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American Classics

American Classics

American Classics is a new series from EMI which will feature, over several releases, recordings of as many different American composers as is possible. These will be single CD releases and, where possible, 2-CD sets, of music of different genres, including symphonies, concertos and purely orchestral works with some instrumental, chamber, song and opera.

Before the 20th century, there was very little in the way of American concert music. There was a handful of composers who were notable exceptions but these almost always followed the European compositional traditions. Not until the arrival of Charles Ives (1874-1954) could America boast an original, native-born, composer of it's own.

The close of the old and the advent of the new century saw the births of a whole generation of world-class composers who, although they might have studied in Europe, represented a new and original voice for American Music. The very first year of the new century brought with it the birth, in New York City, of possibly the best-known of them all, Aaron Copland. Samuel Barber, Roy Harris, Walter Piston, Elliott Carter, William Schuman, Virgil Thomson and George Gershwin were all born by 1910 and put American music on the world map.

Only one of the above-mentioned composers is still with us today and in 2008 Elliott Carter will celebrate his 100th birthday. We are pleased to include in this first issue of American Classics a programme of works by Carter.

Showing 1 - 10 of 47 results
Showing 1 - 10 of 47 results
  • William Schuman & Leonard Bernstein

    William Schuman & Leonard Bernstein

    Robert McDuffie

    Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin

    • Release Date: 5th May 2008
    • Catalogue No: 2066112
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 64 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • Cage - Concert for piano and orchestra

    Cage - Concert for piano and orchestra

    Burkhard Wissemann, Michael Dietz, Christoph Keller, Johann Nikolaus Matthes, Hermann Danuser, Bell Imhoff & Doris Sandrock

    Ensemblle Musica Negativa, Rainer Riehn

    • Release Date: 3rd Nov 2008
    • Catalogue No: 2344542
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 72 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • American Counterpoint

    American Counterpoint

    City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle, Thomas Adès, Michael Tilson Thomas

    Cage's Dances are scintillatingly played...Harmonielehre is magisterial — BBC Music Magazine, April 2010, 4 out of 5 stars More…
    • Release Date: 2nd Nov 2009
    • Catalogue No: 9671322
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 77 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • Virgil Thomson & Howard Hanson

    Virgil Thomson & Howard Hanson

    Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra & Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Neville Marriner & Leonard Slatkin

    • Release Date: 5th May 2008
    • Catalogue No: 2066122
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 76 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • Leonard Bernstein

    Leonard Bernstein

    Orchestra of St. Luke's, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra & City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi, Leonard Slatkin, Simon Rattle & Dennis Russell Davies

    • Release Date: 5th May 2008
    • Catalogue No: 2066262
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 73 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • Sousa: Marches

    Sousa: Marches

    The Great American Main Street Band, Timothy Foley

    • Release Date: 1st Nov 2010
    • Catalogue No: 6411222
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 65 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • Copland - Symphony No. 3 & Dance Symphony

    Copland - Symphony No. 3 & Dance Symphony

    Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filharmónica de la Cuidad de Mexico, Eduardo Mata, Enrique Bátiz

    Copland's monumental Third Symphony and the lively Danzón Cubano are well played and handsomely recorded; but the Mexico orchestra under Bátiz is less secure in the Dance Symphony. — BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2009, 4 out of 5 stars More…
    • Release Date: 8th Jun 2009
    • Catalogue No: 6952212
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 66 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • George Gershwin

    George Gershwin

    Peter Donohoe (piano)

    Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra & London Sinfonietta, London Sinfonietta, André Previn & Leonard Slatkin, Simon Rattle

    • Release Date: 5th May 2008
    • Catalogue No: 2066282
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 77 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • Charles Ives

    Charles Ives

    Marni Nixon, John McCabe & Henry Herford

    Ensemble Modern, Ingo Metzmacher

    • Release Date: 5th May 2008
    • Catalogue No: 2066312
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 79 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

  • Barber - Cello Sonata, Excursions & Summer Music

    Barber - Cello Sonata, Excursions & Summer Music

    Alan Staphansky, Israela Margalit, Jeanne Baxtresser, Joseph Robinson, Stanley Drucker, Judith Le Clair & Philip Myers

    • Release Date: 3rd Nov 2008
    • Catalogue No: 2344732
    • Label: Warner Classics
    • Series: American Classics
    • Length: 60 minutes

    Downloads

    Audio formats guide

    No digital booklet included

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