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Michael Daugherty: Philadelphia Stories; UFO
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Blazing Percussive Energy
One of the best conductors in the United States teams with one of the most innovative living American composers, and one of the most talented and exciting percussion artists in the world to produce a recording brimming over with energy and passion.
The first selection on the CD, "Philadelphia Stories" is powerful and energetic, but also more gentle and even dreamlike in some sections. The first movement is dramatic and uplifting. The second movement, "Tell-Tale Harp" has wonderful brigh harp sounds. In the third movement, which is a tribute to the famous conductor Leopold Stokowski, the composer has interwoven his own transcription of Bach's C major Prelude from The Well-Tempered Clavier.
The second work, "UFO," is one of the most original and captivating works of classical music I have heard. The final movement of UFO, titled "Objects" is the dramatic high-point of the CD, featuring a spectacular performance by percussionist Evelyn Glennie that will make your heart race and, once heard, will not be soon forgotten.
There is a love of music and of life that resonates in both two works on this CD, a driving rhythm, a sense of fun, and an originality that make this a very worthwhile listening experience. The liner notes are by the composer. The sound quality is first-rate. Playing Time = 68:38.
Rating:  - new funny orchestral music
With this two works Daugherty goes on exploring the American icons in its unique way, blending classical and pop for the best and (sometimes) for the worst.
The symphony "Philadelphia Stories" is a brillant journey across the city.
Also interesting is the concerto for percussion even if a few passages seem less inspired. Another recording for this concerto exist, but then the orchestra is replaced by a "symphonic band" (the strings are suppressed); I felt this other version more idiomatic.
Then 5 stars for the symphony and 3 for the present recording of the UFO concerto with full orchestra.
That makes an average 4 stars for an album with music which can either entertain, amaze or unplease (if you do not like the second degree) !
Rating: - Close Encounters Of The Colorado Kind
In its continuing exploration of American music and lesser-known U.S. orchestras, the budget label Naxos has given us one of its most provocative and innovative recordings to date. Michael Daugherty, the man behind the "Superman"-inspired "Metropolis Symphony", gives us two innovative works, "Philadelphia Stories" and the futuristic "UFO", a concerto for percussion and orchestra.
"Philadelphia Stories" is the composer's three-movement tone painting of the City of Brotherly Love, focusing in on aspects of street life ("Sundown On South Street"), the terror of Edgar Allan Poe ("The Tell-Tale Heart"), and the legacy of Leopold Stokowski ("Bells For Stokowski"). In this last movement, Daugherty imagines all the bells tolling in Philadelphia as the often-controversial conductor who put the Philadelphia Orchestra on the world map makes a visit to the Liberty Bell.
"UFO" shows off the impressive abilities of Scottish-born percussion maestra Evelyn Glennie in this concerto inspired, of course, by sightings of alien spacecraft in the night skies of Earth that have been reported since the Roswell incident of 1947. The piece is hugely reminiscent in sound and size of John Williams' score for Spielberg's 1977 sci-fi masterpiece CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, a trait that may or may not be intentional, but a trait that works quite well. Glennie's percussion abilities are second-to-none here.
Both works are bought together by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra under the inspired leadership of music director Marin Alsop, one of a handful of female conductors to lead an orchestra in major recordings. The Naxos sound technicians give her, Glennie, and the Colorado Symphony a first-rate sound on a relatively meager budget, resulting in an incredibly fascinating recording that is quite simply one of the best in 2004 insofar as classical music goes. Highly recommended!
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