Good Performances - Some might ask, who the heck is Ferde Grofe? His two big claims to fame are, (1) he orchestrated Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue, and (2)he wrote the Grand Canyon Suite (which is featured as a DVD extra on Walt Disney s Sleeping Beauty--Special Edition). There is no question that the Grand Canyon Suite is an attractive piece of music--definitely more pop than Classical. And, the performances on this CD are excellent. One could not ask for more! But, the rest of the music on this CD, especially the Niagara Falls Suite, is mediocre. The only exception is the Huckleberry Finn segment of the Mississippi Suite. It is great fun! Just keep in mind that this music is not really Classical in style. It sounds more like movie music of the 1930-1940 s, or music from a Jerome Kern or Richard Rodgers musical. However, it is not as good as the latter!
Grand Grofé - What a fabulous collection of the best of Grofé conducted by the composer himself. If there is a better recording of any of these selections, I have not heard it and I have heard many.
The Treasures of Ferde Grofé - Ferde Grofé, born in the late 19th century New York, had a varied musical career as a composer, arranger, and pianist. He was a performer and arranger for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and later arranged Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue for orchestra. Best known as a composer for Grand Canyon Suite, his style combined classical, jazz and Hollywood cinematic styles in a series of unique paintings that managed to evoke the images that his sounds represented.This collection from Naxos includes the aforementioned Grand Canyon Suite, as well as his lesser known Mississippi Suite and Niagara Falls Suite. All are quite moving, although Grand Canyon is far and away his most brilliant. Niagara displays a fine range of images and moods, from the power of the waters themselves to the cinematic lyricalism of honeymooners.The quality of the CD is excellent. I have been quite pleased with the quality of their releases. William Stromberg and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra capture the essence of these wonderful compositions.
Majestic! - Probably everyone with any familiarity with American classical composers has heard at least some of the Grand Canyon Suite at some point, but the other two suites on this CD (the Mississippi and the Niagara Falls) may not be quite so familiar. They should be, and this version is a splendid (and inexpensive) way to own them. I bought the CD chiefly because I had heard of the Mississippi and wanted to find out what it was like. It is a fine piece of music, with much of the rolling expansiveness of the Big River captured in it. And the Niagara Falls ranges from Native motifs that will be familiar to all TV-Western buffs, to the Gershwinesque. Of course, there s no need to describe the centerpiece. I ve always loved the kind of music that lifts you out of your seat, and all these pieces do.If this is a typical Naxos product, I m sure I ll be adding a lot more of them to my collection.
Programmatic music at its finest! - Ferde Grofé s mastery of the orchestral palette is breathtaking. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his seminal work, the GRAND CANYON SUITE. This work portrays 24 hours of contrasting moods in America s most famous natural habitat, from the stillness of morning in The Painted Desert to the thunder of a rare nighttime Cloudburst. No matter what time of day, you may feel as if the sky is brighter after listening to Sunrise. One can sense the demeanor of the donkey forced to make the journey On the Trail. I always feel the regret of another day passing during Sunset.The other two orchestral suites on this CD are also great, but they simply do not compare to the majesty of the GRAND CANYON. The MISSISSIPPI SUITE is a short four-movement exploration of Americana along the great river. The NIAGARA FALLS SUITE is overwhelming in its portrayal of the power of the Falls, enhanced by the quiet sections of the inner movements.Like me, you may be a bit leery of purchasing a CD from a budget label featuring artists and ensembles of whom you ve never heard. Rest assured, this CD is a bargain that you will not regret purchasing. I have never been disappointed with a NAXOS CD, and both the Bournemouth Symphony and William T. Stromberg are excellent. Stromberg, a native Californian and only 34 years old at the time of this recording, lends a sensitivity to the quiet passages and incredible zest and energy to the dynamic passages, most notably to the NIAGARA FALLS SUITE.