While I'm away I thought I'd revisit a topic we last looked at in June of last year with a disc that came out not so long ago.
It is a two album on one disc release that does work in that both works are North American and both were original recorded for the same label - Columbia Masterworks - in the same year
Starting with the first of three works, Carlos Chavez who was a Mexican composer who dead in 1978 conducts his Ballet Pirámide which has four acts which in this recording has just acts Three (The Elements) and Four (General Dance) and Los Cuatro Soles (The Four Suns).
For this 1974 recording he uses the London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Singers which was taped at London's Abbey Road usually used by EMI/Angel in the UK.
The third work is Aaron Copland's masterpiece Appalachian Spring ballet with a difference being the original version of it conducted by the composer himself with the Columbia Chamber Orchestra which remains one of the finest recordings of this work with its Shaker inspired theme.
This disc also contains on the sacd stereo layer only the rehearsals where we hear the interaction of composer/conductor and the players.
These discs were issued in SQ Quadraphonic surround sound on lp and this cd features on a separate portion those mixes in discrete four channel form for those with suitable playback equipment.
These recordings certain repay frequent listening for their playing and the sound.
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