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Peter Mennin: Moby Dick; Symphonies Nos. 3 & 7 | 
 enlarge | Creators: Peter Mennin, Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Label: Delos Records
Category: Music
List Price: $15.98
Buy Used: $3.97
You Save: $12.01 (75%)
Used (12) from $3.97
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 217870
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 013491316420
EAN: 0013491316420
ASIN: B0000006ZM
Release Date: November 14, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: This item is in good condition with all original artwork and materials. Case and/or artwork may show visible wear. For CD/DVDs, the disc may have light superficial marks that do not affect play.
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| Tracks:
| • | Movement 1 | | • | Movement 2 | | • | Movement 3 |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Peter Mennin ranks with Piston, Harris, and Hanson as among the finest of the American neoclassical symphonists active in the first half of this century. During his years as director of the Juilliard School in New York, Mennin's music had a measure of attention, but since his death it has disappeared without a trace. That there are signs of renewed interest is a welcome turn of events, for these excellently crafted, vital, and compact works sport the dual virtues of integrity and approachability. Schwarz's series of American orchestral works for Delos has picked up where Howard Hanson's famous Mercury Living Presence recordings left off. They are uniformly excellent, and this one is no exception. --David Hurwitz
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| Customer Reviews:
A 20th century American neoromantic June 14, 2006
Larry VanDeSande (Mason, Michigan United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have no quibble with David Hurwitz' description of this CD that, "Peter Mennin ranks with Piston, Harris and Hanson as among the finest of the American neoclassical symphonists active in the first half of this century," other than to say I think of Mennin more as a neoromantic even though he writes in a distinctly classic 20th century American idiom.
"Moby Dick", which begins the concert, is written against Melville's classic American novel of ocean-going whalers and their fight with the great white whale. The moody 11-minute tone poem (the composer called it a concerto for orchestra) captures some of the drama of the action as portrayed in the Gregory Peck film but little of its American heroism.
The Symphony No. 3, written after the war and introduced in 1947, is very much like other tonal American symphonies of the time. It reminds me most of Piston but also compares readily to Hanson and Creston.
It is constructed in sonata form with altermating allegro, andante, allegro movements and has all the benchmarks of mid-century American symphonies -- brass choirs that carry main themes, a solo flute with an ostinato theme, and rumbling timpani support. As usual for American symphonies of the period, the strings play a relatively minor supporting role.
The perhaps inopportune-named Symphony No. 7 (which is a set of variations) is a different animal. Written in 1963 on commission from the Cleveland Orchestra, here is episodic high drama that wants often to slip over the edge into serialism but never does. This 26-minute excursion swells with emotions, then slips into repose before starting again...and again. It also reflects the jazz age rhythmic drama of "West Side Story" in its bigger moments. The overall dramatics, near serial appeal, and intensity portend the darker Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 from this composer.
Gerard Schwartz and the Seattle Symphony continue to get worldwide raves for their transmittals of American music on the Naxos label. I like their performances here but can imagine better playing almost everywhere by a better orchestra. The Delos recording can get a bit muddy but that can be modified by your electronic controls.
All in all, then, a solid effort of music by an American symphonist not often played or represented in our concert halls. With only a couple other notable recordings of his music available, this is an important CD for fans of American classics.
POR FIN! April 4, 2000
Francisco J. Munoz (Santa Cruz, Bolivia)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Durante machismos anos los amantes de la musica de America, estabamos esperando que algun director grabe la hermosisima tercera Sinfonia de Peter Mennin, por fin Schwarz, nos da esta alegria, ademas de que el disco trae la septima que tambien es una linda sinfonia. En la tercera de todas maneras me quedo con la version en LP de Dimitri Metropoulos, ojala que Sony la reedite. Pero por el momento GRACIAS SR: SCHWARZ!
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