This is one of the great Copland recordings. It showcases the composer’s entire career in refreshing, razor-sharp performances that feature perfectly judged tempos, crystal clear textures, and amazingly clean rhythms. The Short Symphony in particular receives a stunning performance. We’ve come a long way from the days when this music was considered virtually unplayable on account of its rhythmic intricacies. It’s one of Copland’s greatest, if least well-known orchestral works, and there is no finer version. Appalachian Spring also is superb. This is the suite, but based on the original chamber scoring, and it gives you the best of both worlds: no filler, and all of the intimacy of Copland’s first thoughts. Quiet City is poetic but never sentimental (a curse-word in Copland’s aesthetic universe), while the Three Latin American Sketches are toe-tappingly delightful. Great sound too. Available on-demand from Arkivmusic.com, and an essential component of any Copland collection.
