American Classics - American Anthem - Ives, Copland, Barber, Rorem, etc / Nathan Gunn, Kevin Murphy

• Album Summary
• Notes & Reviews
• Also Purchased
• Works Details

Album Summary

Performers

• Nathan Gunn (Baritone)
• Kevin Murphy (Piano)

Composers

• Ned Rorem (1923 - )
• John Musto (1954 - )
• Charles Ives (1874 - 1954)
• Traditional
• Gene Scheer
• Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981)
• Lee Hoiby (1926 - )
• Jay Gorney (1894 - 1990)
• John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980)
• William Bolcom (1938 - )
• Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990)

Notes & Reviews:

"Opera singers venturing into non-classical territory can easily produce embarrassing results: mannered, over-inflected performances that betray the spirit of the music. Fortunately, Nathan Gunn has the kind of voice, the technique, and the sensibility to persuasively put across the variety of American music on this collection, which includes folk songs, Tin Pan Alley, cabaret songs, art songs, and contemporary pop-influenced ballads.

Gunn's baritone has the flexibility to embody the refinement required by the songs by Barber and Copland, the ruggedness that suits "Brother, can you spare a dime?," and the unaffected simplicity appropriate for the folk songs, such as "Shenandoah" and "The lass from the low countree." Gunn's voice is full-bodied and distinctively masculine, with a ringing top and plenty of solidity at the lowest reaches. Equally at home in the various styles, Gunn invests each with the right character. He brings freshness and depth of feeling to the standard recital fare, such as Barber's "Nocturne" and "Sure on this shining night" and selections from Copland's "Old American Songs," and a sly whimsicality to Bolcom's "Fur" and "Black Max." Ives' "General William Booth enters into Heaven" is somewhat reserved; Gunn doesn't have quite have the rambunctious abandon to unleash its full madcap theatricality.

Contemporary new art song is strongly represented with works by John Musto and Gene Scheer; Musto's lovely, wistful, witty setting of Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Recuerdo" is a standout. Pianist Kevin Murphy provides an energetic and responsive accompaniment. EMI's sound is clean, lively, and present." -All Music Guide

BBC Music Magazine
Nathan Gunn gives cool, patrician performances in a cunningly woven quilt of New World song from Barber and Bolcom to Ives and Rorem. Sadly no song texts here.

Reviews

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Also Purchased

Works Details

Traditional : Shenandoah

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 1 sec.

Gorney, Jay : Brother, can you spare a dime?

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 34 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1932

Rorem, Ned : Early in the morning

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 1 min. 41 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1955

Rorem, Ned : The lordly Hudson

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 2 min. 14 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1947

Scheer, Gene : At Howard Hawks's house

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 2 min. 39 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal

Scheer, Gene : Holding each other

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 39 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal

Niles, John Jacob : The lass from the low countree

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 15 sec.
• Period Time: Modern

Musto, John : Recuerdo

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 4 min. 27 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal

Barber, Samuel : Nocturne, Op. 13, no 4

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 4 min. 5 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1940

Barber, Samuel : Sure on this shining night

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 2 min. 20 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1938

Bolcom, William : Fur (Murray the furrier)

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 2 min. 30 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1977-1985

Bolcom, William : Over the piano

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 10 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1977-1985

Bolcom, William : Black Max (As told by the de Kooning boys)

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 3 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1977-1985

Ives, Charles : Slugging a vampire

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1902

Ives, Charles : Two little flowers (and dedicated to them)

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 1 min. 19 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1921

Ives, Charles : General William Booth enters into Heaven

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 5 min. 15 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1914

Hoiby, Lee : The Lamb

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 9 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1987

Niles, John Jacob : I wonder as I wander (Appalachian carol)

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 2 min. 58 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Christmas

Copland, Aaron : At the river

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 12 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1952

Copland, Aaron : Long time ago

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 2 min. 44 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1950

Scheer, Gene : Lean away

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 4 min. 59 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal

Scheer, Gene : American anthem

• Performers: Nathan Gunn (Baritone); Kevin Murphy (Piano)
• Running Time: 3 min. 59 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal