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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?