Monday, August 13, 2007

BERNSTEIN CONDUCTS COPLAND

Happy is the composer who has an advocate as passionate and talented as Leonard Bernstein. These Copland performances have been the preferred versions since they were first issued--better even than the composer's own, later recordings. Originally they were spread over two discs, but thanks to the extended playing time of the compact disc, you can now get all three great Copland ballets together, along with the ever popular Fanfare for the Common Man. Bernstein brings to this music the right sharpness of rhythm but also a typically open-hearted warmth. He coaxes a virtuoso response from the New York Philharmonic, which knows this music as well (or better) than anyone. Self- recommending. David Hurwitz


These are, of course, Aaron Copland's landmark works and are the pieces he is most remembered for. As stated above, Bernstein recorded what many beleive to be the definitive renditions of these compositions, although there are many, many other fine ones out there and I will post a few of them here.





Fanfare for the Common Man (1942)

1. Molto deliberato (2:00)

Recorded at Philharmonic Hall, New York City, NY USA on February 16, 1966

Appalachian Spring - Suite (1943-1944)
2. Very Slowly (2:43)
3. Allegro (2:42
4. Moderato (3:52)
5. Fast (3:35)
6. Subito Allegro (3:44)
7. As At First (Slowly) (1:15)
8. Doppio movimento (6:45)

Recorded at Manhattan Center, New York City, NY USA on October 9, 1961

Rodeo – Four Dance Episodes (1942)
9. Buckaroo Holiday - Allegro con spirito (7:00)
10 Corral Nocturne - Moderato (4:02)
11. Saturday Night Waltz - Introduction - Slow Waltz (4:11)
12. Hoe-Down - Allegro (3:06)

Recorded at Manhattan Center, New York City, NY USA on May 2, 1960

Billy The Kid – Suite (1938)
13. Introduction. The Open Prairie (3:15)
14. Street In A Frontier Town (3:22)
15. Mexican Dance And Finale (2:01)
16. Prairie Night (Card Game At Night) (4:22)
17. Gun Battle (1:49)
18. Celebration (After Billy's Capture) (2:22)
19. Billy's Death (1:19)
20. The Open Prairie Again (1:47)

Recorded at the St. George Hotel, Brooklyn, NY USA on October 20, 1960

On all: New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein




38 comments:

Scoredaddy said...

http://rapidshare.com/files/48740849/brnstn-cplnd.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/48734512/brnstn-cplnd.part2.rar

Please leave a comment when you download!!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful! THANK YOU!

stubbins said...

scoredaddy,

I'm catching up, I'm catching up!

My first thought on what you posted... how good it will be not to hear these performances outside of my memories of beloved Drunken Pirnie playing them during drivetime. (Yes, Drunken and not Duncan -- when he said "Cocktail Time" as his program's name... he MEANT it.)

My second thought was about how in my yout' Copland's music was identified entirely not just with Bernstein's performances but with his energy, his presence and his personality.

Then came Copland's late recordings. He was never the conductor or personality that Bernstein was... but it was not only his... it was someone else's take on music that could stand up any number of stickwavers, great or small.

So now it is a good time to let Lenny raise my own bitrate up to 320 all over again.

Thanks as always, scoredaddy.

stubbins said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Thank you very much!
D. Harry

Anonymous said...

Awesome upload! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to this!

Thanks - much appreciated.

Jim

Anonymous said...

hello there:

i can't uncompress part 2, in part 1 there are 20 tracks, but in part 2.... what tracks are there in part 2?

i began on copland hearin "el salon mexico" (i'm from mexico of course)... what can i say... thank you

in this moments i'm in copland and philip glass

thank you again

Anonymous said...

Thanks as always, from my heart.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I often heared "Appalachian Spring" on the radio without knowing anything about this composer or the other things he has written. So I'm very glad to find this wonderful collection here - interpreted by these fine musicians.
Thank you very much and greetings from Germany!
Woody

Tsunami said...

It`s amazing man!!! great job... please give me more!!!! What's about SALON MÈXICO???... sorry, my english sucks...

germen said...

hello there:

now i've understand all the stuff about part 1 and 2 in the download

thanks again

a magnific idea share all the album art

thanks again

please, take a look at me, you might be interested

Anonymous said...

thank you very much!!!!

lets said...

thanks, great blog.

love copland too

Anonymous said...

Thanks a million! Been looking for Coplan's work in South Asia and haven't found anything at all!

Alec

Sonja said...

Many Thanks for this wonderful music.

Regards,

Sonja

Anonymous said...

Very many thanks

alex t. said...

downloading.. thank you so much!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you ;D!

Anonymous said...

thanks very much,
i wonder if you can put some music of him in the format APE or FLAC?

It's not much larger than MP3-320, but has better quality.

I like Copland very much, he is very american. ;)

Scoredaddy said...

To the person who requests lossless formats such as FLAC or APE, the answer is YES. When I return, I intend to present in FLAC. I will also "upgrade" older posts to FLAC as well.

Anonymous said...

hi Scoredaddy, i wait for your upgrade, ;).

can you tell me why you make this blog only for Copland? In fact he is not so famous in the world, only by accident i got to know his music, and then i am a good listener of him.

And you? :)

And also i have a little suggestion, if i don't bore you :), perhaps you can put all the comments together, not seperated on each CD, i think it's easier for alle the visiter and you. :).

Anonymous said...

that's very nice if you can upgrade all the music in your blog, i know that's a giant job, but it's better on the format lossless. :).

And this CD is not converted well into mp3, :). some tracts are not complete, :)

Walking Oliver Productions, Ltd said...

Many thanks! This is a terrific blog. A much needed way of making people aware of one our greatest American composers.

Scoredaddy said...

Someone asked the following:
"can you tell me why you make this blog only for Copland? In fact he is not so famous in the world"

Paul Austin Kelly provided the answer
"A much needed way of making people aware of one our greatest American composers."

Anonymous said...

hi Scoredaddy,
i think if possible, you can introduce some music of the other american musicians, Ives, Barber.
By the way, if you upgrade all the music into APE or Flac, please write down some words somewhere, i am waiting. ;)

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this. I'd only heard Fanfare for the Common Man and Hoedown before this.

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much from Italy

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for all the treasure you've offered here! I've been wanting to revisit Copeland's music recently, and here it is, lovingly presented to the world! Thanks...

GSW said...

@scoredaddy - Thank you very much for sharing this.

Mulliner said...

From Spain, thanks for sharing this wonderful music

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for sharing your music.

Anonymous said...

I waited for this record since I lost it during Argentina's dirty war - 1979 to be precise - or 30 years...
It's a real pleasure to have it anew. Thank you

Anonymous said...

many thanks!

Anonymous said...

Nice post and this mail helped me alot in my college assignement. Gratefulness you for your information.

Smitty said...

thanks!!!!

Cohalen said...

Nice to see this in digital form. I miss hearing the vinyl!
Thanks!

damian said...

:(
dead links

great site, thank you !!