Copland 100
$11.98 – $39.98
Minnesota Orchestra
Eiji Oue
The Absolute Sound Bakers Dozen (HP’s Top Thirteen)
Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of America’s favorite composer! EIJI OUE displays a real affinity for three Copland masterpieces: Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring Suite and the magnificent Third Symphony, all recorded in “Prof.” Johnson’s most exciting sound!
On This Recording
- Fanfare for the Common Man
- Appalachian Spring Symphony No. 3
- I. Molto moderato
- II. Allegro molto
- III. Andantino quasi allegretto
- IV. Molto deliberato
Reviews:
“… I have been waiting for this CD for over 40 years… There has never been a stereo recording of Copland’s Third that approaches the concert-hall experience. Until now. This recording clearly has great value as a musical experience, but it also sets a new standard as a sonic showcase for a nearly impossible-to-record work” —Arthur B. Lintgen, THE ABSOLUTE SOUND
“Oue’s performances are shapely, tasteful, beautifully played, with a judicious balance of drama and restraint. The recorded sound is nothing short of awesome; you might want to obtain this CD just as an audio experience” –Peter Aczel, THE AUDIO CRITIC
“Eiji Oue is far more satisfying to my ears than Michael Tilson Thomas [in Copland’s music]. The Minnesota Orchestra’s tone isn’t perhaps as glossy as the San Franciscans’, but they and their conductor are more emotionally in tune with the music. The Third Symphony is first-rate in every way. This orchestra made the first recording of the Third with Atal Dorati for Mercury in 1953, and the piece still seems to be in the players’ bones. A major Copland release” —Sedgwick Clark, GRAMOPHONE
“The Minnesota Orchestra plays wonderfully. Woodwind soloists and the concertmaster shine in ‘Appalachian Spring’, but the stars of this CD are the brasses who electrify in a way that brings to mind the Chicago Symphony’s brass section in their heyday. Of course, a good recording is necessary to make this fully apparent … and my, what an exceptional-sounding disc this is. If you have just one vaguely audiophile bone in your body, this CD will be irresistible. RR has produced another winner” — Andrew Quint, FANFARE
“This is a hi-fi lover’s dream disc. That’s what we expect from this label — a production that shows what hi-fi performance is all about. As to the performances, you’re in for another treat. The orchestra is as responsive and richly sonorous as you could ask for, with some expecially lovely wind playing in the symphony. Each of these performances can stand as a “reference” This one seems to have just about everything in place for maximum impact, especially the knockout sound”—David Vernier, STEREOPHILE
“A compelling performance of the Third Sympohony. I think this is among the best recordings since Bernstein — and the sound is spectacular” —Peter Dickinson, GRAMOPHONE
“The Fanfare increases in strength until you’ve got power that can blast right through your speakers and pound on your heart. However, the prize work on this disc is Copland’s Thrd Symphony. Oue is the complete master of the score. A splendid disc of Copland’s works. You simply cannot go wrong on this one” — King Durkee, COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
“This is the best interpretation of the Copland Third in a generation, and the sound is Keith Johnson at his considerable best. That is to say, jaw-dropping and a revelation” —Harry Pearson, THE ABSOLUTE SOUND (Also listed in HP’s Super CD List, Top 10)
“This is one damned fine Copland disc. And the sound! the power, the impact, the three-dimensional image — it beats all the competition. This disc could easily be anybody’s first choice for a modern Copland collection” —Victor Carr, ClassicsToday
“One of the central recording events of the centenary year” — Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International