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Sony Masterworks

Modern American Vocal Works - Premiere Recordings 1950-1953

$17.99 Only 3 left

Details

Composer
BARBER, SAMUEL COPLAND, AARON
Artist
William, Aaron, Warfield, Copland
Format
CD
Label
Sony Masterworks
Released
May 13, 2014
Catalog #
SONY60899
UPC
074646089927

About

Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland remain among the most popular of 20th-century American composers, and the accessible, populist musical style that granted them much success with audiences is evident in this collection of their vocal works. Virgil Thomson, whose music also appears here, is less of a household name; his music, while equally (or more) conservative, has never entered the mainstream like that of his contemporaries has.
This disc is of great historical interest. All the works are heard in their premiere recordings, dating from 1950 to 1954. A young Leontyne Price gives the perfect rendition of Barber's 'Hermit Songs,' imperious, coy and despairing by turns. If Eleanor Steber lacks the naïve, wide-eyed wonder of more recent interpreters of 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915,' such as Dawn Upshaw, it is refreshing to hear a more dramatic performance that may indeed be closer to the composer's wishes. In Copland's folksy 'Old American Songs,' William Warfield sings with verve and complete authority. A special attraction here is that each composer is heard as a piano accompanist in his own works, and as an added bonus, the liner notes feature engaging reminiscences about the three composers by their younger colleague Ned Rorem.

Tracklist 23 tracks

  1. 1 Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 14:07
    Track
    1
    Title
    Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24
    Duration
    14:07
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Eleanor Steber
    Ensemble
    Dumbarton Oaks Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Strickland
  2. 2 No. 1. At Saint Patrick's Purgatory 01:32
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 1. At Saint Patrick's Purgatory
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  3. 3 No. 2. Church Bells at Night 00:58
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 2. Church Bells at Night
    Duration
    00:58
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  4. 4 No. 3. Saint Ita's Vision 03:06
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 3. Saint Ita's Vision
    Duration
    03:06
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  5. 5 No. 4. The Heavenly Banquet 01:16
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 4. The Heavenly Banquet
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  6. 6 No. 5. The Crucifixion 01:57
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 5. The Crucifixion
    Duration
    01:57
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  7. 7 No. 6. Sea-Snatch 00:40
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 6. Sea-Snatch
    Duration
    00:40
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  8. 8 No. 7. Promiscuity 00:42
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 7. Promiscuity
    Duration
    00:42
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  9. 9 No. 8. The Monk and his Cat 02:18
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 8. The Monk and his Cat
    Duration
    02:18
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  10. 10 No. 9. The Praises of God 00:53
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 9. The Praises of God
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  11. 11 No. 10. The Desire for Hermitage 03:19
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 10. The Desire for Hermitage
    Duration
    03:19
    Composer
    Samuel Barber
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber
  12. 12 No. 1. The Boatmen's Dance 03:31
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 1. The Boatmen's Dance
    Duration
    03:31
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  13. 13 No. 2. The Dodger 02:11
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 2. The Dodger
    Duration
    02:11
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  14. 14 No. 3. Long Time Ago 03:12
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 3. Long Time Ago
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  15. 15 No. 4. Simple Gifts 01:35
    Track
    15
    Title
    No. 4. Simple Gifts
    Duration
    01:35
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  16. 16 No. 5. I Bought Me a Cat 02:11
    Track
    16
    Title
    No. 5. I Bought Me a Cat
    Duration
    02:11
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  17. 17 No. 1. The Little Horses 02:54
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 1. The Little Horses
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  18. 18 No. 2. Zion's Walls 02:01
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 2. Zion's Walls
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  19. 19 No. 3. The Golden Willow Tree 03:34
    Track
    19
    Title
    No. 3. The Golden Willow Tree
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  20. 20 No. 4. At the River 03:04
    Track
    20
    Title
    No. 4. At the River
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  21. 21 No. 5. Ching-a-ring Chaw 01:31
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 5. Ching-a-ring Chaw
    Duration
    01:31
    Composer
    Aaron Copland
    Performer
    William Warfield, Aaron Copland
  22. 22 Stabat mater 05:30
    Track
    22
    Title
    Stabat mater
    Duration
    05:30
    Composer
    Virgil Thomson
    Performer
    Jennie Tourel
    Ensemble
    New Music String Quartet
  23. 23 Capital Capitals 17:06
    Track
    23
    Title
    Capital Capitals
    Duration
    17:06
    Composer
    Virgil Thomson
    Performer
    Joseph Crawford, Clyde Turner, Joseph James, William Smith, Virgil Thomson