On May 21st, the London Symphony Chorus celebrated its 40th anniversary in some style with a concert which will be followed by recordings, commissions and a party.

The London Symphony Chorus made its debut on Saturday 21 May 1966 when it recorded Mahler’s Symphony No 2 for Decca at the Kingsway Hall with Sir Georg Solti and the LSO.

On its 40th birthday the Chorus took part in a concert performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio to be recorded for LSO Live, conducted by its President Sir Colin Davis. The 40th anniversary was also marked by a concert of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony with the LSO on 4th June, conducted by the Chorus’ Conductor Emeritus and former Music Director Richard Hickox. The LSC Endowment Fund contributed to the cost of recording this concert; live for Chandos.

2006 is a landmark year for the London Symphony Chorus as it tours to the USA, Italy, France and Germany, as well as performing in London and other UK cities with Sir Colin Davis, Sir Bernard Haitink, Mark Elder, Valery Gergiev, Richard Hickox, James Judd, Neema Jarvi, Tadaaki Otaka, Daniel Gatti, Vasily Petrenko and Jean-Claude Casadesus.

Carnegie Hall, January 2006.

The New York Times reports today that the rumors of classical music’s demise are dead wrong.

Everyone has heard the requiems sung for classical music or at least the reports of its failing health: that its audience is graying, record sales have shriveled and the cost of live performance is rising as ticket sales decline. Music education has virtually disappeared from public schools. Classical programming has (all but) disappeared from television and radio. And 17 orchestras have closed in the last 20 years.

Has American culture given up on classical music? The numbers tell a very different story: for all the hand-wringing, there is immensely more classical music on offer now, both in concerts and on recordings than there was in what nostalgists think of as the golden era of classics in America.

Read the whole article.

“Googley” is a word the firm’s employees like to use a lot. That adjective, says one spokeswoman, evokes a “humble, cosmopolitan, different, toned-down classiness”.

According to The Economist magazine: “A good demonstration of googley-ness came in the speeches at a conference in Las Vegas this year. Whereas the bosses of other technology companies welcomed the audience into the auditorium with flashing lights and blasting rock music, Google played Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto Number Three and had a thought puzzle waiting on every seat.”

Well, I don’t know about the thought puzzle, but here’s my favorite version of the Brandenburgs: Bach — The Complete Brandenburg Concertos / Pearlman, Boston Baroque. Average Customer Review: 5-stars.

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This compilation of recordings is my favorite for the works of Aaron Copeland, that great American picture-maker in music. He captured so much of the sense and sensibility of America in wonderful pieces like, The Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring. His “political” piece, Fanfare for the Common Man, by contrast, comes across as stiff and boring.

Leonard Bernstein is just the conductor for Copeland with his fierce, unstoppable energy and exuberance. Here’s David Hurwitz’s assessment of this CD at Amazon.com:

“Happy is the composer who has an advocate as passionate and talented as Leonard Bernstein. These Copland performances have been the preferred versions since they were first issued–better even than the composer’s own, later recordings. Originally they were spread over two discs, but thanks to the extended playing time of the compact disc, you can now get all three great Copland ballets together, along with the ever popular Fanfare for the Common Man. Bernstein brings to this music the right sharpness of rhythm but also a typically open-hearted warmth. He coaxes a virtuoso response from the New York Philharmonic, which knows this music as well (or better) than anyone. Self-recommending.”

And here’s what you get for your dollars:

Appalachian Spring, concert suite for full orchestra
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Rodeo, selections from the ballet (including “Four Dance Episodes”) Buckaroo Holiday
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Introduction: the Open Prairie
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Street in a Frontier Town
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Mexican Dance and Finale
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Prairie Night
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Gun Battle
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Celebration
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Billy’s Death
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet The open Prairie again
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Fanfare for the Common Man, for brass & percussion (from Symphony No. 3)
Composed by Aaron Copland
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

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