Classical Music - Country Style

There have been two nationalistic groups of composers - The Mighty Five - Russians Balakirev, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky and Borodin; and the French Les Sixe: Tailleferre, Auric, Honegger, Poulenc, Milhaud and Durey. We may explore this aspect of nationalistic music in a future column.

Critic's Choice: Our critic Albert Petrak says, "Since over a dozen compositions by many composers are dealt with in the course of this article, I've chosen two representative recordings, plus one "two-fer" - that is, two discs for the price of one . . . usually always reissues, but contemporary and needing no apology for sound or performance":

LONDON. 417 678: DVORAK: Symphony No. 9, Op. 95, "From the New World" coupled with SMETANA: Ma Vlast (My Country . . . six autobiographical tone poems including the popular "Moldau");

and TELARC 80099: VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: "Folksong Suite" (includes a group of popular marches and GRAINGER's "Lincolnshire Posy") Cleveland Symphonic Winds/Fennell.

Both of these discs are single CDs. For the adventurous beginner, however, there is a "two-fer" by LONDON. 443 006 - KODALY: All the orchestral works (minus a couple of short pieces) including the Háry János Suite; both Galanta and Marosszek Dances; Concerto for Orchestra; the Symphony in C and other short characteristic pieces. The idiom is so accessible, however, that one soon "grows into it."

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