Search - Ned Rorem, Louis Lane, Robert Shaw :: Rorem: String Symphony; Sunday Morning; Eagles

Rorem made a splash when his Symphony 3 came out in 1958, fairly sealing Rorem's reputation as a major American composer. However, Rorem never pursued the image the public wanted of him, keeping instead to music in smaller settings--songs, choral settings. Here we have three works for orchestra that, if they lack ambition, are nonetheless fine examples of Rorem's ability to write coherent melodies. String Symphony (1985) is nothing short of a masterpiece. But where String Symphony is melodic, Sunday Morning, based on the famous Stevens poem, is more discordant. It's still a gem. -- Paul Cook