Rooster_Ties Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 I've loved Dawson's symphony for almost 20 years now -- and imho, it's one of the all-time greatest symphonies by any American composer. My other nominations might include Ive's 2nd (which feels more like a real "symphony" than his equally great 3rd and 4th), Sessions' 6th (or 7th? or 9th?), and Barber's less-well-known 2nd -- all off the top of my head -- ignoring some Europeans who took on American citizenship well into their adulthood. And I'm FINE if we want to turn this thread into a discussion of other top-drawer symphonies by American composers. A search on this forum on "Levi Dawson" will bring up half-a-dozen times I've waxed poetic for my love of this piece over the last 10-15 years. AND, this will be the very first live classical music thing my wife and I will have been to in over two years -- in just 3 days I get to hear the Dawson here in DC... https://www.postclassical.com/shows/hope-in-the-night Who else digs the Dawson?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HutchFan Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 (edited) Rooster, I'm familiar with Dawson's Symphony -- but only in name. I've never heard it. Based on your enthusiasm, I'll check it out! Is there a particular recording that you'd recommend? My nomination for the "greatest" American symphony would be Ives' Fourth. I hear what you're saying about Ives' Second; it follows a more conventional symphonic structure. But it would be impossible for me NOT to choose Ives' Fourth. It's so mind-blowing fantastic, and the most wonderful classical concert I've EVER heard was a performance of it (by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony). To me, Ives' Fourth is like Beethoven's Ninth. Both "break the rules" of symphonies -- but they are also ultimate, transcendent examples of the form. Edited March 15, 2022 by HutchFan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted March 15, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 22 minutes ago, HutchFan said: Is there a particular recording that you'd recommend? Far as I know, it’s only ever been recorded three times. I highly recommend Neeme Järvi and the Detroit Symphony from 1992 — which has been reissued in at least 2 other forms (same recording, but paired with different works each time, often with Still and/or Ellington), and there was also a budget record-club CDreissue of the exact same recording (with a cheap looking B&W cover). On my phone, or I’d say more. It’s on YouTube a few times too — and I’m not sure if any of those uploads are perhaps of an otherwise 4th version that’s unknown to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HutchFan Posted March 15, 2022 Report Share Posted March 15, 2022 Good deal. I'll track down the Järvi version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted March 17, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2022 Looking forward to this, in about 27 hours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoppy T. Frog Posted April 29, 2022 Report Share Posted April 29, 2022 I was there that weekend too. I'm a George Walker fanatic, so I've been enjoying the NSO'strawl through his Sinfonias. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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