“British forces set a new benchmark in Americana.” *****

“… Recommended.” ****

“…Moving from the accessible to the more uncompromising aspects of the composer’s work, Wilson proves himself to be the most formidable exponent of this powerful American music since Leonard Bernstein. Three commissions complement Copland’s Symphony No. 3 in the fourth volume of the highly acclaimed series in which John Wilson and the BBC Philharmonic explore the composer’s major orchestral output.”

Performance ****      Recording ****

“… In Wilson’s hands, Connotations emerges as a fascinating and rewarding piece … He serves the post-war flag-waving of the Third Symphony equally well … his relish for outsize orchestral effects is catching. His attention to detail is another boon: time and again inner textures, lively with percussion, dance with new clarity, helping the music take wing …”

“…a brilliantly played, well-programmed and well conducted sequence of pieces… well presented and accompanied by a good liner.”

“…the Chandos recording has enormous impact. The bass drum packs a wallop and the atmospheric clarity in delicate passages is dazzling …Wilson’s performance [Connotations] is the most compelling and imaginative we’ve had yet…”

“… This is surely one of the more valuable orchestral series of recent years.” ****

“… another most impressive addition to this valuable series.”

Recording of the Week

“… the latest volume of a cycle that stands up favourably against Bernstein’s own Copland recordings, and surely ranks as one of the finest orchestral series of the past few years.”

“…It’s [Symphony No. 3] a rhythmically charged piece, and Wilson’s empathy with this music — including two short pieces, Letter from Home and Down a Country Lane — is infectious.”