Thanks to everybody who offered an opinion on my search for a good New
England Triptych.  Here are my findings.

Bob Zeidler:

>Serebrier/Bournemouth, coupled with his Violin Concerto and his
>orchestration of Ives's "Variations on America"

This disc has amazing sonics.  From "invisible" (during occasional
passages of the Violin Concerto) to "bug out the cats 2 rooms away."
So far, on 3rd or 4th listening, this is a really nice Triptych, with
big boomy tympanis.  The Variations on America is a hoot, and makes a
good pairing with their loosey-goosey approach to the Triptych.  The
Violin Concerto seems emotionally complex and will take some coming
to terms with.

Richard Pennycuick:

>are the Naxos version which also has his Violin Concerto, Koch's which
>couples it with Bernard Herrmann's symphony

I like this version too, a little more laid back than Bournemouth, maybe
not quite as much personality overall, but their approach really works
on the quieter middle section.  Rich, creamy recorded sound.

I haven't listened to the Herrmann symphony yet.

Steve Schwartz:

>Eastman-Rochester orchestra sounds its own distinctive self -- and that's
>something you either love or hate.  I like it.  Hanson does well, but I
>don't get the impression that he really likes the piece.

The only other Hanson/Eastman-Rochester recording I know at all
is of Hanson's own Symphonies 1 and 2 and Song of Democracy, also
a Mercury Living Presence.  It has a more attractive sound than the
Ives/Schumann/Mennin.  I don't have a lot of stuff around from that time
period (or if I do it's by honky-tonk twangers), so it's hard for me to
tell _what_ is different about this.

I think I know what you mean about not being able to tell if Hanson
liked it that much.  This reading seems more "serious" than Serebrier
and Sedalis, maybe not taking Schuman up on the potential for fun here
(especially in Be Glad Then, America).  Well, I listened to Song of
Democracy the other day, and Hanson could be a pretty serious person.

>However, it's coupled with a wonderful performance of the Mennin Fifth,
>and ok performances of the Ives Three Places in New England and the
>Third Symphony.

Agreed on all counts.  The Iveses didn't really stand out in any way
from whatever other renditions I have around here.  (I love the ones by
the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on DG, out of print, bah.) I never heard
of Mennin before; this work was really something.

Thanks again, everybody!

Eddie