---FIRST HALF HOUR---
:04—Roy Harris (1898-1979): “Recreation,” from Piano Suite, 1944, track 3, 3:20, Richard Zimdars, piano [Albany 105]. Quotes “London Bridge is Falling Down” and alludes to other tunes.
:08—Roy Harris (1898-1979): “Streets of Laredo,” from “American Ballads, Set 1, 1946, track 9, 2:06, Geoffrey Burleson, piano [Naxos 559664].
--SEGUE--
:11—Roy Harris (1898-1979): Sym. No. 4, “Folk Song Symphony,” 1939, third move., “Interlude: Dance Tunes for String & Percussion,” track 4, 3:03, Marin Alsop, Colorado Symphony [Naxos 559227].
:15—George Butterworth (1885-1916): “The Banks of Green Willow,” 1913 track 4, 5:58, William Boughton, English String Orchestra [Nimbus 5068]. Based on folk song of same name and a second one called “Green Bushes,” both of which Butterworth notated in 1904.
:21—Bela Bartok (1881-1945): “An Evening in the Village,” from “Hungarian Pictures,” 1931, track 10, 3:05, Neeme Jarvi, The Philharmonia [Chandos 8895]. I don’t know if this is an actual folk tone or Bartok giving the impression of one.
:25—Roy Harris (1898-1979): Sym. No. 4, “Folk Song Symphony,” 1939, fifth move., “Interlude: Dance Tunes for Full Orchestra,” track 6, 3:06, Marin Alsop, Colorado Symphony [Naxos 559227].
---SECOND HALF HOUR---
:30—George Butterworth (1885-1916): English Idyll No. 1, 1911, track 2, 4:47, William Boughton, English String Orchestra [Nimbus 5068]. Based on folk songs collected in Somerset with Ralph Vaughan Williams.
:35—Frederick Delius (1862-1934): “Dance,” from “Florida Suite,” track 1, 11:44, David Lloyd-Jones, English Northern Philharmonia [Naxos 553535]. Delius managed an orange plantation in Florida for awhile, and European musicologists seem to assume he stole themes. He never said so, and to me it sounds like he is less indebted to spirituals than to his friend and supporter Grieg.
:41—Bela Bartok (1881-1945): “Interrupted Intermezzo,” from “Concerto for Orchestra,” 1943, track 4, 4:32, Antal Dorati, Concertgebouw Amsterdam [Philips 411 132]. The melody that sounds like a folk song is Bartok’s own, made to sound like a folk song, a rebuke to Shostakovich for his use of a folk tune in his Seventh Symphony.
:46—Pytr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Sym. No. 2, “Little Russian,” opening move., 1872, track 1, 10:52, Claudio Abbado, Chicago Symphony [MK 39359]. In Tchaikovsky’s day, “Little Russia” was a nickname for Ukraine, and he used Ukrainian folk tunes in this movement and other parts of the work. The opening theme comes from a song called “Down by Mother Volga.”
:57—Percy Grainger (1882-1961): “Shepherd’s Hey,” track 10, 2:14, Ken Montgomery, Bournemouth Sinfonietta [Chandos 6542].
---THIRD HALF HOUR---
:04—Roy Harris (1898-1979): “The Bird,” from “American Ballads, Set 1, 1946, track 11, 1:42, Geoffrey Burleson, piano [Naxos 559664].
--SEGUE—
:06—Roy Harris (1898-1979): Sym. No. 4, “Folk Song Symphony,” 1939, first move., “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” track 2, 3:51, Marin Alsop, Colorado Symphony & Chorus [Naxos 559227]. Voices enter halfway through.
:10--Pytr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Sym. No. 1, “Winter Dreams,” finale, 1866, track 4, 12:43, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic [DG 419 176]. The introduction and both major themes are all based on a single Russian folk song.
:23—Alexander Borodin (1833-1887): Sym. No. 1, scherzo, 1867, track 2, 6:34, Valery Gergiev, Rotterdam Philharmonic [Philips 422 996]. The second melody is based on a Russian folksong.
---FOURTH HALF HOUR---
:30—Percy Grainger (1882-1961): “Beautiful Fresh Flower,” track 2, 2:39, Geoffrey Simon, Melbourne Symphony [ABC 37003]. Grainger’s take on a Chinese folk song.
:33—Roy Harris (1898-1979): “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” from “American Ballads, Set 2, 1946, track 19, 1:58, Geoffrey Burleson, piano [Naxos 559664].
--SEGUE--
:35—Roy Harris (1898-1979): Overture, “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” 1934, track 1, 7:07, Jorge Mester, Louisville Orchestra [Albany 027].
(TRICK QUESTION: WHO WROTE THIS?)
:42—Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): “Angel Concert,” from “Mathis der Maler,” 1934, track 1, 8:32 but clip by cadence at 1:42/-6:50n , William Steinberg, Boston Symphony [DG 423 241]. Theme is from a German song, “Three angels were singing….”
:44—Aaron Copland (1900-1990): “Simple Gifts,” from “Appalachian Spring,” 1944, DISC II, frontloaded, track 7, 2:35, Aaron Copland, Columbia Chamber Orchestra [SM2K 89323]. “Simple Gifts,” is a song that was sung by the now-extinct Shaker Sect. However, Copland altered the melody.
:47—Aaron Copland (1900-1990): “John Henry,” 1940, track 11, 4:03, Aaron Copland, London Symphony [SM3K 46559].
:52—Bela Bartok (1881-1945): “Melody,” from “Hungarian Pictures,” 1931, track 12, 2:25, Neeme Jarvi, The Philharmonia [Chandos 8895].
:55—Isaac Hayes (1942-2006): “Shaft,” track 6, 4:23, The Uklele Orchestra of Great Britain [CD 102].Humor in the guise of folk music.