The EMI and Naxos releases reviewed here explore three facets of the music of John Philip Sousa: his marches (for which he is best known), his symphonic pieces, and his music for the stage. Both labels feature these releases as part of a series each calls “American Classics.”
EMI has issued a collection of mostly marches by the Great American Main Street Band under the direction of Timothy Foley, who has put together a nice mixture of the expected marches with some rarities, including waltzes and tangos. The performances resist the common temptation towards heavy handedness on the big moments; instead, Foley brings a light touch to everything, without missing any of the climaxes. In short, he lets us hear the standards with fresh ears, and with a feeling of the concert hall rather than the village bandstand.
The CD starts with two rarities, Gallant and Gay We’ll March Away/Let's Hurrah! and The Pathfinder of Panama, before the first standard, El Capitan. Breaking up the marches are dances, The Gliding Girl (Tango), The Presidential Polonaise, La Reine de la Mer (Waltzes), and With Pleasure (Dance Hilarious). Stars and Stripes Forever is not given pride of place as the closer as might be expected; that goes to Washington Post, which proves effective as a finale.
Naxos brings two volumes of non-march Sousa, the first called On Stage, the second At the Symphony. Collectively they could be called Sousa with Strings, as they are primarily the orchestral Sousa. Naxos continues its use of Eastern European orchestras. Volume 1 employs the Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra, made up of leading Slovakian orchestral players. Volume 2 appears also to be performed by the Razumovsky, though the orchestral biography in the liner notes is of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, which apparently features many of the same players. Keith Brion conducts both CDs, bringing his wealth of Sousa knowledge to performances which are idiomatic not only to Sousa, but to the style of the time. As with Foley, the marches in these collections have a lighter touch, appropriate to their orchestral settings. Sousa's way with the waltz is presented with appropriate charm. Overall, the performances move from strength to strength, and the producers took advantage of the recording studio by adding some entertaining extras such as the sound of glasses smashing in The Whiskies-Scotch, Irish, Bourbon and Rye on volume 1 and the gunshots punctuating Bullets and Bayonets on volume 2.
Stage works were a major portion of Sousa's output, with fifteen operettas figuring among his works. As Brion points out in his liner notes, Sousa's “goal [was] to become an American version of Gilbert & Sullivan.” (Sousa, in fact, had conducted the Broadway premiere of HMS Pinafore.) This is music of its time, and ears familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan will hear a certain similarity.
On Stage brings orchestral selections from three of Sousa's operettas, though without singing. Ultimately this does not diminish the pleasure given in excerpts from The Bride Elect (including his own later interpolation of the ballet People Who Live in Glass Houses, these residents being various libations), El Capitan, and Our Flirtations. Of Sousa's operettas, El Capitan is the only one generally given revivals, though even those are rare. The famous march, which keeps the show's name alive, makes an appearance in this group of selections. Our Flirtations is represented by its overture and a march.
At the Symphony provides a taste of Sousa's “potpourri style of programming . . . based on the same structural ideas that make a successful theatrical production,” to again quote Brion. This disc features the most fascinating programming of the three, if only because it sheds light on aspects of Sousa's compositions unknown to contemporary audiences. Marches are featured, providing the only two well-known selections on the disc, Semper Fidelis and Stars and Stripes Forever. Along the way, though, are the Rêverie: Nymphalin; the Sacred Selection: Songs from Grace and Songs from Glory (with quotations including Rock of Ages, Steal Away, Nearer My God to Thee; The Palms [misidentified as The Psalms], and Stainer's sevenfold Amen); a Humoresque on George Gershwin's Swanee; another on Jerome Kern's Look for the Silver Lining (both of which incorporate popular songs of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in addition to the title tunes, for a delightful pastiche); and a suite, Dwellers of the Western World.
Dwellers of the Western World is a group of three musical depictions titled Red Man, White Man, and Black Man. Red Man draws on the harmonies and rhythms that were to become clichéd musical descriptions; again, however, this was the perceived musical depiction of Native Americans at the time. White Man is the stateliest of the movements, signifying the progress Europeans brought to the continent, though to a modern listener there is a feeling of ominous tones in the early section of this movement. The final movement is a cakewalk, bringing the suite to a jaunty conclusion.
All three releases provide program notes. EMI provides notes in three languages, which, for reasons of space, limits them to the most basic information about the pieces. However, even a little information on these pieces adds to our knowledge. Unfortunately, EMI does not give information on the performers or conductor. Online research turned up nothing on The Great American Main Street Band; it appears that Foley is a retired director of the Marine Band, which explains his affinity for Sousa. The two Naxos CDs give the same biography of Sousa, but go on to give informative background on the various pieces performed. Naxos also provides recommendations for further reading.
Sousa has long been an iconic American composer, though his reputation has rested on a handful of brilliant works; how refreshing to hear more of his output and discover just how wide ranging and satisfying it is. EMI and Naxos provide proof that over three hours of Sousa is not too much of a good thing.
