Copland at the Proms 2: “The Earth” with the National Youth Orchestra
When you’ve had a riveting “short ride in a fast machine” usually the first thing you want to do is get back in the vehicle and have another go! And that’s what I did....
Copland at the Proms 1: Clarinet Concerto played by the BBC NOW
I was at the Oval in London on Monday. Not the Kennington Oval to see Stuart Broad’s amazing fairytail swansong as a test cricketer. I was 3.5 miles north west inside the oval of...
Copland Connotations – a belated review
It was with sadness and a tinge of personal regret that I read about the passing of composer, writer and educator Professor Peter Dickinson last month. Peter was a real champion of American music...
Copland Dance Episodes – A New Ballet by Justin Peck – Review
At the beginning of Copland Dance Episodes, the “new” ballet choreographed by Justin Peck of New York City Ballet, the entire company is on stage stood statuesque whilst individually clothed in a fleece mesh....
Mahler 9 – The full human experience with NY Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel – review
I’m not exactly predisposed to be a follower of Gustav Mahler. As a Copland fan I tend to listen to (in the main) short, concise, often leanly orchestrated pieces. Much of Copland’s output couldn’t...
Soto/Scholz/Schröder – Copland’s Clarinet Concerto – Ballet Premiere – Review
It was with a great deal of anticipation and just a little bit of trepidation that I travelled to Leipzig last weekend to see a new ballet version of Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. The well-loved...
Now Hear This “Aaron Copland: Dean of American Music” – PBS documentary review
To make sure that I don’t miss any announcements about Copland performances, recordings, and publications I am signed up to Google Alerts. This means that every day I get the latest updates. Of course,...
The City and Redes – Landmark movie scores now on CD
Sometimes you get what you want and sometimes you get what you ask for!Way back in 2009, Naxos released a DVD of The City the legendary documentary film from 1939 which was Aaron Copland’s...
Dvořák’s Prophecy and the Vexed Fate of Black Classical Music – Review
You’ve got to hand it to the team at Post Classical Ensemble – the “experimental music laboratory” based in Washington DC are constantly opening new doors and sharing their enthusiasm for American music through...
A Tale of Two Cities, A Tale of Two Great American Symphonies
Programmers at the City of Birmingham Symphony and Hallé Orchestra served up a late birthday treat for me this week! Two concerts on consecutive nights with lots of Copland and his 20th century contemporaries....
