Norman Dello Joio's "New York Profiles"

A rather rare 10" incher in red vinyl today. Norman Dello Joio's "New York Profiles" of  1949 in its premiere recording with Nikolai Sokoloff leading the Orchestral Society of La Jolla California. Sokoloff is best known as the founding conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and this record was made rather late in the maestro's career.

The Profiles are titled "The Cloisters," "The Park," "The Tomb," and "The Park." They depict locales in Dello Joio's native New York and the written music is strongly influenced by Gregorian Chant, of which the composer was studying intensely during the 1940's. This music is immediately accessible and represents a different path from those taken by such contemporaries as Hanson, Copland, and Cowell to name a few. Dello Joio, throughout his career, looked back to ancient musical models for inspiration and guidance and New York Profiles is a result of his exhaustive study.

Included in this download are two previous offerings, the Serenade with Swarowsky and the VSO and the Symphony "The Triumph of Saint Joan" performed by Robert Whitney and the Louisille Orchestra. I have done a little more cleanup on both of these lps and the results are better then previously offered on this blog.

Norman Dello Joio was an important composer and teacher and I fear that his legacy is fading as time goes on and tastes evolve. This is too bad since he was a super musical historian and his output represents an effort to find a continuity with the past.

DOWNLOAD

Robert Whitney conducts music of Villa Lobos and Norman Dello Joio

I was so glad to find this, one of the Columbia recordings that the Louisville Orchestra made before the orchestra launched its own, highly acclaimed "First Edition" label. Here we have two wonderful works, Villa Lobos' "Erosion, or the Origins of the Amazon" and Norman Dello Joio's excellent symphony "The Triumph of St Joan." My transfer is from one of those infamous Columbia Special Products lps and recordings date from the early 50's.

Without question, Robert Whitney was one of the two or three best friends that a 20th century composer could possibly have. Possessing a varied repertoire, a good orchestra and and a drive to "spread the word" Whitney probably led more world premieres than any other conductor, maybe with the exceptions of Koussevitzky or Hanson, I am not sure. Hardly a flamboyant man, he was methodical, serious and totally devoted to his beloved Louisville. Listen to ths record and you will see what I mean.

I especially like the Dello Joio work. If you like the format, and idea, of Hindemith's Symphony Mathis der Maler, you will enjoy the Dello Joio. It is a wonderfully scored work and highly descriptive. For the life of me, I cannot understand why it is not more of a repertoire piece.  My only explanation is that Dello Joio's inate conservatism might have something to do with this. Anyway, if you do not know this work, I cannot think of better advocates then Whitney and Louisville.

As a filler, I have included, from a Vox lp, the fine Polish pianist Felicja Blumenthal performing Villa Lobos' excellent Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3. Blumenthal is accompanied by the Trieste Philharmonic in a mid 50's recording.

Please allow for some surface noise in this program. Thanks!

DOWNLOAD