An American Salute: Spirit of the Nation (2002)

About this title: American Salute: Spirit of the Nation is a tasteful collection of orchestral pieces devoted to the history and vitality of the United States. Performed by a series of orchestras, highlights include Aaron Copland's sweeping "Hoe Down," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and Ferde Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite 'Sunrise'," during which the anticipation of the sun hitting the lip of the canyon is palpable. The introspective moments of "Variations on 'America'" and Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" are also a nice touch, as they offset the collection's more bombastic moments. Basic versions of the ... read more

Tracks:

1. An American Salute [Gould]
2. Rodeo "Hoe Down" [Copland]
3. Hail to the Spirit of Liberty [Sousa]
4. Pan Americana [Herbert]
5. Foster Gallery "Camptown Races" [Gould]
6. Grand Canyon Suite "Sunrise" [Grofe]
7. Liberty Fanfare [Williams]
8. Adagio for Strings [Berber]
9. Variations on "America" [Ives]
10. Amber Waves [Gould]
11. Battle Hymn of the Republic [Hayman]
12. Stars and Stripes Forever [Sousa]
13. Star Spangled Banner [Key/Smith]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.