Aaron Copland - Symphony no. 3: Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the LSO in 1994

[@drbad85]

I analyzed Copland's Third Symphony for my masters thesis in theory at Eastman. At a question and answer session at Eastman, Copland told me that his impetus for writing the Third Symphony was partially in answer to the Russians Shostakovich and Prokofiev, both of whom had recently written their 5th Symphonies. It's a great American Symphony, perhaps the greatest in the full symphonic format. I wish it were programmed more.

[@dsti-xi7dl]

That is absolutely fascinating. I heard Copland direct the Third with the Kansas City Symphony. Before that, he had given a talk at the Univ. of Kansas in a packed auditorium. He was part of a panel, and needless to say the center of attention. I understand he felt a bit intimidated by academics because other than Boulanger he really had no great conservatory pedigree. He was incredibly funny when other academics would ask questions, his response would go something ike " Oh, crap, you can answer that as well as I can... etc. " Then he would go on to give a brilliant response. Such a thick Brooklyn accent. That's fascinating about Shostakovich. I find both third movements are similar. But Copland was amazingly ... American. I heard this as a kid, and my first thought not knowing who wrote it was... wow, this really sounds American. What a genius.

[@O-sa-car]

I find many symphonies to be uninspiring but this one is among my favorites along with the New World, the 9th, and Saint-Saens' 3rd

[@richardseewald4739]

Thanks so much for this Dave. Your thesis would be lot more interesting than mine! I heard 'the fanfare' on the radio in 1963 and asked my high school choir conductor where I could find It. He directed me to this wonderful 3rd Symphony. The recording I purchased was a 'high fidelity' mono recording by the Minneapolis Symphony conducted by Dorati. I still have this LP along with most every other recording of Copland's works produced. This symphony was my introduction to the precious works of Aaron Copland.

[@brentmarquez4157]

Wow, now that you mention it I can hear Shostakovich and Prokofiev in the symphony. Thanks for the insight. I always imagined (naively maybe?) that it was inspired by the Canyons and Mountains of the American West, which the piece makes a more than suitable soundtrack for, but I definitely hear the purely musical inspiration from those Russian composers behind it now.

[@williamhicks2299]

I love this performance, and I love the recorded sound: it's as if I'm seated in the center row of the first balcony. my favorite recorded perspective. EMI and DGG used to record this way back in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

[@williamsnyder5616]

I went to the SF Symphony tonight and heard MTT and his orchestra perform the Third Symphony.I hadn't heard it in years, but I had every note in my heard. Tomorrow, I'm going to try to talk a young man running for public office this Fall to listen to it. He's a man of the Common Man and I want him to hear Copland's passion.

[@jasontiller]

Thank you for posting this. I fell in love with this piece many, many years ago, and it still gives me chills. Copland truly defined "Americana".

[@geraldharvey8979]

Copland took ideas already exploited by Virgil Thomson and made them his own. Nothing wrong with that. Artists respond to other artists’ work all the time, but we must acknowledge Thomson’s pioneering music. Virgil Thomson is a timeless American original. What a loving rendering of Copland’s awe-inspiring symphony! Bravo!

[@thejimdoherty]

An excellent performance of this work.

[@johnkelly4926]

Magnificent performance, perhaps even better than Lenny's on DG with the NYPO. You get a great sense of space here in this acoustic. Great trumpets (unusually for a British orchestra in this music). Maurice Murphy at work again. a master. I would have expected the Proms audience to know when the end of the Rodeo encore was...................many obviously didn't.

[@bemer65351]

Best performance I’ve heard...

[@brucewallace2]

The finale of the final movement is magnificent.

[@elizabethwelch985]

Brilliant!!

[@Jeff-uj8xi]

Magnificent......stunning !!! But a sin for KZbin to interrupt this masterpiece with ads. Shame on KZbin.

[@lsoliverecordings3882]

It's unfortunate, I know. The channel is not monetized, a hope being that it would not attract ads, but it hasn't turned out like that.

[@TheProsaicCult]

get the free youtube ad blocker, among many others

[@nnwahler]

As an American concertgoer, I have just lost my faith in the superior culture of you guys (re the 'Hoedown')

[@Stirlingv8]

Such amazing string playing, so sweet, so accurate. Many well-edited recordings don't sound this good... This is a great recording, thank you!

[@The80sBoy]

Thank you so very much for posting this. I remember hearing this Prom and tried to find a copy of it for years and here it is. What a stunning performance too. Bravo!

[@PeteParker]

I went to this concert and it was the same evening as the FIFA world cup final in Los Angeles and MTT gave an update on the score (after the interval). .a great concert with great playing in all sections but I think special mention to Kurt Hans Goedicke on timpani....

[@jamesmalone9076]

Sùperb recording

[@martinvanheusden9832]

From 29:50 on tne intro towards the famous Fanfare starts!

[@randywest1185]

That's really BIG noise, and I mean that in the best way.

[@brucewhiteman4862]

A great performance, for sure. But one camera placed, where, on a distant planet?

[@gailwilliams2678]

Just a photo, unfortunately.

[@fflambeauutube]

Unfortunately, no camera work of the conductor or the orchestra. I prefer the Bernstein video here, with the New York Philharmonic. At that time, Gerard Scharz, who went on to be an important conductor, was first trumpet in the New York Philharmonic.

[@twillertorganprojects]

29:50 Theme from Copland's FANFARE for the COMMON MAN

[@ImVee10]

No, it’s just Fanfare for the Common Man. He wrote it to commemorate the WWII soldiers and incorporated it into this symphony.

[@BrianJohnstonTrombone]

3:42

[@mariorossi9655]

6:45

[@ImVee10]

TOO MANY FRACKS, BRASS!

[@casual720]

First Violin 33:44

[@fflambeauutube]

I should have added that no one knew Copland like Bernstein; not only was he the composer's student, he was his lover. It's well documented. This is a good, solid performance but I enjoy watching the orchestra and conductor. The New York Philharmonic brass was also better than the LSO"s in this recording.

[@samsignorelli]

For a different take: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZaliaR_ibSYjtk&feature=emb_logo

[@marisalouisa4518]

Symphony would be a better composition without the Fanfare for the Common Man theme which is recycled material.

[@keithprater1554]

If one didn't know the Fanfare existed separately from the Symphony, one would understand that the Fanfare is the central element of the Symphony. Most of the thematic material of the first three movements is derived from the Fanfare. Without the Fanfare, the symphony would lose most of its emotional punch as well as its musical compass.

[@gerthenriksen8818]

Keith Prater,:exactly. Marisa Louisa: Copland does the impossible here, he builds a whole symphony based on thematic material from his fanfare. Not a small task! Nothing to do with recycling. A masterpiece!

[@jgesselberty]

Kind of like saying, Beethoven's 9th would be better without that pesky "Ode to Joy" tune.

[@jasonbuckingham2864]

Wow.... Do some research on how Copland was a master of economy of thematic material and then you should really, really listen to this piece. The symphony is the "fanfare," is not recycled, it is expanded into a Mutil movement work. Only a composer like Copland could have done that. What an acheivement!!!

[@gerthenriksen8818]

@@jasonbuckingham2864 Agree completely!