Album

Is it subtle? No. Is it nuanced? No. Is it sweet and tender or demur and lovely? No, no, no, and no. Why should it be? How could it be? After all, the music on this disc is Copland's rough, tough, and ready-for-action Billy the Kid and Rodeo Suites coupled with Grofé's big, bold, and exceedingly blunt Grand Canyon Suite: why should it be anything but large and loud and colorful and characterful? And, after all, the performances are by Morton Gould—a conductor of considerable skill and unbridled enthusiasm—and the ensemble known as His Orchestra—a band of hot-shot New York studio players of consummate technique and unrestrained attitude: why should it be anything but adroit and polished and powerful and passionate? And, most of all, the original recordings were taped by John Pfeiffer (with Joseph Habig in the Grofé) for RCA's Living Stereo series and more vivid and immediate recordings would be hard to imagine—although some early Black Sabbath records do come close. For listeners who look forward to being knocked into the middle of next week, this disc can't be beat. The inclusion of the Waltz from the complete Billy the Kid ballet is a welcome bonus.

© James Leonard, Rovi

CD 1
Aaron Copland Composer Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Work Recorded 1957 6:42 Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.The Open Prairie	3:30			$0.99
2	2.Street in a Frontier Town	3:12			$0.99
Aaron Copland Composer Billy the Kid (ballet) Work Recorded 1957 Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
3	3.Mexican Dance and Finale	3:07			$0.99
Aaron Copland Composer Billy the Kid, orchestral suite from the ballet Work Recorded 1957 10:24 Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
4	3.Prairie Night (Card Game at Night)	3:18			$0.99
5	4.Gun Battle	1:47			$0.99
6	5.Celebration (After Billy's capture)	2:13			$0.99
7	6.Billy's Death	1:21			$0.99
8	7.The Open Prairie Again	1:45			$0.99
Aaron Copland Composer Billy the Kid (ballet) Work Recorded 1957 Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
9	Waltz	4:09			$0.99
Aaron Copland Composer 4 Dance Episodes from Rodeo Work Recorded 1957 11:35 Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
10	1.Buckaroo Holiday	7:42			$0.99
11	2.Corral Nocturne	3:53			$0.99
Aaron Copland Composer Rodeo (ballet) Work Recorded 1957 Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
12	3.Ranch House Party: Honky Tonk Interlude	1:45			$0.99
Aaron Copland Composer 4 Dance Episodes from Rodeo Work Recorded 1957 7:56 Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
13	3.Saturday Night Waltz	4:27			$0.99
14	4.Hoe-Down	3:29			$0.99
Ferde Grofé Composer Grand Canyon Suite, for orchestra Work Recorded 1960 32:23 Max Pollikoff Violin, Morton Gould Conductor, Morton Gould and his Orchestra Orchestra
15	1.Sunrise	5:38			$0.99
16	2.The Painted Desert	5:32			$0.99
17	3.On the Trail	7:40			$0.99
18	4.Sunset	5:00			$0.99
19	5.Cloudburst	8:33			$0.99