One of the great frustrations is how Copland's oeuvre is sharply divided by the listening public into a small selection of 'pops' and a large collection of rarely played or heard music. But much of this latter music is so very, very good. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason for this neglect. Take the first piece here - Dance Panels contains exactly the kind of rhythmic élan and nostalgic melody that makes Appalachian Spring so popular. Dip into the second or third movements (tracks 2 and 3) and you'll hear what I mean immediately. This is marvellous music and played as well here as I have ever heard. Ideally recorded too - clean and lean without being analytical. Dennis Russell Davies and his St Luke's players have the sense of this music to perfection. In the achingly beautiful Pas de Trois (track 4) they convey an ideal mix of yearning regret without toppling over into sentiment - coolly passionate. Instrumental balance is a thing of wonder too - and when Copland demands intricacy then there is technique to spare, complex rhythms tossed off effortlessly. Quintessentially American playing of a masterly score.
Just when I though things could not get better they do. Following on from Dance Panels is easily the finest recorded performance of Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson I have heard. These are Copland's own orchestral versions of eight of the twelve poems he set for female voice and piano. The singer here is Helene Schneiderman. She is listed as a mezzo soprano which is unusual given that these songs are most often recorded by sopranos and lyric ones at that - I'm thinking of Dawn Upshaw on Teldec or Barbara Hendricks on EMI. But Schneiderman effortlessly moves across the wide range demanded of these songs and her voice has the extra power and warmth in the lower register. Her ability to create a sense of musical line across the most widely spaced intervals is simply remarkable. Add a controlled vibrato that never loosens or blurs pitch centres and you have a musical instrument in perfect condition. Also, there is the slightest of American accent to her pronunciation which gives an element of vernacular to the performances which just oozes rightness. None of which would count for much if it wasn't backed up by musical insights that matched it but both Schneiderman and Russell Davies do. What I particularly admire is the way they find a balance between the deceptive simplicity of the texts and their musical settings and the power of the verse - the final song The Chariot contains the stunningly poignant couplet: 'Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me'. Again the orchestra are in tip-top form - sensitive and receptive to every mood. This must be a performance that existed before these sessions, it has a feeling of rightness and insight that springs from long acquaintance. This is magnificent music-making and easily one of the best recorded performances of anything I have heard so far this year.
Just when I though things could not get better they do. Following on from Dance Panels is easily the finest recorded performance of Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson I have heard. These are Copland's own orchestral versions of eight of the twelve poems he set for female voice and piano. The singer here is Helene Schneiderman. She is listed as a mezzo soprano which is unusual given that these songs are most often recorded by sopranos and lyric ones at that - I'm thinking of Dawn Upshaw on Teldec or Barbara Hendricks on EMI. But Schneiderman effortlessly moves across the wide range demanded of these songs and her voice has the extra power and warmth in the lower register. Her ability to create a sense of musical line across the most widely spaced intervals is simply remarkable. Add a controlled vibrato that never loosens or blurs pitch centres and you have a musical instrument in perfect condition. Also, there is the slightest of American accent to her pronunciation which gives an element of vernacular to the performances which just oozes rightness. None of which would count for much if it wasn't backed up by musical insights that matched it but both Schneiderman and Russell Davies do. What I particularly admire is the way they find a balance between the deceptive simplicity of the texts and their musical settings and the power of the verse - the final song The Chariot contains the stunningly poignant couplet: 'Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me'. Again the orchestra are in tip-top form - sensitive and receptive to every mood. This must be a performance that existed before these sessions, it has a feeling of rightness and insight that springs from long acquaintance. This is magnificent music-making and easily one of the best recorded performances of anything I have heard so far this year.
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