Search - Aaron Copland, Eugene Ormandy, Boston Symphony Orchestra :: Copland: Appalachian Spring; The Tender Land (Orchestral Suite); Billy the Kid (Ballet Suite)

A Excellent CD

01/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD gives you two of Aaron Copland's most popular ballets, with Appalachian Spring being a performance conducted by the composer himself. Both Copland and Ormandy give wonderful readings of both works and the Boston Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra are excellent. This CD also includes a wonderful performance of a work that I feel is often unfairly neglected, the Tenderland Suite. In my opinion, this is some of Copland's best and most beautiful music, and the conductor's excellent reading with the Boston Symphony deserves to be listened to."

An Older Recording, Now a True Collector's item

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Aaron Copland continues to be an American icon in music. His tunes are as 'of the people' as any composer's in this country. In this recording are some particular treasures - three suites for orchestra conducted with strength and well produced sound despite the older sonics used in the original recordings. The pleasure here is the opportunity to hear Copland conduct his own music with an outstanding orchestra (aided by another fine conductor in Eugene Ormandy and his Philadelphia Orchestra in the Billy the Kid suite). Both 'Appalachian Spring' and 'Billy the Kid' are staples of the repertoire of orchestras both in this country and abroad and here both suites are performed with a gentle clarity that captures the atmosphere of each.



But for this listener the genuine pleasure is the performance of 'The Tender Land' suite from the opera written for television but not performed as planned because of the dastardly period in our history when artists were interrogated by the Committee trying to prove the Communist affiliation of some of our finest thinkers and artists. That Copland could rise above this tragic error on the part of our government and return to conduct this performance with the sensitive support from the Boston Symphony Orchestra adds special luster to this recording. The work is far too infrequently performed, either as opera or as orchestral suite, for here is some of Copland's strongest orchestral writing - rich in melody and lush orchestration. Hopefully 'The Tender Land' will be heard more frequently in the future as people who love Copland's famous works seek the lesser known pieces and grow with the composer's output. This is a very valuable and affordable CD well worth adding to the library. Grady Harp, August 09"