Posts : 20169 Join date : 2013-01-16 Age : 69 Location : Seattle
Subject: Aaron Copland Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:03 pm
Good FUCKING Lord.
This weekend I heard Copland's Third Symphony on the radio and enjoyed it immensely. I used to have it on LP but, for some reason, never bought a CD. I have three versions of Appalachian Spring and a couple each of Billy The Kid and Rodeo, and various other pieces (including a really nice set of piano music) but Sym. No. 3? Nope.
So I ordered it.
While I'm waiting I decided to review what I did own. Some VERY nice stuff, particularly partial to the piano + chamber orchestra version of Appalachian Spring, which coincidentally was one of the first digital recordings ever made in the US.
But I discovered a couple of other fondly-remembered LP tracks were also missing from my collection: El Salón México, Danzón Cubano, Quiet City, Our Town... So I decided to make a CDR. Found good quality recordings online, downloaded them and burned a CD. However, the first track, Fanfare for the Common Man, was a pretty old recording (I think Copland himself was conducting) and it didn't match the sonics of the more-recent tracks.
So I went looking for a newer better recording. Found one by, of all people, the Seattle Symphony. It sounded great on my little teeny computer speakers. Downloaded it, and replaced the older recording in my playlist and reburned the CD.
On playing it back I was -- no shit -- literally scared out of my mind! I've NEVER HEARD such massive dynamics. This is on par with Flim & The BBs "Tricycle" or Paul Winter's "Theodora Is Dozing" or "Blade Runner 2049" or any of the other "hi-fi showcase" pieces I've been collecting. I listened to it five times on my speakers and twice on headphones, and I finally stopped shaking. Good fucking lord what a recording!
This YouTube video doesn't do it justice:
NoCoPilot
Posts : 20169 Join date : 2013-01-16 Age : 69 Location : Seattle
Subject: Re: Aaron Copland Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:58 am
Huh. I’d forgotten “Fanfare for the Common Man” is actually part of the Third Symphony. No wonder I liked it so much.
Leonard Slatkin/Detroit Symphony Orchestra (2015) = just as dynamic as SSO
NoCoPilot
Posts : 20169 Join date : 2013-01-16 Age : 69 Location : Seattle
Subject: Re: Aaron Copland Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:58 am
I played "Fanfare" for my sister who was visiting this weekend. It quite literally moved me to tears, while still scaring me. Good. Fucking. Lord.
richard09
Posts : 4227 Join date : 2013-01-16
Subject: Re: Aaron Copland Mon Jun 24, 2019 5:13 pm