Copland: Rodeo; The Red Pony; Prairie Journal; Letter from Home (2006)

These may not be the finest recordings of Copland's orchestral works ever committed to disc -- after all, they have competition from Bernstein, Slatkin and, of course, Copland himself -- but for listeners who love the music, they will still provide a thrill and a chill. The twenty first century Buffalo Philharmonic is not the same orchestra it was when Michael Tilson Thomas ran it 40 years earlier -- with smooth strings, warm winds, bold brass, and powerful percussion, it's much better. And while music director JoAnn ... Read More

These may not be the finest recordings of Copland's orchestral works ever committed to disc -- after all, they have competition from Bernstein, Slatkin and, of course, Copland himself -- but for listeners who love the music, they will still provide a thrill and a chill. The twenty first century Buffalo Philharmonic is not the same orchestra it was when Michael Tilson Thomas ran it 40 years earlier -- with smooth strings, warm winds, bold brass, and powerful percussion, it's much better. And while music director JoAnn Falletta may not be in the same class as Tilson Thomas, much less Bernstein or Slatkin, she is clearly as fond of the music as the composer and does everything to give the best possible performances. Her Rodeo may lack some of the pizzazz of Bernstein's, but it still has plenty of pop and fizz, and her Suite from The Red Pony may lack some of the warmth of Slatkin's, but it still has plenty of heart. In the shorter Prairie Journal and Letter from Home, Falletta and the Buffalo's... Read Less