Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz - Antheil: A Jazz Symphony (2017)

George Antheil's works for the concert hall have mostly fallen into obscurity, so this release will play an important role in informing and entertaining any listeners willing to step out of the box to experience a selection of jazz-influenced orchestral pieces by this so-called Bad Boy of Music (the enfant terrible label was earned following a riot during his Paris piano recital debut in 1923). The Jazz Symphony premiered in 1927 and is heard here in its original version. It calls for large orchestral resources to colour its melee of dance tunes and disorienting changes of metre. The Piano Concerto No. 1 (1922) may have stylistic allusions to other composers, not least Stravinsky, but it's an imaginative work with lively repartee between soloist and orchestra. Capital of the World, a once highly rated ballet score, is more populist than his earlier futuristic works and packs its own distinctive punch.

TRACKLIST
1. Frank Dupree – A Jazz Symphony (1925 version)
2. Frank Dupree – Piano Concerto No. 1
3. Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-P – Capital of the World Suite: I.
4. Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-P – Capital of the World Suite: II
5. Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-P – Capital of the World Suite: II
6. Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-P – Archipelago, “Rhumba”: Archipe