Today, American Recording Society Number 26 featuring Walter Hendl and the "American Recording Society" Orchestra in Copland's Appalachian Spring Suite and Barber's Overture to the School for Scandal and Music for a Scene from Shelley.
This is a very persuasive offering by an American born conductor who has all but disappeared from the musical radar. Though Hendl would rerecord with Copland with the formidable Chicago SO, this earlier effort from Vienna captures beautifully the spirit of Copland's great rural ballet with surprisingly alive and alert orchestral playing. I will echo the same for the Barber pieces as they positively come to life with great energy and virile excitement. Considering that this was the first time these Viennese ever saw the music and, recorded with minimal rehearsal time, the results are simply astonishing, at least for this listener's ears. Hendl was known as a conductor who could work under extreme conditions and this record is a testament to his excellence as an orchestral coach with solid interpretive skills, second to none.
You will love Hendl's Appalachian Spring. What gorgeous music!
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