Copland: Symphony No. 3 & Walker: Sinfonia No. 5 "Visions"

Today Copland is best known for his ballet scores and orchestral showpieces. But as his chamber and piano works demonstrate there was another side to him and he also wrote several Symphonies, the third of which was commissioned and premiered by Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony in 1946 (Pristine).
It has fared well on disc, with Copland, Bernstein, Dorati, Oue, Slatkin et al offering compelling versions. Pappano takes note of the first movements with simple expression marking, eloquently voicing the three themes, with, when needed, incisive rhythmic attack. He powers his way through the opening of the Scherzo, with unusually angular woodwind, but relaxes beautifully in the Trio and gives full rein to the Andantino’s echoes of Mahler and Shostakovich. The Fanfare for the Common Man opening of the finale is massive and Pappano draws its quasi-sonata form elements together better than many, leading to a suitably grandiose coda.
The distinguished black composer George Walker’s single movement, fifteen minute essentially tonal. ‘Visions’, which dates from 2016, was written as a memorial to the victims of racial violence. Using a series of recurring, agitated rhythmic and melodic motifs, tightly held together by an underlying sense of anger. Pappano, who uses the orchestral as opposed to choral version, creates a greater sense of momentum and foreboding than Ian Hobson and the Sinfonia Varsovia (Albany).
As usual with DSD512, LSO Live downloads the sound is walk-in with a huge sense of depth, analogue like timbres and the programme notes by Lucy Walker and Stephen Johnson are excellent.

Copland’s Third Symphony is so well suited to Pappano’s temperament and dare I say it this live performance (which I attended) comes over even better on disc on account that its blockbusting excesses – and Pappano does not spare the decibels – tended to overplay Barbican Hall. Pappano’s love of movie music colours so much in the piece setting forth with a first movement of wide-open spaces (open fifths rule) and sky-scraping heights. There’s a steely resolve to it all and the LSO (post Bernstein and Tilson Thomas) are in their muscular element.