Steve Schwartz wrote:

>I never thought I'd hear anyone better Leonard Bernstein in this
>repertoire, but, by God, Thomas has done it.  For one thing, he yields
>nothing in interpretive punch and has at his disposal a better orchestra
>than Bernstein's New York Phil.

There is a level of precision in Thomas' orchestra that is remarkable.
I am reminded of the clarity he brought to the Short Symphony, the
companion disc to the populist issue.  While it was a concert performance,
the NY Phil had a rough time with the Short Symphony with Bernstein
conducting.

The NY Philharmonic was capable of precision, especially under Boulez.
A tape I have of Copland's Variations conducted by Boulez is remarkable.
However in some ways, I find Thomas' version more to the point...even
if he did (at least it sounds so to me) tinker a bit with the orchestration.
His reading is the sort that "knocks my socks off." Thomas delights
in the the dissonances.  I would love to hear him in a recording of
Connotations and Inscape, which along with the Variations, are my favorite
Copland works.

And on the subject of Copland interpreters...some of my favorites:

Billy the Kid (Bernstein's early recording)
Rodeo (Dorati with the Dallas Symphony)
Symphony No.3 (Dorati)-I am also fond of the Szell broadcast from '47.
Maybe one day some will issue the Koussevitzky performance!
Appalachian Spring (Koussevitzky)
El Salon Mexico (Koussevitzky)
Organ Symphony (Slatkin)
Dance Symphony (Gould) his performance makes the piece sound brilliant.
Music for a Great City (Composer - also have two different BSO broadcasts
conducted by the composer. I prefer these over the commercial issue)
Piano Concerto (composer and Bernstein)

Karl