Chadwick: Orchestral Works
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GEORGE Whitefield CHADWICK
Chadwick: Orchestral Works
Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Schermerhorn
[ Naxos American Classics / CD ]
Release Date: Monday 5 August 2002
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George Whitefield Chadwick was proud of his old New England stock, traceable to 1630. He felt no need to prove his nationality, yet he became the first composer of concert music whose works often show the snap, the wit, the independence of the American.
As a young man Chadwick heard the première of Paine's First Symphony and was inspired with the idea that an American could compose symphonies. He defied his puritanical father to study music professionally, even after he had been removed from school to work in his father's insurance office. He studied on his own while functioning as a music teacher and developed a refined taste in literature and art. Study in Leipzig with Jadassohn and in Munich with Rheinberger (1877-1880) gave him a professional finish. He made an early mark with the Rip Van Winkle overture, performed in both Germany and America.
"Although an American composer, George Chadwick still relates to the world of Brahms and Dvořák, if with an attractive transatlantic flavour in the manner of the New World Symphony. But these tone-poems and (symphonic) overtures, although they have engaging invention, do not always fully sustain their length. The three overtures are each names after one of the muses. Thalia (the muse of comedy) highlights Chadwick's particular skill at writing wittily and lightheartedly; the more substantial Melpomene (the muse of tragedy) was one of the composer's most often performed works during his lifetime, its opening almost Tristanesque, while Euterpe (the muse of music), is enjoyably colourful.
The Angel of Death rather melodramatically depicts a dying sculptor's attempt to finish his masterpiece before succumbing to death. But the longest work here is the tone-poem Aphrodite, which last just under 30 minutes. With its depictions of 'Moonlight on the Sea', 'Storms', 'Lovers', 'Children Playing' and 'The Approach of a Great Army', it suggests the sights the statue of the goddess might witness overlooking the sea. The Nashville Orchestra seems thoroughly inside the music and the recording is very good" Penguin Guide
"If you still think of Nashville only as the home of the Grand Old Opry, you are woefully behind the times. This is a splendid orchestra - indeed, I might even despair of setting it alongside my home team the Detroit Symphony under Jarvi. The string playing is excellent, the winds and brass second to none, and Mr. Schermerhorn, who has led the orchestra for nearly 20 years, clearly has great affection for the spirit and sentiment of American music. The engineering is beyond reproach, and at the Naxos price there is simply no excuse to miss out." American Record Guide
Tracks:
1. Euterpe
09:03
Angel of Death
2. Angel of Death
13:36
Aphrodite
3. Aphrodite
28:13
Melpomene
4. Melpomene
14:39
Thalia
5. Thalia
13:47
