Creston / Natl Sym Orchestra Ukraine / Kuchar Symphonies Nos 1-3 CD

Paul Creston (1906-1985) was a younger participant in the "flowering" of American classical music in the 1930s and 1940s. But rather than aligning himself with the nostalgic, lyrical Romanticism of Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Howard Hanson, Creston aligned himself with the rugged, more dynamic aspects of Modernism found in the music of Walter Piston, Peter Mennin, and Samuel Barber. These three symphonies contain none of American Romanticism's melancholia or homesickness, for example, but they do remain mostly tonal and buoyant, soaring with their own energy and inventiveness, particularly Symphony No. 3 (Three Mysteries), written in 1950. Praise must also be given to the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and conductor Theodore Kuchar for their feel for Creston's music-altogether another achievement in Naxos's American Classics series.

1. Sym No.1, Op.20: I. with Majesty 2. Sym No.1, Op.20: II. with Humour 3. Sym No.1, Op.20: III. with Serenity 4. Sym No.1, Op.20: IV. with Gaiety 5. Sym No.2, Op.35: I. Intro and Song (Slow, with Deep Emotion - Moderately Slow) 6. Sym No.2, Op.35: II. Interlude and Dance (Moderately Slow - Moderately Fast) 7. Sym No.3, Op.48 ('Three Mysteries'): I. the Nativity (Lento - Allegro Moderato) 8. Sym No.3, Op.48 ('Three Mysteries'): II. the Crucifixion (Adagio) 9. Sym No.3, Op.48 ('Three Mysteries'): III. the Resurrection (Lento Moderato - Allegro Ma Calmo)