Roy Harris was a very fine American composer who was popular in academic circles, even if his music never caught on with the general public. Leonard Bernstein liked Harris' Symphony #3 so much that he recorded it twice. This Symphony #1 "1933" is good but requires repeated listening. It's tonal but doesn't provide the listener with catchy melodies with which one can hang on. There are powerful textures and dynamics to be heard, though, if one is willing to give this symphony an even chance. Thanks to Mr. Walking Bass
Harris’ sym no. 2 was finally recorded after being withdrawn by Harris for so long. Frankly it’s better than no 1 and I can’t fathom why he withdrew it.
Well stated comment. I really enjoy Roy Harris, but as you mentioned, he does not have catchy melodies that the average listen can remember but the over all sound is defiantly his unique flavor.
A wonderful work! Here and there one can catch the seeds of his 3rd Symphony, but that is Harris' own voice and thus feels totally natural. Tremendous performance and recording. We owe SO much to the Louisville Orchestra.
fellas like Roy Harris make America great. The music is astonishingly fresh, modern, complex, sophisticated. Progressive without being rebellious or avant-garde. Oh, it's nice to listen to.
This Symphony 1 also recorded by Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky as Symphony 1933, whose interpretation I prefer, is stunningly beautiful, very strange and American to the core. M1 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2B6XrLtxMsM.html M2 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-c9XXmv6PTIk.html M3 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7HpTbd6GgAM.html This and Harris' Symphony 7 recorded by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy (the interpretation I prefer) are my two favorite pieces of classical music. The seventh is powerful, strange, mysterious as is the 1933 and incredibly beautiful. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-d3M4p3cw0_8.html The world of music would not be the same without these two masterpieces.
The Harris First Symphony is compelling music that holds up very well to repeated listening. The first recording (live), Boston SO/Koussevitzsky, dates from 1934, and the second, with the Louisville SO/ Jorge Mester, dates from 1967. A new recording is long overdue. The music richly deserves it, and so do today's listeners. My candidate would be the Albany SO/David Alan Miller.
This symphony already has Harris' distinctive flow and somewhat diffuse form, and other 'fingerprints' he was to develop. I've been wanting to hear it again ever since I first tried to make sense out of it, listening to Koussevitzky's recording in woefully inadequate sound on a Columbia LP. This uploaded version is in better sound so I could enjoy the work, although I still don't know quite what I think of it. I'm curious to know who the performers are in this recording.
ronald b woodall - Wow! Your adept description and technical ability is that of some kind of genius! Your knowledge is way superior to mine. I have never attempted to or even thought of trying to "make sense" of classical music. (This also holds true for art in the form of a painting or sculpture). I just enjoy listening to classical music. it soothes the soul. I believe the brain releases endorphins when actively listening to great music. I'm glad I discovered your post, pal.
