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5.0étoiles sur 5
The Grand Old Master, Aoû 19 2001
This is a recording of a concert at the Library of Congress in honor of Aaron Copland's 81's birthday. The music consists entirely of Copland's chamber music: four of his "Old American Songs," the haunting song cycle "Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson," as well as two solo piano works: the early "Three Moods" and the later work "Night Thoughts." Hearing the "Old American Songs" and "Dickinson" cycle played with the original piano accompaniment, as opposed to the symphonic arrangements that Copland made of these works, may seem surprising in the sense of intimacy and closeness that they convey, particularly to someone used to Copland's more popular symphonic music. This sense is furthered by the added recorded presence of a very interesting and informative interview with Copland himself.The "Dickinson" songs are really the best part of the CD. The cycle as a whole is very moving, very misterious and contemplative, and Copland's music is very appropriate for the poems. My personal favorites are "When They Come Back," "Heart, We Will Forget Him," "I've Heard an Organ Talk Sometimes," and, best of all, "The Chariot." This is very touching music, and this performance of it is splendid. This is not Copland, the 'Cowboy from Brooklyn' (as Charles Ives called him); this is Copland in an very different vein from what most of are perhaps accustomed to hearing. However, it is interesting to hear how, despite the differences between his more 'serious' chamber music and his more popular concert music, so many of the qualities of Copland which are perceptible in both styles. In many ways, there is really not that much difference between "Rodeo" or "Fanfare for the Common Man" and the Dickinson songs or his other 'modernist' compositions. Give them a chance; you may find that you will like them.
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