Aaron Copland Appalachian Spring - Concert Suite London Symphony Orchestra/Walter Susskind, Conductor

1 I. Very Slowly 02:32

2 II. Allegro 02:53

3 III. Moderate. The Bride And Her Intended 03:29

4 IV. Fast. The Revivalist And His Flock 03:11

5 V. Allegro. Solo Dances Of The Bride 03:17

6 VI. Meno mosso 02:05

7 VII. Doppio movimento. Variations On A Shaker Hymn 02:52

8 VIII. Moderato. Coda 02:53

Morton Gould Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra/Walter Susskind, Conductor

9 I. Proclamation 05:12

10 II. Sermon 03:38

11 III. A Little Bit of Sin 01:52

12 IV. Protest 03:47

13 V. Jubilee 03:49 COPLAND: Appalachian Spring- the harmonic content is distinctly his own with which most of us are familiar. Artur ­Ballet (1944) and far removed from the ultrachromaticism Rodzinski conducted the premiere with the of the “12-toners”. Copland developed, in N. Y. Philharmonic-Symphony on October 4, GOULD: Spirituals for String Choir fact, a very distinctive diatonic, or “white- 1945. and Orchestra (1941) note” manner – Slonimsky would call it pan- diatonic – which reaches its apogee in the Martha Graham herself chose the Walter Susskind conducting the Appalachian Spring Ballet (1944) and the Appalachian Spring title from a poem by Hart London Symphony Orchestra Violin Sonata (1943); but previous to this, Crane, but her scenerio has no further con- Copland had embarked on the creation of nection with the poem. Her own program a series of works more immediately “acces- note reads: sible to the concertgoer from the street”, and for this purpose he found that folksong Spring was celebrated by a man and a woman The stylization of regional folksong idioms idiom – cowboy, Mexican, and appalachian building a house with joy and love and prayer; to that point of artistry which successfully – suited his aesthetic purposes and harmonic by a revivalist and his followers in their shouts escapes both the crudely touristic and the vocabulary to a “T”. The Billy the Kid Ballet of exultation; by a pioneering woman with her “too too cute” is one of the neatest tricks in (1938), El Salon Mexico (1936), Quiet City dreams of the promised land. the musical book. Among the few American (1939), and the ballet Rodeo were among the composers who have turned this trick are Copland classics that resulted. The synthesis The concert version falls into eight unin- Aaron Copland (b. 1900), Morton Gould of the heroic and the regionalist aspects of terrupted sections: 1. a slow introduction, (b. 1913), and Virgil Thomson (b. 1896). Copland’s art reached their finest synthesis lyrical and atmospheric, which brings the The two scores represented here are classics in the Third Symphony (1946). dancers on stage; 2. an alternately dynamic of their kind in the American repertoire. and lyrical episode; 3. a “Duo for the Bride Appalachian Spring came into being indi- and her Intended”; 4. a strongly folkloristic Aaron Copland’s adventures in musical rectly because of a first visit by music patron- square-dance flavored section, introducing regionalism had their beginnings in jazz, ess, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, to a perfor- the revivalist and his flock; 5. a tense and a couple of years after he had completed mance by the great modern dancer, Martha brilliant “Solo dance of the Bride”; 6. a tran- his studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, Graham. The result was a commission for sitional episode that recalls elements of the and they manifested themselves in parts the 1943 Coolidge Foundation Festival in introductory music; 7. a depiction of daily of Music for the Theater (1925), Two Pieces Washington – Miss Graham to create three activity around the new-built farm-through for Violin and Piano-Nocturne and Ukelele new ballets with music composed respec- the medium of five variations on the Shaker Serenade (1926), a Piano Concerto (1926), tively by Paul Hindemith, Darius Milhaud tune The Gift to Be Simple; 8. Coda, in effect and Two Blues for Piano (1926). There fol- and Copland. A woman of purpose and an apotheosis and fulfillment of the promise lowed a brief flirtation with Hebraic ele- action, Mrs. Coolidge! of the opening music. “The couple are left ments in the Vitebsk Trio (1929). At the quiet and strong in their new house.” same time, however, Copland was also It was not until the 1944 Festival that the developing a “monumental abstract” style premiere actually took place in Washington, Where Aaron Copland’s professional activi- of his own which reached its first culmina- on Mrs. Coolidge’s 80th birthday, October- ties have centered very much around the tion in the Piano Variations of 1930 (subse- 30. The original scoring was for the 13 academic worlds bounded by fellowships, quently arranged for orchestra in 1957) and instruments of Miss Graham’s accompany- grants, teaching activities, and the active the Symphonic Ode of 1928-29 (revised in ing ensemble, Louis Horst conducting; but sponsorship of modern music festivals, 1956). The shadow of Stravinsky is clearly the following spring Copland fashioned Morton Gould lived and worked in the evident in Copland’s “abstract” works, but the version for full symphony orchestra milieu of “commercial” music almost from his ‘teens. Even while he was sweating out a sections: 1. Proclamation – vehement, impas- rigorous training at the Institute of Musical sioned, almost seething with resentment; Art (later the Juilliard School), he was play- 2. Sermon – music of solace, of peace in the ing’ with dance bands, in movie houses, and hereafter: 3. A Little Bit of Sin – sly humor over the radio to keep himself economi- with the barest touch of the blues at one cally solvent. His brilliance as an arranger point; 4. Protest – music of terrifying power, landed him top spots at the Radio City Music elemental and wholly uncomplicated; Hall and at NBC, and by the time he was 21 5. Jubilee-the most elaborate movement of and the Philadelphia the five, in which the jubilation assumes ele- Orchestra had performed Gould’s Chorale ments of rural dance, trancelike exaltation, and Fugue in Jazz. orgiastic rhythm, and “jubilee sing.”

The jazz element is never far from Gould’s Notes by DAVID HALL music, but it is not the jazz of Gershwin, it is something more shiny, almost brittle-chro- mium-plated. At its very best however, as in the American Concertette No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra (1943) – better known as the ballet Interplay, Gould’s super-stylization of commercial jazz approaches high art. So too, in his Latin-American Symphonette (1941) he achieved an idealization of a tango in the slow movement that a modern Bach would not be ashamed of. It was when he went back to the basic roots of jazz – the musical lan- guage of the Negro – that Gould created per- haps his finest work, the Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra (1941)

Gould himself conducted the first perfor- mance, and the work was subsequently played by the N. Y. Phi1harmonic-Symphony under Artur Rodzinski. “I have tried to write music the way one speaks,” observed Gould of this score. “I like them called Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra, because my plan was to use the strings as if they were a vocal choir.”

There is no actual use of Negro spiritu- als, only a sly hint of “Shortnin’ Bread” in the Little Bit of Sin Episode. There are five Some notes on the history of Everest …from the original LP release: system, but naturally will be most appreci- Records and the digital remastering ated by the audiophile with the very finest hi-fi “This Everest Recording is a Product of Belock equipment. When EVEREST recordings are When Everest Records was founded by Recording, a division of the Belock Instrument played in the Belock studio through top quality Harry Belock in 1958 as a division of Belock Corp. An EVEREST recording represents a hi-fi equipment similar to that found in home Instrument Corp., the aim was to produce a new peak of achievement in the recording art. use, the resulting sound is indistinguishable catalogue of stereo recordings of the highest As a product of Belock Instrument Corp. this from the master tape. Since Belock Recording possible technical standard, with interesting recording enjoys unique advantages shared unconditionally guarantees that their tapes and and innovative classical repertoire played by by few, if any other record company. The par- stereo disks are genuine stereophonic record- some of the best artists and orchestras. ent company is considered one of the world’s ings, they are designated as CERTIFIED finest precision electronic facilities and is STEREO-MASTER RECORDINGS. The fre- For the first Everest recording sessions in engaged chiefly in the development and pro- quency range of EVEREST recordings is 1958, an Ampex 300-3 half-inch three-chan- duction of ultra-secret military devices. The 20 to 20,000 cycles. It is important to note, nel recorder was used. Later on the label company was one of the earliest involved in that many companies specify wide frequency moved to use a Westrex 35mm 3-track mag- the electronics aspects of ballistic missiles response, and while this is an important part netic film recorder, which had a wider possible and is pre-eminent in the fields of radar, and of hi-fi recording, the distortion content of the dynamic range, less print-through, less tape fire-power computers and stabilization sys- recording is, if anything, even more important. stretch and less ‘wow and flutter’, and which tems. Harry Belock, founder of the company, All EVEREST recordings are free of audible was the basis for the highly acclaimed typical is an international authority on sound, and distortion throughout the entire frequency “Everest-sound”. has designed magnetic film recorders which range. Carefully wipe surface with soft damp are in use throughout the world. To EVEREST cloth. Return to wrapper after each play.” he brings all his talents and the vast techni- cal resources of his company. This recording was made in the new Belock Recording studio, which is constructed along the most advanced ideas in acoustics for recording. The very latest Telefunken, AKG and Neumann microphones were utilized, feeding into the new Ampex 300 self-sync stereo recorders on half inch tape. A specially-designed Ampex with low-noise amplifiers is used to produce the dubbing mas- Executive Producer: Mark Jenkins for Countdown ter. Tape duplication is accomplished on modi- Media/Everest • Project Coordinator: Helge fied Ampex machines in the Belock studios, so Jürgens for Countdown Media • Digital Transfers that maximum quality control is exercised at and Remastering: Lutz Rippe at Countdown Media all times. For stereo disc, the tape is fed into • Artwork preparation: Eckhard Volk at Countdown modified Westrex stereo cutterhead, mounted Media • Digital Booklet: böing gestaltung • Original on Scully lathes. A former Westrex design engi- Producer: Bert Whyte for Everest Records • Original Recording Engineer: Aaron Nathanson • Original Cover neer is on the Belock Recording stuff to insure Artwork: Alex Steinweiss • Recording Location and optimum quality in stereo disc operations. The Date: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London (August results of all this painstaking care are to be 1958) • Original Recording on 3-track, half-inch tape, heard on any EVEREST recording. The record- originally released in December 1958 as SDBR 3002 ings will give superb sound on any playback ℗ & © Countdown Media GmbH Below is a listing of the currently available Everest albums in this series. For more information and an updated listing please visit www.everestrecords.com

SDBR-3001 Prokofiev : Chout (“The Buffoon”), Ballet Suite, Op. 21a SDBR-3016 Villa-Lobos: Uirapurú & Modinha (from Bachianas London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, Brasileiras No. 1) & Prokofiev: Cinderella (Ballet Suite) Conductor Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York & Leopold Stokowski, Conductor SDBR-3002 Copland: Appalachian Spring & Gould: Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra SDBR-3017 Milhaud: La Création du Monde / Stravinsky: L’Histoire London Symphony Orchestra & Walter Susskind, Conductor du Soldat London Symphony Orchestra Chamber Group & John Carewe, SDBR-3003 Antill: Corroboree - Ginastera: Panambi Conductor London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, Conductor SDBR-3018 Copland: Symphony No. 3 London Symphony Orchestra & Aaron Copland, Conductor SDBR-3005 Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D Major “Titan” London Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir , SDBR-3021 Arnold: 4 Scottish Dances / Symphony No. 3 Conductor London Philharmonic Orchestra & Malcolm Arnold, Conductor SDBR-3006 Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor London Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir Adrian Boult, SDBR-3022 Kodály: Psalmus Hungaricus - Bartók: Dance Suite Conductor London Philharmonic Orchestra & János Ferencsik, Conductor SDBR-3007 Shostakovitch: Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 54 London Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir Adrian Boult, SDBR-3023 Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel / Salome / Don Juan Conductor Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York & Leopold Stokowski, Conductor SDBR-3008 Hindemith: Symphony in E-flat Major London Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir Adrian Boult, SDBR-3025 Waltz Masterpieces Conductor Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York & Raoul Poliakin, Conductor SDBR-3009 Stravinsky: Ebony Concerto & Symphony in 3 Movements SDBR-3026 Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade Woody Herman and his Orchestra / London Symphony London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, Conductor Conductor

SDBR-3011 Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini & Hamlet SDBR-3027 Raymond Paige’s Classical Spice Shelf Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York & Leopold Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York & Raymond Paige, Stokowski, Conductor Conductor

SDBR-3012 Charles K. L. Davis sings Romantic Arias from Favorite SDBR-3028 Strauss: A Night in Venice Operas Original Cast & Thomas Martin, Conductor Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York, Wilfred Pelletier, Conductor & Charles K. L. Davis, Tenor SDBR-3030 Brahms: Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90 Houston Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Stokowski, SDBR-3014 Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor Conductor London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Rudolf Schwarz, Conductor SDBR-3031 Wagner: Parsifal - Good Friday Spell “Karfreitagszauber” & Symphonic Synthesis Act 3 SDBR-3015 Copland: Billy The Kid & Statements for Orchestra Houston Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Stokowski, London Symphony Orchestra & Aaron Copland, Conductor Conductor SDBR-3032 Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy - Amirov: Azerbaijan SDBR-3045 Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor & Tapiola, Tone Houston Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Stokowski, Poem, Op. 112 Conductor London Symphony Orchestra, Tauno Hannikainen, Conductor & Tossy Spivakovsky, Violin SDBR-3033 Stravinsky: Petrouchka London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, SDBR-3046 Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D 759 Conductor “Unfinished” - Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 SDBR-3034 Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 London Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Ludwig, Conductor London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Malcolm Sargent, Conductor SDBR-3047 Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (“Le Sacre du Printemps”) SDBR-3035 Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, Conductor Conductor SDBR-3049 Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 SDBR-3036 Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 & & Melody, Op. 42/3 Franck: Variations Symphoniques London Symphony Orchestra, Walter Goehr, Conductor & London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, Tossy Spivakovsky, Violin Conductor & Peter Katin, Piano SDBR-3050 Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor SDBR-3037 Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique London Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Ludwig, Conductor London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, Conductor SDBR-3051 Respighi: The Fountains of Rome & The Pines of Rome London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Malcolm Sargent, SDBR-3038 : Ein Heldenleben Conductor London Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Ludwig, Conductor SDBR-3052 Khatchaturian: Gayne (Ballet Suite) SDBR-3039 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E Major, Op. 64 London Symphony Orchestra & Anatole Fistoulari, London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Malcolm Sargent, Conductor Conductor SDBR-3053 Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition & Night On Bald SDBR-3040 Hindemith: Violin Concerto & Mozart: Violin Concerto Maountain London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Malcolm Sargent, Conductor & Joseph Fuchs, Violin Conductor

SDBR-3041 Villa-Lobos: The Little Train of Caipira (from Bachianas SDBR-3054 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 & Lieutenant Kijé Suite Brasileiras No. 2) – Ginastera: Estancia & Panambi London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Malcolm Sargent, London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Eugene Goossens, Conductor Conductor SDBR-3055 Khatchaturian: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in SDBR-3042 Mozart: Serenades No. 11 in E-flat major (K. 375) and D-flat Major No. 12 in C minor (K. 388) London Symphony Orchestra, Hugo Rignold, Conductor & Everest Woodwind Octet Peter Katin, Piano

SDBR-3043 Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 SDBR-3056 Dvorˇák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “From the Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York, Leopold New World” Stokowski, Conductor & Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan), London Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Ludwig, Conductor Narrator SDBR-3057 De Falla: The Three Cornered Hat (Complete Ballet) SDBR-3044 Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite & Concerto for Piano and London Symphony Orchestra & Enrique Jordá, Conductor Orchestra in D Minor Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra & Ferde Grofé, SDBR-3058 Irving Berlin: Great Man of American Music - A New Conductor Interpretation Raoul Poliakin and his orchestra SDBR-3059 Works of Lili Boulanger: Du fond de l’abîme (Psaume SDBR-3074 Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 130), Psaume 24, Psaume 129, Vieille Prière “Pastoral” Bouddhique & Pie Jesu London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips, Conductor Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra, Elisabeth Brasseur Choir & Igor Markevtich, Conductor SDBR-3076 Duo Piano Recital: Pierre Luboshutz & Genia Nemenoff, Pianists SDBR-3060 Debussy: Iberia - Ravel: La Valse & Rhapsodie Espagnol Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra & Theodore Bloomfield, SDBR-3079 A Chopin Piano Recital Conductor Jorge Bolet, Piano

SDBR-3061 A Memorial Album: Ernst von Dohnányi Plays His Own SDBR-3086 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 Music for Piano London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips, Conductor Ernst von Dohnányi, Piano SDBR-3087 Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 SDBR-3062 Jorge Bolet playing the music of Franz Liszt: Piano London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips, Conductor Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major & Mephisto Waltz No. 1 SDBR-3088 Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 Symphony of the Air, Robert Irving, Conductor & Jorge London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips, Conductor Bolet, Piano SDBR-3089 Beethoven: Symphonies No. 1 & 8 SDBR-3063 Bennett: A Commemoration Symphony to Stephen London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips, Conductor Foster & A Symphonic Story of Jerome Kern Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn Choir of SDBR-3110 Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 Pittsburgh & William Steinberg, Conductor “Choral” London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips, Conductor SDBR-3064 Liszt: Sonata in B Minor, Funerailles & Mephisto Waltz No. 1 SDBR-3113 Beethoven: Symphonies No. 2 & 4 Jorge Bolet, Piano London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips, Conductor

SDBR-3066 Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra & William Steinberg, Conductor

SDBR-3067 Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue & An American in Paris Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, William Steinberg, Conductor & Jesus Maria Sanroma, Piano

SDBR-3068 Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 82 & Finlandia, Op. 26 Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra & Theodore Bloomfield, Conductor

SDBR-3069 Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra Houston Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Stokowski, Conductor

SDBR-3070 Wagner: Magic Fire Music & Wotan’s Farewell - Chopin: Mazurkas, Op. 17, Preludes, Op. 28 & Waltzes, Op. 64 (transcribed for Orchestra) Houston Symphony Orchestra & Leopold Stokowski, Conductor

SDBR-3071 Robert-Alexander Bohnke: The Great New Virtuoso