# SS 31.08.19 - Copland "Dance Symphony"



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening! 

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

*Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990)*

Dance Symphony for Orchestra

1. Lento - Molto allegro - Adagio molto
2. Andante moderato
3. Allegro vivo
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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment. This week it's American composer Aaron Copland's Dance Symphony. This is a pretty short work so hopefully everyone can join in. I think I've only heard this one maybe once before so I'm looking forward to hearing it again.

I'll be listening to this one on disc:












Antal Dorati/Detroit Symphony Orchestra


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll listen to Slatkin and St. Louis here. I haven't heard this in a very long time.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Spotify collection


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

really fine piece!! final section is quite difficult rhythmically....I've got 2 fine recordings:
Copland/LondonSO, which is very good, and even better -
M. Gould/ChicagoSO...a real knockout.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

I'll listen to the Dorati/Detroit. Listened to the first movement recently, now I'll hear the entire piece.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

This one for me and I do like the Slatkin very much.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I'll be listening to this one - The _Dance Symphony_ is played by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Aaron Copland in 1967, later remixed for CD release. Copland worked on this from 1922 to 1925, intending it is a ballet about a vampire! But that sort of thing went out of fashion, so he salvaged part of the work as this.

I suppose prancing vampires are no more unrealistic than prancing cowboys...


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

cougarjuno said:


> I'll listen to the Dorati/Detroit. Listened to the first movement recently, now I'll hear the entire piece.


Yes, this version for me also


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

cougarjuno said:


> I'll listen to the Dorati/Detroit. Listened to the first movement recently, now I'll hear the entire piece.


Me too but won't be till later.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

It's a work which has escaped me probably because I know _Grohg_ instead, the ballet which was the precursor for it. I will have to look the DS up on youtube and hear how much connective tissue there is to the original music.

Pedantry Alert: although the work was inspired by the film _Nosferatu_, _Grohg_ was about a necromancer rather than a vampire.


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

elgars ghost said:


> It's a work which has escaped me ...


You are not alone. Not only have I never heard it, I've never heard of it. Even after all these years I guess I'm still only scratching the surface.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I enjoyed that!


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## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

Ever since I heard _Grohg_, the original ballet, I have never gone back to the Dance Symphony until today. Slatkin was the only rendition in my collection. I enjoyed it; it's a very engaging work, but I still prefer the longer _Grohg_.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I'll be giving Dorati a listen too. That Decca CD could quite easily act as an essential Copland compilation, glad to see this, perhaps less famous work than, say, Rodeo or Appalachian Spring, is included.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> I enjoyed that!
> 
> View attachment 123282


Ditto - a work I can't honestly recall hearing before, more enjoyable than most Copland I have heard.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I listened to the (now) Sony recording from 1976, the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer. Over half a century after the symphony was composed, but in 1976 Aaron still had plenty of energy, it seems!

A thoroughly enjoyable set of dances. Maybe a bit more serious than joyful, especially in the central part, which varies from melancholy to threatening.

I hear some echoes of The Firebird in the second movement, and definite pre-echoes of El Salon Mexico in the third. But little here seems derivative. There’s a lot of “Copland” in it.

I had never heard this symphony, so many thanks for suggesting another that’s well worth getting to know!


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