Rainbow Body

1	Rainbow Body, for orchest
2	Symphony No. 1, Op. 9
3	Appalachian Spring, conce
4	blue cathedral, for orche
Rainbow Body
1.	Rainbow Body, for orchestra 13:03
	Composed by Christopher Theofanidis
	Performed by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Robert Spano
2.	Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 20:18
	Composed by Samuel Barber
	Performed by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Robert Spano
3.	Appalachian Spring, concert suite for full orchestra 23:26
	Composed by Aaron Copland
	Performed by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Robert Spano
4.	blue cathedral, for flute, clarinet & orchestra 12:19
	Composed by Jennifer Higdon
	Performed by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Robert Spano

Barnes & Noble

Judging by the appealing new music on Rainbow Body, the third CD from conductor Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the spirit of Copland and Barber is alive and well in America. Two works from American composers both born in the 1960s -- Christopher Theofanidis's Rainbow Body and Jennifer Higdon's blue cathedral -- envelop Barber's Symphony No. 1 and Copland's Appalachian Spring on the attractive program, fitting like a glove with the down-to-earth style of the old master's music. Writing in accessible, tonal idioms and exploring the rich colors of the orchestra, Theofanidis and Higdon strike strong populist stances in their works, outwardly rejecting the challenging academic style that dominated American music for decades. Rainbow Body takes a theme from Hildegard von Bingen as its kernel, developing and expanding it into a lush sonic evocation of the Buddhist theory of enlightenment at death -- the source of the title. Similarly suggestive, blue cathedral was initially commissioned to mark the 75th anniversary of the Curtis conservatory, where Higdon teaches, but grew into a very personal commemoration of the death of the composer's brother from cancer. Spano and the Atlanta musicians put the best possible foot forward for these new works, and they play Barber's and Copland's well-known scores with the bright energy one expects from this Grammy-winning team. Faultless sound from Telarc tops off this eminently recommendable release. EJ Johnson

All Music Guide

At first blush, the music of greatest interest on this disc might appear to be "Rainbow Body" by Christopher Theofanidis and "blue cathedral" by Jennifer Higdon. Theofanidis demonstrates that orchestration is his strength, and he makes good use of his skills. Yet in spite of the sumptuous sonorities he produces, Theofanidis seems caught up in late-romantic grandiosity. His arching melodies and swelling chords are impressive sounding, but the music is predictable and less than ecstatic at the end. Higdon's "blue cathedral" is an atmospheric rhapsody of considerable charm and evocative color. The only thing holding this piece back is its fast middle section, which merely provides contrast. Its headlong charge breaks the delicate ambience Higdon carefully established at the beginning, and ultimately turns the work's best music into a frame for its rather ordinary material. In the end, Samuel Barber's "Symphony No. 1," a richly scored work from his youth, and Aaron Copland's evergreen, "Appalachian Spring," are the most satisfying works this disc has to offer. Unfortunately for Theofanidis and Higdon, comparisons inevitably will be drawn, and their pieces may seem poorer next to these accomplished works. Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra turn in sensitive performances, particularly in "Appalachian Spring," and Telarc's recorded sound is vivid. Blair Sanderson