a heavy handed drummer leading them on. All in all, a great recording!."
An Exploration Of Musical Americana Via Detroit
Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 04/16/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Under the direction of Antal Dorati in the late 1970s and 1980s, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was very much involved with 20th century music, particularly that of American composers. This recording allows us a glimpse into our Amercian music spirit via works that are sometimes dismissed as pops concert items.Dorati and his orchestra give us a great performance of the Gershwin "Porgy And Bess Symphonic Picture", as arranged by Robert Russell Bennett. It captures many of that great American opera's classic themes brilliantly. It is the most popular symphonic imagination of the opera, superceding even Gershwin's, and the Detroit Symphony's performance shows why.But the orchestra really shines on Ferde Grofe's celebrated "Grand Canyon Suite." Grofe knew a lot about orchestration, having been a violist with the L.A. Philharmonic in the 1920's and being the one responsible for the orchestration of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue." This suite, which premiered in 1931, captures America's greatest natural trench in all its splendid glory, and comes up with some spectacular moments, including "The Painted Desert" and the extremely vivid "Cloudburst" movement.This recording of two of the greatest examples of musical Americana comes highly recommended, not just for the works themselves but for the way the Detroit Symphony performs them. Not to be missed!"
Knock-out sound and performance
richard mullany | 08/20/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This version of 'The Grand Canyon Suite' seems to have attained a certain classic status by virtue of its distinctive approach. The weight of this reading (the end of 'Sunrise' and 'Cloudburst' are massively portentous) removes this work from its usual pop classic status, giving us something almost Mahlerian in its breadth and power and even finding suggestions of 20th-century avant garde! In all, a version to satisfy even serious collectors, recorded in stunning sound. The Gershwin-Bennett selection is no less revealing. This arrangement of selections from 'Porgy and Bess' is quite skillful and the performance is completely evocative and stylish."
A magnificent Grand Canyon
sjr9@gateway.net | Wichita, Kansas | 10/08/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dorati squeezes every bit of orchestral color out of this performance of the Grand Canyon Suite, evoking vivid images of this national park. Sunrise and Cloudburst are particularlly compelling portraits. As always, the London recording engineers are able to produce concert hall sound quality. This is how Grofe's masterpiece should be played."
Grand as the Canyon
Jack L. Tofari | Baoding, Hebei, China | 09/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"At first I was not happy with this CD. I thought it lacked depth. Then I played it loud, something I seldom do. That was much better. Finally, on top of that I bought a pair of headphones and listened to the music. What a difference. The music came alive and it was easy to see why my first attemps at listening were disappointing.
Unlike many CDs, the music on this one has such a tremendous range in both volume and range that only a good sound reproduction system will let you appreciate it.
I will not comment on Porgy and Bess as I bought this disk for the Grand Canyon Suite except to say that I couldn't find anything wrong with it. The Grand Canyon Suite is a tone poem or as the accompanying literature states, a symphonic picture. It is one of the best I've ever listened to. When the orchestra plays, "On the Trail," I feel like I'm on the donkey's back. I also know of no other musical work that displays a thunderstorm this well with the exception of, "The Overture to William Tell," by Rossini. It makes you want to open an umbrella."