Uploaded January 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
These are the final two movements of this fantastic work by American composer Frederick Shepherd Converse.
- Chicken Reel (Allergro con spirito scherzando)
- Bright Angel Trail (Adagio maestoso - Andante moderato - Misterioso) [3:42]
Converse wrote American Sketches in 1929. It received its first performance in 1935 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Serge Koussevitzky. The first movement, Manhattan, portrays all the commotion one would expect from such a title. It is here that we gain an immediate acquaintance with the American sound Converse was seeking to capture and cultivate. You can even get a taste of the rag-time and early jazz that permeated the city culture of the day. The second movement seeks to express an adoration of America's longest river, the Mississippi, no doubt popularized through the writings of Samuel Clemens. Chicken Reel is a scherzo-like third movement which utilizes a traditional tune from Carl Sandburg's "The American Song Bag". The song is familiar to us from its use in older cartoons. Lastly, this wide-ranging symphonic suite takes us on a trip to the Grand Canyon in the final movement entitled Bright Angel Trail. The music is as breathtaking as the scenery from which it draws inspiration.
This is a world premiere recording by BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Keith Lockhart. You can purchase the entire album here: amazon.com/Converse-Song-Sea-Festival-Pan/dp/B005ZNLYR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390312013&sr=8-1&keywords=Frederick+Converse
These are the final two movements of this fantastic work by American composer Frederick Shepherd Converse.
- Chicken Reel (Allergro con spirito scherzando)
- Bright Angel Trail (Adagio maestoso - Andante moderato - Misterioso) [3:42]
Converse wrote American Sketches in 1929. It received its first performance in 1935 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Serge Koussevitzky. The first movement, Manhattan, portrays all the commotion one would expect from such a title. It is here that we gain an immediate acquaintance with the American sound Converse was seeking to capture and cultivate. You can even get a taste of the rag-time and early jazz that permeated the city culture of the day. The second movement seeks to express an adoration of America's longest river, the Mississippi, no doubt popularized through the writings of Samuel Clemens. Chicken Reel is a scherzo-like third movement which utilizes a traditional tune from Carl Sandburg's "The American Song Bag". The song is familiar to us from its use in older cartoons. Lastly, this wide-ranging symphonic suite takes us on a trip to the Grand Canyon in the final movement entitled Bright Angel Trail. The music is as breathtaking as the scenery from which it draws inspiration.
This is a world premiere recording by BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Keith Lockhart. You can purchase the entire album here: amazon.com/Converse-Song-Sea-Festival-Pan/dp/B005ZNLYR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390312013&sr=8-1&keywords=Frederick+Converse
