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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Winner On All Counts, Jun 16 2004
This is an outstanding recording on all counts: music, performance, and sound. Recorded and issued in 2003, to commemorate the composer's 80th birthday, it was nominated for Grammy awards for Best Classical Album, Best Orchestral Performance, and Best Engineered Classical Album, and has received glowing reviews. Rorem's neglected three numbered symphonies (he is best known as writer of songs) were written from 1948 to 1958. The only one previously recorded is the Third, which received its premiere by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in 1959 to much acclaim. These three symphonies are succinct and pithy; their musical language is tonal, eclectic, conservative; they are accessible and immensely attractive; their moods range from power and vigor to playfulness and lyricism, and they have passages of considerable eloquence and beauty. The performances leave nothing to be desired, and the sound is state of the art: open and transparent, with wide dynamic range and full frequency range. Thanks and congratulations to Rorem, Serebrier (who wrote the excellent liner notes), the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, producer/engineer Phil Rowlands, and wonderfully enterprising Naxos for a magnificent CD. And Happy Birthday, Ned Rorem!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting music and a stunning recording, Mar 5 2004
How does Naxos do it? This recording is just phenomenal, in a class with the best from specialty 'audiophile' labels - spacious clear acoustic, great tonal balance and realistic instrumental textures. All this is mustered in the service of fine symphonic wrting by Ned Rorem. If you like Hanson and/or Barber, if you can take a bit of astringency flavoring mostly tonal writing, you will love this 20th century orchestral music. Just lean back and enjoy, secure in the knowledge that you have copped a towering artistic and sonic CD bargain!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, if a mystery, Feb 24 2004
By A Customer
God bless Naxos, not only for having the courage to explore different and interesting avenues of music but also for doing so using excellent musicians and production values and still offer it for the most attractive price currently in the market. All I can say about this fantastic recording is that you'll be left asking yourself why such first rate music isn't given its rightful place in the chronicles of serious American music and performed more frequently; they certainly deserve it. Everything in these Rorem compositions can stand proudly alongside the highly regarded works of Bernstein, Carter, Thompson, Diamond, Piston, Schuman, Hanson, Harris, Copland, etc. and not be slightly diminished by the exercise. Simply terrific.
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