Ives: Symphony No. 3
This is a great Ives disc. You get: (1) his most popular "normal"  symphony; (2) his most famous "radical" orchestral suite; (3) his most famous  short piece; and (4) a bunch of interesting and little-known experimental  pieces. In short, this disc is the perfect introduction to the music of Danbury- -Connecticut's greatest composer--a true American original. The last of theThree Places in New Englandis a short tone poem calledThe Housatonic  at Stockbridge. It depicts the flow of the Housatonic River past a covered  bridge and a village church, where the strains of a hymn tune seem to merge with  the mist coming off the river. It's as hauntingly memorable as anything you'll  ever hear.--David Hurwitz