Search - Aaron Copland, James Judd, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra :: Copland: Symphony No. 3; Billy the Kid (Suite)

Spirited, heartfelt performance

DJ Rix | NJ USA | 12/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the same coupling Copland recorded with London Symphony Orchestra for Everest (now reissued on Polydor). However, back in the LP era, Copland was not often the best interpreter of Copland, Leonard Bernstein was; & American orchestras played American music better than the British or Europeans. But all that has changed. Contemporary classical musicians & conductors worldwide grow up with jazz & rock before they enter the conservatory. By the time they graduate into professional careers, they know Charles Ives, Gershwin, & John Cage. Even regional & provincial orchestras now reach high levels of sophistication.



There are many excellent recordings of Billy the Kid; along with Appalachian Spring & Rodeo, they get recycled into " Best of American Music" type packages, & like Ives' "Unanswered Question," it's almost impossible to have only a single version in one's collection. Judd does swell by his rendition. But there aren't so many recordings of Copland's 3rd Symphony; too bad, because it's a masterpiece. The big Third is a product of World War Two, & from that great & terrible time it brings qualities in common with Prokofiev's 5th Symphony, although they take very different paths toward their conclusions. Both are nationalistic gestures composed for "the people" in accessible yet "modern" musical languages. Copland's compositions of era were so successful that they unfortunately became clichés, his style imitated in film scores, his themes cribbed for television news, documentary & sports programming. These mid-period works always sound of their time. The most difficult challenge is making them sound fresh; Judd & the New Zealanders spiritedly accomplish this.



Bernstein does better in the Andantino third movement, bringing out a song-like lyricism. Judd & New Zealanders are nonpareil in the Allegro molto second movement, with its question & answer motifs. "Fanfare for the Common Man," opening the fourth movement, is a theme I wasn't looking forward to hearing again but which pleasantly surprises with its heartfelt idealism.



Copland's interpretations of his own works are of more than historical interest. However, if you're looking for one recording of Symphony Three, I give either of Bernstein's recordings with the New York Philharmonic a slight edge over this one, mainly because he is Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland's student, protege, friend & fellow New Yorker. Bernstein's earlier recording has good late Sixties sound & is coupled with Copland's youthful Symphony for Organ & Orchestra, composed with Madam Boulanger in mind but featuring that Sixties sonic favorite, E. Power Biggs. The later recording on DG, which some prefer, has maturity, digital sound & comes with the lovely "Quiet City." Both are available at midprice. But this budget Naxos recording is wonderful, too.



In addition to this & the Prokofiev 5th, you might enjoy Vaughan Williams' 6th Symphony in E Minor, which debuted in 1948. Vaughan Williams was an old man, & his intensely dramatic post-war statement concludes not on a note of victory or rejoicing, but with a glimpse of true peace - an absence of both triumph & defeat, Three generations of composers, from three great allied nations."

Distinctively American...

vmzfla | Orlando, Fl. | 05/25/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For less than half the price of some other labels, NAXOS gives us a superior recording of Copland's 3rd Symphony. James Judd and his New Zealand forces capture all the detail at a pace thats just right. Though Copland provided no program, throughout there is the open expanse of Americana without quotations from folk music. This is his most ambitious

orchestral work. The finale in grand scale incorporates "Fanfare For The Common Man" which builds and builds to a shimmering full orchestral climax. This last 13min. is well worth the price of the disc alone. The filler "Billy the Kid" suite precedes the symphony. Though popular to concert audiences for it's central gun firing percussive effects, this is not one of my favorite Copland pieces. In touch with our gun slinging cowboy culture, I can see why Copland chose a musical homage to the short lived 22 year old outlaw. Excellent recording with fine dynamic range."

Possibly the Best Billy

Eric Gross | Philadelphia Suburbs | 06/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"James Judd's Billy the Kid easily ranks with Bernstein's as the most elegaic, powerful, and sensitive performance of this seminal American work. I would, however, rank it above Bernstein on account of the fine quality and price of this Naxos CD. If you enjoy "American" music and want the feel, if not the sound of the old West, buy this CD. You will NOT be disappointed."