Thinking of Copland
Working with Philip Wharton on his new chamber orchestra suite [Passing Season] this week has me thinking of Copland. One piece in particular – Appalachian Spring. Similar limpid textures and sparsely gorgeous wind writing. Both have wonderful titles, too.
In 1998 I created a small chamber orchestra at the Baltimore School for the Arts, an arts high school in downtown Baltimore. [A truly inspiring place – I will write more about the school in the future.] Several students from the first year’s ensemble are now doing great things in music, including Nadia Sirota in NYC and Bert Witzel, principal bass of the Louisville Orchestra.
Among the many memorable experiences I had during my four years at the School for the Arts was recording Appalachian Spring with that group of students:
Copland – Appalachian Spring, excerpts
Baltimore School for the Arts Chamber Players
Download the complete piece [zip, 52mb]
