Grammy Award nominee 2020. The Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra and conductor Louis Langrée celebrate connections between the USA and Europe. Gershwin's An American in Paris is paired with French composer Varèse's Amériques. Stravinsky's Symphony in C was written half in Europe, and half in the USA after his emigration. Two of the works are presented in unusual versions: Amériques in the rare version for 146 musicians, and An American in Paris in the new critical edition – of which this is the world premiere recording.
Featuring
Louis Langrée
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
George Gershwin
Edgar Varèse
Igor Stravinsky
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Interpretation
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's recording of Varèse's Amériques uses the original version with 146 musicians, including an offstage orchestra and 21 percussion players, creating a wild and overwhelming sound.
Compositional Technique
Varèse's Amériques, a piece on this album, pre-dates electronic advancements but achieves its unique sound through a prominent siren, complex rhythms, and a large number of percussionists.
Composition History
Igor Stravinsky's Symphony in C, featured on this album, was composed during a difficult period in his life when he lost his mother, wife, and daughter in less than a year.
Historical Context
All three composers on this album—Gershwin, Varèse, and Stravinsky—had connections to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, having performed with or conducted the orchestra.
Recording & Production
This album features a world premiere recording of the original unabridged version of George Gershwin's An American in Paris, as well as a world premiere recording of its standard abridged version.
Performer Biography
Louis Langrée, the conductor of this album, has been the Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) since 2013 and also serves as Music Director of the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center in New York.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Edgard Varèse, a composer featured on this album, believed classical music needed a new palette of sounds beyond the traditional orchestra and that many composers cared too much about preserving tradition.
