Rob Baldwin:

>...  I truly love this work although I'd need to think a little more
>before deciding whether it's the greatest American symphony.  Other
>favorites that immediately come to mind are Copland's "Short Symphony,"
>Randall Thompson's Symphony #2, and another Symphony #2, this one by Walter
>Piston.

I am not quite ready to really engage on the greatness issue either,
because it raises all kinds of contentious philosophical questions which
tend to distract from the matter of actual appreciation of works that
people care about--as well as require a lot of comparisons with other
works.  I just said I wouldn't dispute Rich's claim.  But, to the extent
that judgments of greatness represent degrees of personal admiration for
qualities that can be pointed to in a work, I might be ready to share his
assessment.

My favorite Copland symphony is the original version of the Organ Symphony,
which has considerable rhythmic excitement.  The Thompson 2nd is another
favorite of mine because of its jazzy elements, even though I've heard it
dismissed as "too popular." Piston's 2nd can stand a lot of repetition too;
I especially like the slow movement.  And then there is Thomson's Symphony
on a Hymn Tune.  Talk about a scorned work...

Jim