The Internet's Premier Classical Music Source

Related Links

Site News

What's New for May 2008?

Press Information

Site Search

Affiliates

In association with
Amazon
Amazon UKAmazon GermanyAmazon CanadaAmazon FranceAmazon Japan

ArkivMusic
CD Universe

Sheet Music Plus Featured Sale

Classical Sheet Music



CD Review

Original Masters

DGG 4776502
1 Symphony of the Air/Leopold Stokowski (1960)
2 The New York Ensemble of the Philharmonic Scholarship Winners/Dimitri Mitropoulos (1950)
3 American Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski (1963)
Deutsche Grammophon "Original Masters" 4776502 2CDs
Find it at AmazonFind it at Amazon UKFind it at Amazon GermanyFind it at Amazon CanadaFind it at Amazon FranceFind it at Amazon JapanFind it at ArkivMusic.comFind it at CD Universe

Like another Stokowski disc I just reviewed, these releases had a previous incarnation. They were issued on two CDs on an MCA label in 1989. At that time I opined that the sound was a bit dry but gave the set 3 and a half stars. Now DG has coupled it with the music led by Mitropoulos for filler and at a bargain price.

The difference is amazing. Now I can hear 'The Stokowski Sound'. This is particularly impressive in the Brahms. The recording has one of those 'toe-tapping' that engages my attention. I usually read and write while I listen. First I put on the MCA discs and read and doodled. Then I put on this release and found myself moving to the music, looking up and smiling.

Stokowski championed 'new' music throughout his life and this included music by Black Afro-Americans (or Negroes as he would have referred to them). This included programming the fourth movement of Still's "Afro-American" Symphony when he toured with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1936 and made sure he performed it as they went through the South. Dawson's symphony is a lot like Dvořák's "New World".

The Prokofiev and Hanson music is interesting filler and a nice lagniappe but my readers will buy this for the Stokowski. Four stars… would be five if DG had included more Stokowski.

Copyright © 2007, Robert Stumpf II.

Trumpet

© 1995-2008 Classical Net
Use of text, images, or any other copyrightable material contained in these pages, without the written permission of the copyright holder,
except as specified in the Copyright Notice, is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.