This disc of Copland orchestral works, with the all-American forces of conductor Dennis Russell Davies and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, was originally released in 1992 on the MusicMasters label; it is part of a series on Britain's Nimbus label reissuing various high-quality items from that defunct outfit. All three of the compositions included are lesser-known Copland, and one might wonder why at least one big hit wasn't included. But it's an intelligent program that will appeal to serious Copland lovers, and Davies ...
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This disc of Copland orchestral works, with the all-American forces of conductor Dennis Russell Davies and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, was originally released in 1992 on the MusicMasters label; it is part of a series on Britain's Nimbus label reissuing various high-quality items from that defunct outfit. All three of the compositions included are lesser-known Copland, and one might wonder why at least one big hit wasn't included. But it's an intelligent program that will appeal to serious Copland lovers, and Davies deserves kudos for having taken some chances. The key is that all three compositions are transitional or mixed-style works, and they seem to show the essence of Copland even as they defy classification among his early, middle, and late styles. The little-heard Dance Panels, Copland's last ballet score, lie in between Copland's popular style and his late adoption of serialism. The work is not atonal (Copland called it "white-notey"), but it drops the popular and folk orientation of Copland's...
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