Vernon Duke (Vladimir Dukelsky): Symphony No. 2
Vladimir Dukelsky (1903-1969): Symphony No. 2 (1928)
National Orchestral Association - Leon Barzin
Recorded during rehearsal in April 1945.
Vladimir Dukelsky (aka Vernon Duke - a name he took at the suggestion of George Gershwin upon arrival in the U.S.A.) wrote some of the most famous songs for Broadway in the 20th Century. Composing under his nom de plum Vernon Duke, he composed such songs as "April in Paris," "Autumn in New York," and "Taking a Chance on Love," to mention a few; also composing music for such Broadway shows as the "Ziegfield Follies" of 1934 and his musical "Cabin in the Sky (1940) assured his place in American popular and theater music for all times. But he also composed classical music and until 1955 wrote it under his original given name Vladimir Dukelsky.
His three symphonies are virtually unknown today (although the Symphony No. 3 has been uploaded on this channel.) This upload of the Symphony No. 2 in D-Flat, composed in 1928, was recorded during a rehearsal, and all of the comments and direction of the conductor's interruptions are there, but interestingly, one can still enjoy the whole symphony, some of it sight-read for the first time. The performance brings the melodic quality and beauty of the work to the fore. I have refused to do any editing leaving that to individuals who want to download the work, convert it to mp3 format, and edit with an app such as Audacity to their own satisfaction. Keeping with my collector philosophy that when it comes to the "Forgotten Generation" of composers, especially American composers, something is better than nothing. The symphony is in its entirety and only in a couple of places are passages repeated under the conductor Leon Barzin's instruction.