Search - George Gershwin, Ferde Grofe, Antal Dorati :: Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Suite

Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Suite
George Gershwin, Ferde Grofe, Antal Dorati
Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Suite
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (6) - Disc #1


     
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CD Details

All Artists: George Gershwin, Ferde Grofe, Antal Dorati, Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Title: Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Suite
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Decca
Release Date: 6/14/1991
Genre: Classical
Styles: Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 028943071222
 

CD Reviews

This is one deep canyon
richard mullany | waynesville, north carolina United States | 09/11/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)

"If ever a recording was made that demonstrated the ability to reproduce a certain quality of sound this is one of them. I never fail to be impressed by the capture of the sound of the DSO in this "Grand Canyon". I think it way ahead of the competition in evoking the vastness of the scene. You need a good speaker system to do justice to it. The Porgy and Bess" is excellent; here is a big orchestra that knows how to count and so they sound perfectly at home with the music. I cringe when I hear an orchestra of hundreds playing something with a heavy handed drummer leading them on. All in all, a great recording!."
An Exploration Of Musical Americana Via Detroit
Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 04/16/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Under the direction of Antal Dorati in the late 1970s and 1980s, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was very much involved with 20th century music, particularly that of American composers. This recording allows us a glimpse into our Amercian music spirit via works that are sometimes dismissed as pops concert items.Dorati and his orchestra give us a great performance of the Gershwin "Porgy And Bess Symphonic Picture", as arranged by Robert Russell Bennett. It captures many of that great American opera's classic themes brilliantly. It is the most popular symphonic imagination of the opera, superceding even Gershwin's, and the Detroit Symphony's performance shows why.But the orchestra really shines on Ferde Grofe's celebrated "Grand Canyon Suite." Grofe knew a lot about orchestration, having been a violist with the L.A. Philharmonic in the 1920's and being the one responsible for the orchestration of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue." This suite, which premiered in 1931, captures America's greatest natural trench in all its splendid glory, and comes up with some spectacular moments, including "The Painted Desert" and the extremely vivid "Cloudburst" movement.This recording of two of the greatest examples of musical Americana comes highly recommended, not just for the works themselves but for the way the Detroit Symphony performs them. Not to be missed!"
Knock-out sound and performance
richard mullany | 08/20/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This version of 'The Grand Canyon Suite' seems to have attained a certain classic status by virtue of its distinctive approach. The weight of this reading (the end of 'Sunrise' and 'Cloudburst' are massively portentous) removes this work from its usual pop classic status, giving us something almost Mahlerian in its breadth and power and even finding suggestions of 20th-century avant garde! In all, a version to satisfy even serious collectors, recorded in stunning sound. The Gershwin-Bennett selection is no less revealing. This arrangement of selections from 'Porgy and Bess' is quite skillful and the performance is completely evocative and stylish."