The Suite Life of Leroy Anderson

 

Aside from the obvious beloved industriousness of Anderson's orchestral miniatures featured on the previous three volumes, this fourth volume moves on to greener fields.

The Irish Suite is great! If the Scottish Suite doesn't rise to the same heights in contrast, it is due more to the unfamiliarity of its folk music contents and the energy never gets to percolate.

The Alma Mater Suite rehashes what was already offered on Volume 3, but with different colors and more effects (for better or worse).

The vocal offerings are not my favorite, but for completists, should satisfy an itch.

A review from 2024

This may be my favorite entry from Naxos’ five volumes dedicated to Leroy Anderson’s Orchestral music, even if there are some odd choices.

First, each of the three concert suites are excellent. The Irish Suite is notable for its familiar tunes, while the Scottish is a little undercooked as music comparatively. The Alma Mater suite is a reworking of Vol. 3s Harvard Sketches, and I liked that one a lot, so it is nice to hear it in a slightly different guise.

The handful of miniatures offered are vocal/orchestral re-imaginings of previously released pieces. I find the added vocals a bit silly, something only a generation who added words and singing to The Godfather theme and the Theme from Exodus could consider better. The ululations in Belle of the Ball are laughable, no fault of these Broadway singers.

A Christmas Festival is Anderson’s famous medley for the Yuletide, heard on many other recordings. As it is July at the time of this review, this will get a welcome revisit in December, as with the other volume’s three Suites of Carols and Sleigh Ride.

The music offered here can be heard with Arthur Fiedler and Frederick Fennell, but it is nice Leroy Anderson’s music is getting another airing out from the BBC Concert Orchestra and Leonard Slatkin.

 Listen on YouTube

 

Works
Irish Suite (19.37)
Scottish Suite (10.26)
Alma Mater (6.30)
Christmas Festival (9:10)

Performers
Kim Criswell, soprano
William Dazeley, baritone
BBC Concert Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin, conductor

Label: Naxos
Year: 2008
Total Timing: 60.26

 

I like this one a lot, although it has its flaws.

The Broadway vocals may not appeal to everyone, and Fennell and Fielder might have the edge on some of these, but it is a fine collection regardless.

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Leroy Anderson recordings HERE!