Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site astrovax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!ulysses!princeton!astrovax!tss From: tss@astrovax.UUCP (Thomas S. Statler) Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Twentieth Century Classical Music Primer (more remarks) Message-ID: <216@astrovax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 7-Feb-84 22:00:34 EST Article-I.D.: astrovax.216 Posted: Tue Feb 7 22:00:34 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 22:53:27 EST Organization: Princeton Univ. Astrophysics Lines: 44 More comments on Oscar Nierstrasz's article... Vaughan Williams (look under 'V'): I, too, can vouch vigorously and vociferously for the symphonies, although my collection is sadly incomplete. The trouble is that they are only available on the Angel and RCA labels, neither of which can do them justice. The RCA recordings are probably a bit better, but they seem to be hard to find for some reason. At any rate, the 3rd Symphony is absolutely gorgeous, and deserves to be played on a warm spring afternoon. The seventh, by contrast, is the Sinfonia Antartica (yes, the spelling is correct), which draws much of its thematic material from the music Vaughan Williams wrote for the film "Scott of the Antarctic". The ninth, I think, should not be heard before at least two of the others, since it was his last. Gustav Holst: Alas, the only one of his works widely recorded is "The Planets". If you don't already know this piece, you're really missing something. Americans got the short end of the stick in Oscar's review, I thought. I'll only discuss Ives and Copland here, to keep the tirade short, but others of note include Virgil Thomson, Walter Piston, William Schuman, Morton Gould, and of course Leonard Bernstein. Copland: Well, of course, there are the ballets, "Billy the Kid", "Rodeo", and "Appalachian Spring". The "Fanfare for the Common Man" currently suffers from overuse, appearing frequently as title music on TV specials, or on football games with (groan!) a disco beat, but is certainly worth hearing. AFTER becoming acquainted with this short piece, listen to the Third Symphony. (The older recording on Columbia with Bernstein is, I think, generally considered better than the newer one with Copland conducting.) The first theme of the finale is that of the Fanfare. For those of you with good ears (but without a score!) try to identify the percussion instruments used in the maestoso section of the coda. You'll know the spot I mean when you hear it. Ives: Most of his music has to be heard to be believed. And maybe not even then. For a major work that's not quite as melancholy as the Third Symphony, try the Second. Watch out for that last chord. There is also a collection of several of his short works recorded on Columbia. I think the title on the album is "Old Songs Deranged". This recording includes the "Country Band March" and the "March: 1776" that later were merged into the second movement of "Three Places in New England". Well, I think that will do for now. Anybody else whose favorites were left out?