Louisville is back! Hallelujah! In the ensuing years some of the music presented here has been re-recorded (by Leonard Slatkin for RCA, so don’t count on it remaining available), but that doesn’t lessen a bit the importance of this disc, or the enjoyment to be derived from it. John Corigliano is one of America’s most important composers, and his invariably brilliant and stimulating works haven’t received anything like the recognition that they deserve (at least on CD). There is absolutely no reason why the four works included here (three of them receiving what were then their premiere recordings) should not be repertory staples, and happily they all receive vivacious and invigorating performances captured in wholly natural, vibrantly remastered sound.
The two major items receive particularly satisfying treatment. James Tocco dazzles in the Piano Concerto, a virtuoso romp for both soloist and orchestra. The concluding sprint to the finish is positively hair-raising. Gazebo Dances, like so much of this composer’s music, has incredible freshness and verve: Corigliano’s fundamentally tonal outlook combines with his thoroughly “state-of-the-art” compositional technique to make an especially potent cocktail as we witness his personal take on such popular dances as the Waltz and Tarantella. It’s as difficult to fault these exciting and committed performances as it is the transparent and impactful sonics, with the Dances sounding particularly fine (and determining the overall sonic rating). Essential. [3/15/2003]
