William Schuman: Witch of Endor on Classical CD Choice

This is an accomplished disc, essential for admirers of the talented American composer William Schuman. His ballet suites Judith and Night Journey have been recorded before but never in the kind of wide-ranging surround sound that they are accorded here. As a further incentive to purchase, the disc also contains what is (as far as I can tell) the first recording of another Schuman ballet for Martha Graham, the knottier The Witch of Endor. Admirers of Schuman will know that his music does not always give up its secrets immediately (Judith is the most approachable ballet here), but the sheer physical impact of the scores is considerable and for aficionados of key American Symphonists of the 20th century, it’s a desirable purchase. Performances by Gil Rose and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project do full justice to the music.