Herrmann composes his only Symphony as a comission for the New York Philharmonic, which offered him the opportunity to do a pure musical work, without any plan to limit on. Structured on four movements Allegro-Scherzo-Lento-Finale, very classical style, it has a typical Herrmann sound resolution: a long initial movement, of dark and impressive tones; that special handling of brass and percusion of the scherzo, of recurrent harmonies; an elegy of increased dramatism, with an emphasized dialog between winds and brass; and the spectacular and gay end rondo. Already recorded previously by the composer himself, this stupendous new version from the each day more and more specialist James Sedares it benefits of a, logically, better sound, and offer as extra the nice New England Triptych of William Schuman, a composer which deserves a better attention than received, specially outside of his country of origin; his drawing of the life on the American East Coast use as basis the figure and times, not the music, of forerunner William Billings in order to create a terrific fusion between the americana style of this century and the earlier environment of the previous one.

Bernard Herrmann: Symphony No1 (1941) - 36:01
William Schuman: New England Triptych (1956) - 15:52
Phoenix Symphony Orchestra - Conductor: James Sedares
KOCH INTERNATIONAL CLASSICS - 371352H1 / 52'

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