GEORGE ANTHEIL : Symphonies 1 & 6 (Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Hugh Wolff) (2000) APE (image+.cue), lossless

In its American Classics series Naxos has a cycle of Antheil Symphonies and other works ongoing, with the young conductor Theodor Kuchar leading the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. The Fourth and Sixth Symphonies appear on the first issue in that cycle, along with a short work called McKonkey's Ferry, and in all those works the voice of Shostakovich can be heard. Here, in the First, from 1923 when the composer was twenty-three, no such influence can be discerned, and neither does the work in any substantial way sound immature. Already Antheil had developed a sure sense of orchestration, if not of style. This work, in fact, sounds as though it contains a variety of influences, from the music of Les Six (he was living in France at the time he wrote this symphony) to that of Stravinsky.

The work is interesting, to be sure, but for all its seeming maturity does not rise to the level of his later symphonies. At least its colors and changing moods point the way to his career as a successful film composer in Hollywood a couple of decades later.

The Sixth (1947-48) is the more substantial work here and not only shows the influence of Shostakovich but of Prokofiev as well, especially in the second movement. The excellent notes, by Eckhardt van den Hoogen, point out these musical ties. This is a powerful work that seethes with tension throughout, even in the haunting Larghetto central panel. The finale is pure energy and color. The symphony sounds little like the American music from the time, but instead divulges Antheil's rather cosmopolitan nature. He was not afraid to associate his style with that of other composers, and was apparently content to go against the grain in a variety of ways.

Archipelago is a rumba that was later reworked into the composer's Second Symphony as its third movement. It's clever and colorful, and makes a decent filler, not least because it showcases the Gershwinian side of Antheil.

The performances here are excellent and young Hugh Wolff demonstrates a firm grasp on Antheil's music. Does he offer a better Sixth than Kuchar on Naxos? That's the burning question, especially amid the irony that Naxos now distributes cpo discs. Both conductors share overall timings that are close (26:04 for Kuchar and 25:48 for Wolff), but their individual movements vary considerably. I would say Wolff is more fluent and smoother, but that Kuchar, rawer and more intense, is in the end the better choice. Besides, his couplings are far better.

Still, for those interested in Antheil, this CD is well worth knowing. The performances by the Frankfurt players are excellent and Wolff's readings are convincing. The sound is vivid and, as suggested above, the copious notes are most informative. by Robert Cummings  

GEORGE ANTHEIL (1900-1959)

Symphony No 1 »Zingareska« (1923)    (30:57)
Symphony No 6 »After Delacroix« (1947-48)    (25:48)

Conductor – Hugh Wolff
Orchestra – Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt

GEORGE ANTHEIL : Symphony No 3 »American« (Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Hugh Wolff) (2004) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Here Hugh Wolff leads the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra in the third volume of a series surveying the orchestral music of George Antheil. It's hard to imagine how Wolff and his crew are going to be able to top this one, as it brings together some of the cream of this repertoire in flawless, sharply etched performances that are big-boned and relentlessly exciting. Antheil's Symphony No. 3 "American" is a great American symphony, easily qualified to take its place of honor alongside the "Third" symphonies of his contemporaries Roy Harris and Aaron Copland. By the end of the 1940s Antheil was the third most frequently performed American composer in concert halls after Copland and Samuel Barber, but this exalted reputation did not survive his early death in 1959. In listening to the "American" Symphony one wonders why not, as it has all of the necessary hallmarks; big city complexity, open prairie landscapes, memorable tunes, and nervous, incessant rhythms derived from jazz. Everyone who loves the "American vernacular" style of the 1940s should hear this work. Antheil's Third was premiered under conductor Hans Kindler in 1945, but this CPO disc represents its first appearance on any kind of issued recording.

Likewise making their bow are two equally solid and enjoyable "vernacular" works, Antheil's delightful Tom Sawyer Overture and the rousing Hot-Time Dance. Both McKonkey's Ferry Overture and Capital of the World have been recorded several times, but they have never sounded better as they do here.

The only complaint here is about the notes by Eckhardt van den Hoogen. They are highly informative, but gossipy, and deal in great detail with aspects of Antheil's life that are not relevant to the music at hand. Perhaps van den Hoogen is afraid CPO will not be taking the series beyond this volume, and is trying to get in all the material he can, but most of it is more appropriate for a full-length biography of the composer and not a set of liner notes. Nonetheless, everything else about this CD is just simply great, and it should be your first choice for the orchestral music of George Antheil. by Uncle Dave Lewis  

GEORGE ANTHEIL (1900-1959)

Symphony No 3 »American« (1936-39/rev. 1946)    (25:02)
Tom Sawyer »California Overture« (1949)    5:25
Hot-Time Dance (1948)    4:24
McKonkey's Ferry Overture (1948)    9:03
Capital Of The World - Suite In Three Movements (1953)    (17:08)

Conductor – Hugh Wolff
Orchestra – Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt

GEORGE ANTHEIL : Symphonies 4 & 5 (Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Hugh Wolff) (2000) APE (image+.cue), lossless

GEORGE ANTHEIL (1900-1959)

Symphony No 4 »1942« (1942-43)    (33:26)
Symphony No 5 »Joyous« (1947-48)    (22:10)

Conductor – Hugh Wolff
Orchestra – Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt