More American Songs
Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 03/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"THE THOMAS HAMPSON COLLECTION: SONGS BY AMERICAN COMPOSERS is a combination of other recordings presented in a fine format that takes advantage of works written for voice and piano by Ives, Griffes, and MacDowell as well as works for voice and piano arranged for orchestra - the Old American Songs by Aaron Copeland.
If this collection doesn't ring as true as the complete collection of the songs on the Hampson/Guzelimian recording, it may be because the Copeland songs are more of the funny encore types. Though originally composed for voice and piano, the orchestration is simple and not bombastic. And Hampson gives them his all, well backed by Hugh Wolff and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Recorded together these songs represent a rather strong cross-section of Americana in music. Grady Harp, February 2005"