Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Fanfare For The Common Man
2. Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
3. Appalachian Spring: Allegro
4. Appalachian Spring: Moderato: The Bride And Her Intended
5. Appalachian Spring: Fast: The Revivalist And His Flock
6. Appalachian Spring: Allegro: Solo Dance Of The Bride
7. Appalachian Spring: Meno mosso
8. Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento: Variations An A Shaker Hymn
9. Appalachian Spring: Moderato: Coda
10. Lincoln Portrait
11. Quiet City
12. Music For Movies: New England Countryside
13. Music For Movies: Barley Wagons
14. Music For Movies: Sunday Traffic
15. Music For Movies: Grovers Corners
16. Music For Movies: Threshing Machines

Disc 2:

1. Ceremonial Fanfare
2. Old American Songs: I. Simple Gifts
3. Old American Songs: II. Ching-A-Ring-Chaw
4. Old American Songs: III. Long Time Ago
5. Old American Songs: IV. I Bought Me A Cat
6. Old American Songs: V. At The River
7. El salon Mexico
8. Dance Symphony: I. Lento -- Molto allegro -- Adagio molto
9. Dance Symphony: II. Adante moderato
10. Dance Symphony: III. Allegro vivo
11. Rodeo: I. Buckaroo Holiday
12. Rodeo: II. Corral Nocturne
13. Rodeo: III. Saturday Night Waltz
14. Rodeo: IV. Hoe-Down

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48336 in Music
• Released on: 1996-04-09
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

Cornucopia for Copland Completists
This is a collection for the true Copland fan. Because you don't buy this one for the serviceable but undistinguished renditions of the famous pieces - Fanfare, Appalachian Spring, Rodeo and El Salon Mexico. For those, look no further than Bernstein's seminal recordings with the NY Phil plus his second version of Appalachian Spring with the LA Phil, as well as Slatkin's with St. Louis. What a die-hard Copland-phile cannot live without, though, are the superb renditions of many of Copland's lesser-known but terrific compositions here that are rare or would otherwise take several purchases to cover: Mehta's Lincoln Portrait that is taut, brassy, dramatic and perfectly patriotic - with Gregory Peck fittingly authoritative and sounding close to what we would imagine when Abe Lincoln speaks; possibly the best version out there of Copland's underperformed masterpiece Quiet City from Marriner - just listen to the exquisite trumpet playing!; a charming Marilyn Horne singing excerpts from Old American Songs - poignantly evoking colonial Americana; Dorati's perceptive and atmospheric Dance Symphony; and a colorful Music for Movies from the London Sinfonietta playing highly American music with European flair. Furthermore, the Decca engineers provide demonstration-quality sound. Subtract one star for the casual Copland listener, but for the enthusiast: ****

Other references: Recommended by Gramophone, Penguin Guide and Classical Music: Third Ear.

Buy the Dorati on its own, elsewhere
The only redeeming value this grabbag has are the excellent Dorati presentations. The rest is middlin' to start and it tapers off from there. It tapers very far with the raw sound of Horne and the at-sea concepts of a young Zubin Mehta who obviously recorded this material before he was ready. His LA Phil isn't anything to write home about, either, which makes you wonder how just a few years earlier it was so superb for Leinsdorf and Wallenstein.

The manufacturer is just trying to make hay on some old recordings here. Dorati's are fairly recent, though, and you can buy his things elsewhere, so WHY would anyone want this?

Best Fanfare out there
The Fanfare for a Common Man could arguably be the best recording out there. Despite it's faster tempo, the LA Phil brass play it almost flawlessly(there are two notes of the entire song that the trumpets don't quite lock in). The trombones and percussion are phenomenol as well as the horns. The Appalachian Spring is done superbly also. The lesser known songs were a fresh introduction to less familiar Copland. The entire set(with the exception of the Lincoln portrait and Rodeo) is great. Definately recommended.