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Showing posts from May 31, 2009

In review--Folky Classical

Copland Greatest Hits RCA Victor (1991) Grieg: Peer Gynt with Barbara Hendricks & Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra Esa-Pekka Salonen CBS Records (1989) I sometimes recommend that friends, colleagues and students to peruse their libraries classical music collection. European and Western classical music has a vast catalogue that ranges from medieval to contemporary times, with many genres and eras. I certainly cannot afford to buy every classical recording that strikes a chord with me (pun intended), but I can check out recordings from the library and also read music reference books such as The Rough Guide to Classical Music. One recent rediscovery, was the work of American classical composer Aaron Copland. We have all heard fragments of this composers work, from the American beef industries "eat beef" (not this vegetarian), commercials with Hoedown from Copland's ballet Rodeo and we have all heard passages from Appalachian Spring as Americans living in the