This week sees the second instalment of our Americana series, in which we are exploring lesser-known works by often neglected composers from the United States.
To be honest, I struggled a little with our first Americana concert. I found the music very difficult to 'get into'. Okay, the Barber Violin Concerto is a great work and no mistake - but with regards to the other works, I found it hard to get into them.
I think, however, the point of an exploration of a group of works, or a composer's output, is to get a flavour of their work, or a period of time as part of a bigger picture - to gain an understanding of how and why a certain style or musicality emerged.
To understand the development of the 'American' musical voice it is important to survey as much as possible. One must investigate the greatest diversity of influences that led to, and the significant names and works responsible for the emergence of the sound of the New World.
The music of this second programme instantly sits a lot easier with me. There is something a lot more familiar about the musical language employed in these works.
In short, these works sound more like what I expect to hear in American music. You know - jazzy, quirky, with a sense of insouciant arrogance and nonchalant swagger. However, there is also a romantic, melodic quality to these works.
My favourite of the works in this second slice of Americana is John Alden Carpenter's Adventures in a Perambulator. Composed in 1914, it is a six movement work about a walk through the city through the eyes of a child in an old fashioned pram.
Thanks to the New York Times website, I was able to read the abstract of the review of the work's premiere, published on 6 November 1915. The reviewer describes the work as a 'symphonia domestica' and states that it is 'music that is good to hear'. I wholeheartedly agree - this music is charming, humorous, descriptive and fun.
In our first programme we performed Barber's Violin Concerto with American violinist and BBC New Generation Artist, Elena Urioste. On this occasion, we will perform Aaron Copland’s Piano Concerto and will again be ed by an American soloist, pianist William Wolfram. A much earlier work than Inscape, which was heard in the first Americana concert (1926 as opposed to 1967), the Piano Concerto was composed at the height of Copland's fascination with jazz.
The final work of the programme, William Schuman's Symphony No 3 (1941) is a big work. It is a difficult play technically and musically it feels very big, in the way a big city is: busy, congested, with layer upon layer of moving lines.
I'd love to know what our audience and listeners think.
How can American music best be described, or indeed, is it even possible to do so?
The Orchestra's next Americana concert is on Friday 18 October, 2pm at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay. For more information call 0800 052 1812.
The concert will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and will be available for 7 days afterwards on BBC iPlayer Radio.
