This CD is reissued by ArkivMusic.
Notes and Editorial Reviews
"Open prairie style" is not one of music's accepted technical terms; but this record will certainly see to it that if the phrase is misunderstood at least it is not for want of illustration. Was Copland wise to write two Wild West ballets? Though wisdom, of course, is not the only oracle to be consulted; if he wanted to badly enough good luck to him however unwise.
The two ballet suites make, in a sense, a self-evidently suitable coupling, if similarity is the touchstone. Billy the Kid is perhaps the more atmospheric as well as the earlier work: in Rodeo the cowboys get down to dancing the more earnestly, and the music is on that account more extrovert as well as more obviously suitable for slicing into suite
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movements. But no one could reasonably claim, in either case, that Copland paints his chosen corner of the American scene in anything less than wholly authentic and effective colours. The effect would go for nothing, of course, without a performance to match; here there is a very idiomatic and accomplished one on the part of the Dallas orchestra, who have geography on their side as well as Copland's splendid scoring.
In the fill-up piece, Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, the brass of the orchestra prove themselves as equal to ceremony as to a hoe-down. The Fanfare is an occasional piece stemming from the patriotism of 1942, when no doubt it filled its particular bill ideally. It still serves as a very acceptable bonus to what would be in any event a generous disc; and it is well placed in front of the Rodeo dances, very distinctly preferable to the alternative of succeeding them.
-- Gramophone [4/1968, reviewing the original LP release of these Copland recordings]
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Works on This Recording
1.
Fanfare for the common man by Aaron Copland
Conductor:
Donald Johanos
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1942; USA
Date of Recording: 1967
Length: 2 Minutes 51 Secs.
2.
Holidays by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Donald Johanos
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1904-1913; USA
Date of Recording: 1967
Length: 9 Minutes 30 Secs.
3.
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 by Sergei Rachmaninov
Conductor:
Donald Johanos
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1940; USA
Date of Recording: 1967
Length: 33 Minutes 39 Secs.
4.
Billy the Kid: Suite by Aaron Copland
Conductor:
Donald Johanos
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1938; USA
Date of Recording: 1967
Length: 19 Minutes 35 Secs.
5.
Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes by Aaron Copland
Conductor:
Donald Johanos
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1942; USA
Date of Recording: 1967
Length: 19 Minutes 52 Secs.
6.
Songs (14), Op. 34: no 14, Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninov
Conductor:
Donald Johanos
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1912-1915; Russia
Date of Recording: 1967
Length: 7 Minutes 25 Secs.
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