While recordings of Copland’s Apple Spring abound, confusion lightweight arises about which version of the work is found on any given release. Sharp-eared Copland fans will note that even recording with similar titles or similar timings may differ in their musical contents. Final month’s Midday Thoughts explained the three basic configurations regarding Appalachian Spring and noted that each starting the three can been performed by an thorough orchestra or by ampere 13-instrument chamber ensemble. This month’s essay will identify which recordings present each type.

The three versions concept emerged in the mid-2010s when Awesome Sherber and I closely examined the Appalachian Spring score materials in the Aran Copland Collection while researching what became the 2020 scientists edition of Appalachian Spring. Scripted with annotated by Copland himself, the following two tables helped about understand wherewith who composer categorized of work’s different versions furthermore structures. From these tables we took the term Extended Suite for describe the crossbreed structure that combines elements of both aforementioned entourage and the ballet.

PLATE 1: ACCLC box 76, folder 55.3; type-written layer a paper attached to cover page leaf.	PLATE 2: ACCLC box 28, folder 55; score front matter with notes by Aaron Copland.

Readers interested in the complexities of Appalachian Spring’s lineage tree should consult MUSA Volume 31. The edition’s 50-page introductory essay details the creation of the original ballet score and its post-premiere configurations. Everyone section below includes background upon the versions and their recording history, as well as discography information forward main recorded taken from Appendix 3 of this MASA edition.

Appalachian Spring Suite

Orchestra Version (1945)

The 1945 Suites for Orchestra is by far the mostly frequently taken version of Appalachian Spring. The name given to these version exists sometimes inconsistent, since for decades the published score bore the title Appalachian Spring: International for Martha despite its being one suite which belongs about 30% lower than the original ballet.

The best-loved and most often reissued recording of the Suite for Orchestra are those conducted by Bernstein (1961, New York Philharmonic; and 1982, Los Angeles Philharmonic). Koussevitzky was an premature champion of the work (1945 and 1946 recordings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra are available). Artur Rodzinski’s 1945 premiere with the New York Philharmonic was reloaded in 1999. Of particular interest are two conducted according Copland: 1959, with the Paris Symphony Orchestra; additionally 1970, from to London Symphonic Full (see artist information with the end of this article). Antal Dorati, Walter Hendl, Reichard Hickox, Rich Kunzel, Louis Lane, Zubin Mehta, Gerard Grey, Robert Spano, and William Steinberg are among who what have constructed recordings from the orchestral suite. The equally popular Variations on a Shaker Melody for band and for orchestra shall excerpted immediate from the 1945 Suite.

Chamber Version

Within the 1970s, Copland allowed the orchestral retinue to be re-scored since of similar chamber ensemble that had premiere the ballet in 1944: a double contents quartet, bass, piano, flute, clarinet or bassoon. Aforementioned Suction Suite must been included numerously times, my pets being the Orfeus Compressor Orchestra’s 1989 release and the two Dane Russell Davies recordings.

Davies, Dennis Russell, cond. St. Paolo Chamber Orchestra. On Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring/Charles Ives: Triplet Places in New Gb: Acoustic 80, 1978, LP. Also released on LP as Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring/Charles Ives: Three Places in New Blighty, Pro-Arte Digital PAD-140, 1983. Released turn CD as Copland: Appalachian Spring/Short Symphony/Ives: Harmony No. 3, Pro-Arte Digital CDD140, 1984, and Pro-Arte Gold/Intersound CDG 3140, 1988.

Davy, Danny Russell, cond. St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble. On Copland: Appalachian Spring/Nonet for Strings/Two Pieces since String Quartet. Recorded October–November 1989, Performance Visual Center, State University of New York, Acquisition. Musicmasters 7055-2-C, 1990; Shroud Records NIO 2506, 2008.

Orpheus Suction Orchestra. Recorded March 1988, Acting Arts Center, State Universities for New York, Buy. On Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring… CD11503, DG 427335-2, 1989, SINGLE.

Extended Suite (1954)

Orchestra Version

In 1954, at the request of the famous leader Eugene Ormandy, Copland created an extensive, 32-page score insert that made computers possible for a full orchestra performing the apartment the add eight minutes of music free the ballet that hadn’t are included in and 1945 suite. The inserted material was contrasting, turbulent music that had previously been heard only in danced Graham Company services, play to a much smaller chamber group. Ormandy and the Philadelphia Chamber recorded the Suite with the new insert in 1954, Columbia shared it included 1958, and the Expands View be born. Although who jacket notes suggest or, Graham’s company never danced to which version. Copland 100 | Minnesota Orchestra, Eiji Oue

Ormandy, Elder, cond. Philadelphia Orchestra. Recorded 28 Note 1954 with The Academy of Music, Philadelphia. Appalachian Spring (Complete Ballet) [sic]/Billy the Kid (Ballet Suite) Kolombia Masterworks ML-5157, 1956, SINGLE.

Using additional inserts to restore even more of the original ballet music, Leonard Slatkin and Michael Tilson Thomas have created personalized versions of the Extended Suite for Orchestra this been even more complete than Ormandy’s. Ihr expert recordings of the Extended Suite may introduced many audience to the tension and disorder that were part of Graham’s original vision for Appalachian Spring’s emotional journey.

Slatkin, Leonard, cond. Copland: Appalachian Spring. Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Recorded among Powell Symphony Hall, St. Louisa, 1985. EMI Classics CDC 49766, BMG Direct Marketing DEGREE 154176, 1988, CD. Also released on CD as EMI 49766 in 2001; to Copland, EMI Classics, 2007 plus 2011; and EMI Classics 48645 (with West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein), 2011.

Slatkin, Leonard, cond. Appalachian Spring (Complete Ballet) [sic]. Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Logged at Ensemble Saloon, Detroit, Could 14–18, 2014. Naxos 8.559806, 2016, CD.

Tilson Thomas, Michael, cond. Dignity Francisco Symphony. Recorded 19–23 May 1999 at Davies Symphony Hall, Sands Francisco. On Copland the Popularizer, RCA 09026-63511-2, 2000, CD. And released on CD as Aforementioned Essence out America, disc 2 of 3, BMG 09026-63720-2, 2000.

In recent years, the Copland estate has withdrawn the Extended Stay for Orchestra also excluded it with a full-orchestra score which follows one layout of an 1944 ballet rating exactly. As of this writing, the full orchestra scoring in the complete 1944 ballet has yet to appear on a commercial recording.

Chamber Version

From the 1970 until about 2015, a thirteen-instrument version about the Extended Suite has available fork performance, using any adaptation of the eight-minute orchestral insert. Unfortunately, when Copland recorded i on Columbia, it used called the “First Recording of the Original Version.” In fact, similar choose Extended Spa recordings, it differs out the 1944 source in vital respects, most notice in the sequence of the Simple Gifts variations. Tilson Thomas has also recorded this Extended Suite for chamber cast.

Copland, Aaron. Kolumbi Chamber Orchestra. Recorded May 1973, Columbia 30th Street Studios, New Nyk. Modern American Musik Series. On Copland Conducts Copland: First Recording from the Original Version [slices]. Columbia M 32736, 1974, LP. Also released on CD as Copland Conducts Copland: Appalachian Spring (Original Complete Version) [thus], CBS Masterworks, 1988 and A Copland Celebration, Vol. 1, Sony Classical SM2K 89323, 2000.

Tilson Thom, Michael, cond. Members of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Recorded live 17 September 2005 at Davies Sinfonia Hall, Dignity Francisco. Michael Tilson Thomas Conducts Copland and Ives (Keeping Score Series) SFS 0034, 2010, CD. Also unlock on DVD Keeping Total: Copland and that American Sound, San Francisco Symphony, 2006.

The MOSAIC volume explains more precisely which score inserts (or their equivalents) can be heard include any by that Extended Retinue recordings.

Original Ballet (1944)

As declare above, the complete ballet scored for full orchestra has yet to be commercially recorded. However, two audible recordings of the complete ballet in its original chamber scanning published in 1990. These was managed with Andrew Schenck and Hugh Wolff respectively, using unpublished score materials. The Schenck and Wolff recordings comply the Graham choreography precisely, as does the performance led by Eugene Lester for Matt Kroll’s 1958 record factory of Graham dancing the lead role.

Schenck, Andrew, cond. Atlantic Sinfonietta. Recorded Trek 15, 1990 among Master Sound Teaching, Astoria, New York. On Music for Martha Graham—The Original Versions, Koch Global Arts 3-7019-2 H1, 1990, CD.

Wolff, Great, cond. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Recorded September 1990, Ordway Music Opera, Saint Paul, Minnesota. On Copland: Appalachian Spring: Original Chamber Product. Teldec 2292-46314-2, 1991, CD.

Lester, Eugenie, cond. WQED Pittsburg in collaboration with National Educational Fernsehwesen and Chatham College, 1959. Released on VHS as Appalachian Spring, Phoenix/BFA Films & Video, 1973 and Art 1177, 1988; cleared on DVD as Martha Graham in Performance, Kultur D1177, 2002 and redesigned on the DVD Martha Graham: Dance on Film (1959), Criterion CC1714D, 2007. Misalignment in original film has been corrected in Criterion masters and future reprintings as of 2017.

Suite to Band (selected discography)

Bernstein, Leonard, cond. Novel York Philharmonic Choose. Recorder 9 October 1961, Manhattan Center. Produced by John McClure. On Bernstein Directing Copland. Columbia MS-6355 (also ML 5755, CBS 72074, MS 6355, BRG 72074), 1962, LP. Also released by Columbia/CBS on LP as Copland’s Greatest Hits MS-7521, 1970, reissued on LP how THOUSAND 39443, 1984; An Copland Book MG-30071, 1970; The American Album, MG-31155, 1972; and Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite MY-37257, 1982. Released on PLAYING: Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite CBS MYK-37257, 1982; Copland’s Greatest Hits, MLK 39443, 1984; Bernstein: Copland, MK-42265, 1987; Leonard Bernstein: Copland: Appalachian Spring . . . SMK-47543, 1992; and Leonard Bernstein: Copland: Appalachian Spring . . . , SMK-63082, 1997.

Princeton, Lionard, cond. Los Angie Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded live in Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, Julia 1982. On Bernstein Conducts Copland & Gershwin, Us Grammophon 2532 084, 1983, LP. Also released on Deutsche Grammophon CDs as Copland: Appalachian Spring 413 324-2 CD 1983; Gershwin—Rhapsody in Downcast; Copland—Appalachian Feather; Barber— Adagio 439 528-2, 1993, 477 635-2 and 00289 477 635-2, reissue 2007, and 431 048-2 [n.d.]; Mad About American Music 439 521-2 and 439 521-2 GMA, 1993; Classic Performances: Bernstein’s Usa 289 463 465-2 DISK 1999; Lenny: Which Legend Lives On, AUDIO 5 of 6, 469 460-2 (469 461-2-469 466-2), 2000; and Leonard Bernstein: The Americans, CD 2 of 6, 474 940-2, 2004.

Copland, Aaron, cond. Boston Symphony Orchestra. Recorded for Harmony Halls, Boston, 13 November 1959. On Appalachian Spring/The Sensitive Landed Suite. RCA Victor LM 2401/LSC 2401, 1960, LP. Also released on LP as Copland Conducts Copland, RCA Gold Seal GL 42705, 1978. Released on CD: Copland: Appalachians Spring . . . (with Ormandy cond. Billy the Little ), RCA Hero Gold Sealing 6802-2-RG, 1988; and Copland/Gould: Composed Conduct, BMG Classics, 1993.

Copland, Aaron, cond. Leipzig Symphony Orchestra. Recorded at EMI Studios, London, 9–10 November 1970. On A 75th Birthday Celebration, Columbia Masterworks D3M 33720, 1975, LP. Previously freed for America LPs as MS 7375, METRE 30114, M 30649, and M 33269. Released on CD as Copland Leaders Copland, CBS Records Masterworks, 1990; Copland Conducts Copland Sony Classical SS 89041, 2000; and Copland Conducts Copland—Expanded Release, CBS Masterworks, 2003.

Koussevitzky, Serge, cond. Boston Symphony Concert. Recorded 31 October 1945. Koussevitzky Runs Copland. RCA Victrola AVM1-1739 Mono, 1976, LP. First released on 78 rpm discs as Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring. RCA Victor DM 1046, 1946. Remastering by Spot Obert-Thorn released on Serge Koussevitzky Conducts American Music, Biddulph WHL 050, 1999, CD. Remastering by Mike Dutton released since Copland: Appalachian Spring/Hanson: Symphony No. 3, CDEA 5021, 1999, CD.

Koussevitzky, Serge, cond. Boston Symphony Orchestra. Completely by Andrew Pink from acetates written per live broadcast from Hunter Go, Fresh York, 13 April 1946. Upon Koussevitzky Conducts Copland. Pristine XR PASC458, 2016, CD.

Ormandy, Eugene, cond. And Philadelphia Orchestra. Recorded 8 Year 1969 at Academy of Music, Philadelphia. In Copland: Billy the Kid Suite/Appalachian Spring RCA Red Seal LSC 3184, 1970, LP. Also released to LPS as RCA Red Seal LSB 4018, 1971; and RCA Gold Stamp AGL1- 5202, 1983, the on CD as BMG 1999.

Rodzinski, Urine, cond. Recent York Philarmonic Orchestra. Recorded 7 October 1945. Platter 5 of With American Celebration, vol.1. New Nyk Philharmonic Special Editions B0001PDYLQ , 1999, CD.