Newstalgia Sunday Gramophone - two lost works by American Composer Roy Harris - Fantasy and Folk Rhythms Of Today. Recorded in 1945 and featuring Roy Harris conducting the American Broadcasting Company Symphony.
October 24, 2010

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Roy Harris - sadly underrated in recent years.


Two radio recordings from 1945 this week, both by the American composer Roy Harris. One I had offered last year via YouTube but the sound just wasn't all that good and the second work was on the same set of discs. Both works have virtually nothing written up about them, but both works are really gems. Fantasy (top player) isn't the same as the one listed in the catalog as Fantasy For Piano And Orchestra. Folk Rhythms Of Today (bottom player) is a work I know nothing about and can't seem to find any information on it. I guess you could say these are both long-lost masterpieces of 20th Century American music with no other recordings available.

Both pieces are conducted by Roy Harris and feature the short-lived American Broadcasting Company Symphony. Since both of these pieces come via a set of discs released under the auspices of The State Department (Voice Of America), there is no other information on them. Dates of recording, what program they came from - anything like that.

So join in on the mystery and enjoy the discovery.

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