William Schuman: Violin Concerto; New England Triptych. Charles Ives: Variations on "America" (orchestrated by William Schuman). Philip Quint, violin. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, José Serebrier, conductor. (Naxos 8.559063)

Released in Naxos’s admirable budget-priced American Classics series, this CD of works by William Schuman was nominated this year for two Grammy Awards. One of the great 20th-century American composers, Schuman was president of both The Juilliard School (1945-62) and Lincoln Center (1962-69).

Schuman’s Violin Concerto, a substantial and powerful two-movement work, is brilliantly played here by the Russian-born American Philip Quint, a Juilliard graduate who performed the Korngold Concerto in 1998 with the Juilliard Orchestra under Kurt Masur. New England Triptych, based on music of William Billings, movingly evokes the Colonial era, while Schuman’s brash orchestration of Ives’s Variations on "America" accentuates its playful polytonality and its tongue-in-cheek transmutation of the stately hymn into a tango. José Serebrier conducts the capable orchestra with a firm hand and stylistic insight; the audio engineering is first-class.

An alternative instrumentation of New England Triptych has been newly recorded by the Juilliard Wind Ensemble (New World 80587), sharing a disc with Shadowcatcher by Juilliard’s Eric Ewazen. Also worth exploring is the Philadelphia Orchestra’s inexpensive CD of New England Triptych’s predecessor and spiritual cousin, Charles Ives’s Three Places in New England (Sony 89851).

Robert White and Marilyn Horne
Berlin Lieder

Songs of Irving Berlin. Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano; Robert White, tenor; Dick Hyman, piano. (Shell Castle SCCD1-02)

When he died in 1989 at the age of 101, Irving Berlin left an incredible legacy of 1,500 songs, from the iconic patriotic anthem "God Bless America" to the classic "Easter Parade." Composer Jerome Kern said of this immigrant from Russia: "Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American Music."

Tenor Robert White’s CD, punningly titled Berlin Lieder, has nothing to do with the German city nor traditional Lieder. Rather, it contains 26 songs by Berlin, who was termed "America’s Franz Schubert" by George Gershwin. White is joined by renowned mezzo Marilyn Horne and pianist Dick Hyman. The songs, heard as either solos or duets, are all sung with taste and spirit, and the entire album reflects the great good fun that the performers must have had making it.

White, who received his master’s degree at Juilliard, has been a member of the voice faculty since 1992. A dedicated advocate of contemporary music, he presented a New York recital last November premiering newly commissioned songs by no fewer than 19 noted American composers.

Don’t miss White’s masterful recital of 31 songs by Francis Poulenc (Arabesque 6713), and his impressive 1997 CD of American art songs (Hyperion 66920), both with the late Samuel Sanders of Juilliard’s collaborative piano faculty. On the lighter side, White has recorded two CDs of songs by Vincent Youmans (Arabesque 6670 and 6692) with soprano Joan Morris and pianist William Bolcom.

The March 2002 issue of Opera News posed the question, "With whom might the mantle of John McCormack now most justly rest? The connection between New York-born Robert White and McCormack is plain for all to hear." As if to confirm the answer, RCA recently issued a CD, Great Irish Tenors (63732), in which White’s singing is coupled with McCormack’s.

Debuting as a boy of 6, Robert White has been appearing before the public for more than 50 years. He exemplifies the principle that vocal longevity stems from a sound technique. His students are indeed fortunate to reap the benefits of his experience. It is appropriate that one of the songs he performs on Berlin Lieder is called "Let Me Sing and I’m Happy." So are his audiences.

Mention this column at the Juilliard Bookstore to receive a 5-percent discount on this month’s featured recordings. (In-store purchases only.)

Michael Sherwin, marketing manager of the Juilliard Bookstore (bookstore.juilliard.edu), has written for High Fidelity and Musical America.