Search - William Stromberg, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra :: Grofe: Death Valley Suite

Highly Recommended Americana

StackedAktor | MN | 09/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Grofe is very underrated composer, maybe because he embraced melody and popularism when the rest of classical music was running the other way. (That and he is one of the few composers I know of who can make me laugh and surprise me consistently.)The music speaks for itself. My favorite is the Death Valley Suite, especially the opening 5/4 movement that depicts perfectly the misery of crossing the desert under a murderous sun searching for water. (That and the arrow shot during the Indian raid- some of the cleverest orchestration I've heard in a while.)I'd also advise you keep an eye out for a CD that features Grofe's Piano Concerto (recorded by a local orchestra- Albany? Buffalo? in New York)- it isn't a new recording, but is an impressive piece- one of the few works of Grofe I've heard that isn't imagistic.Take my advice and order this. Anyone who loves Bernstein, Gershwin, Anderson or just wants a glimpse of 20th Century America should pick this up. You won't be disappointed."

Grofé gets his due

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 09/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This welcome release is the second CD from Naxos featuring the orchestral music of Ferde Grofé (1899-1972), best known for a suite included on the first release -- "Grand Canyon Suite." This new CD is played by the same forces, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by the talented young American conductor, William T. Stromberg. They do a brilliant job.The "Hollywood Suite," premiered in 1935, is for a ballet about a young woman, like many other anonymous women of that time, who had come to Hollywood to be a "star." Instead she is a bit-player There is an underlying melancholy in the music even in the ebullient, musically apt "Production Number," in which the stand-in dances for the star, while the star gets the close-ups. The bustle of the "Carpenters and Electricians" section is brilliantly orchestrated, no surprise since Grofé was primarily known -- aside from the "Grand Canyon Suite" -- for his orchestration of Gershwin's early orchestral works. The bustle in the orchestra reminds one of Gershwin's "American in Paris." The "Hudson River Suite" was commissioned by Andre Kostelanetz in 1954 and incorporates a tone-poem, "Rip van Winkle," that Grofé wrote in 1932. "Rip" begins with Rip walking in the hills with his dog and, like Piston's "Incredible Flutist," includes a recording of a dog barking. When Rip wakes up after his twenty years' sleep and whistles for his dog, there is no response, a neat way to show that years have passed. Both "The River" and "Henry Hudson" have a broad, flowing, almost Elgarian nobilmente. It concludes with the frenetic activity of "New York!," ending the Hudson?s downstream course. "Death Valley Suite," written for the 1949 celebration of California's centennial, is probably the most serious piece on the CD. It depicts a wagon train trying to cross California's Death Valley, its settlers almost dying of thirst; when they find a water hole there is jubilation and someone breaks out a fiddle and there is dancing to "O, Susanna." Later, the wagon train is engulfed in a fierce sand storm, but they manage to get through it to the promised land. Grofé has pretty much fallen out of favor, although his music was immensely popular in the mid-20th century. It is due for rediscovery. This CD will help.Recommended."

Fine Performances of Powerful Compositions

Steven K. Szmutko | EWING, NJ USA | 03/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Grofé is best known for his "Grand Canyon Suite," yet he has been otherwise underappreciated amidst the cacophony of supposedly more avant-garde composers of the 20th century. Yet his works are moving and, at least in my opinion, quintessentially American in both mood, temperament, and orchestration.



The three works presented here are beautiful compositions reflecting a variety of emotions and scenes. His works detailed images and visualizations unlike other composers. They can sadden, lighten, frighten and embolden the listener.



Although the Grand Canyon Suite may be the best introduction to Grofé, these three works, in particular, "Hudson River Suite," will provide a joyous celebration of imagery.



This is my first purchase of a Naxos Label "American Classic" and I am very pleased. The quality, performance and inexpensive price provide a great value. I am very impressed with William Stromberg and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

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