Copland: Appalachian Spring; The Tender Land Suite / Morton Gould: Fall River Legend
These sunny, lucid performances are the best Aaron Copland has ever  given us of his own music. In truth, he was not a great conductor, and much of  the credit for the success of this disc must go to the Boston Symphony--the  orchestra that, along with the New York Philharmonic, has been most closely  associated with Copland's music. In addition to the lovelyAppalachian  Springballet, Copland includes a charming suite from his rarely performed  operaThe Tender Land.It shares the same openly "American"  style as the ballet, so if you like the one, you'll be sure to enjoy this  novelty as well. Gould'sFall River Legendis a warmly melodic ballet on  the Lizzie Borden story. It makes an apt coupling.--David Hurwitz