

NA 9875

Gershwin, Harbison, Tower & Piston: Orchestral Works
Label Catalogue Number:
8.559875
8.559875
Running Time: 01:15:23
Release Date: November 2020
Originally recorded in 2019
Originally recorded in 2019
Genre:
Classical
Orchestral & Concertos
Classical
Orchestral & Concertos
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About
This program represents American orchestral music in all of its verve and expressive variety. Following the sensational success of Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin’s Concerto in F was his first foray away from jazz bands into the concert hall, recorded here for the first time in a new critical edition by Timothy Freeze based on the composer’s own notation and performances. John Harbison’s Remembering Gatsby is a foxtrot that evokes the sonorities of1920s dance bands, while Joan Tower’s Sequoia reflects her fascination with these silent giants of the tree world. Walter Piston’s contribution to the development of 20th-century American music cannot be underestimated, and his Fifth Symphony successfully blends twelve-tone modernity with reflective profundity and a finale that evokes a spirit of joy and optimism.
This program represents American orchestral music in all of its verve and expressive variety. Following the sensational success of Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin’s Concerto in F was his first foray away from jazz bands into the concert hall, recorded here for the first time in a new critical edition by Timothy Freeze based on the composer’s own notation and performances. John Harbison’s Remembering Gatsby is a foxtrot that evokes the sonorities of1920s dance bands, while Joan Tower’s Sequoia reflects her fascination with these silent giants of the tree world. Walter Piston’s contribution to the development of 20th-century American music cannot be underestimated, and his Fifth Symphony successfully blends twelve-tone modernity with reflective profundity and a finale that evokes a spirit of joy and optimism.
This program represents American orchestral music in all of its verve and expressive variety. Following the sensational success of Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin’s Concerto in F was his first foray away from jazz bands into the concert hall, recorded here for the first time in a new critical edition by Timothy Freeze based on the composer’s own notation and performances. John Harbison’s Remembering Gatsby is a foxtrot that evokes the sonorities of1920s dance bands, while Joan Tower’s Sequoia reflects her fascination with these silent giants of the tree world. Walter Piston’s contribution to the development of 20th-century American music cannot be underestimated, and his Fifth Symphony successfully blends twelve-tone modernity with reflective profundity and a finale that evokes a spirit of joy and optimism.

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Reviews
“… Get this disc.” Phillip Scott
“… Tower’s Sequoia is a must, and Piston’s Fifth is very much worth knowing.” James H North
“… Overall, this is a satisfying release combining the old and the new, showing the diversity of style in American orchestral music.” Andrew Desiderio
Fanfare - May/June 2021
“… Both conceptually and musically, this is an inspired release, well worth investigating.”
Jed Distler – Gramophone magazine – February 2021
“… vibrant and fun …” ****
Freya Parr – BBC Music magazine (Brief notes) – February 2021
“… Recordings of 20th-century Americana don’t come much better than this; a welcome addition to this most stimulating series.”
Dan Morgan – MusicWeb-International.com - 24 November 2020
“… The symphony [Piston’s 5th Symphony] is presented on this CD in a very vital and exciting performance.” *****
Remy Franck - Pizzicato.lu - 26 November 2020
"... This new edition [Concerto in F] is a particularly valuable one, but the rest of the programme is also intriguing – far less familiar fare. Following the success of Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin’s Concerto in F was his initial venture into the concert hall, recorded here for the first time in a new critical edition by Walter Piston’s Fifth Symphony is also an underrated but massively accomplished piece."
Barry Forshaw – cdchoice.co.uk – 8 November 2020
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