Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 - Copland: Billy the Kid

For the first recording on its own label, the Washington, D.C.-based National Symphony Orchestra turns to two heroes of American music. While in New York at the start of the 20th century, Czech composer Dvořák fell in love with indigenous folk tunes, incorporating them into arguably America’s first symphony. Conductor Gianandrea Noseda revels in its dances and brings a delicious richness to the spiritual-inspired Largo. In the work of Copland—a composer who carved out a more permanent identity for US music—those traditional folk tunes are on the surface. In his 1938 ballet, Billy the Kid, he proves a master at conjuring the open spaces of the American Wild West, bustling street scenes, and gun fights. The NSO is alive to every thrilling moment.