The few recordings of Virgil Thomson's scores for The Plow that Broke the Plains have all been quite fine in different ways. Of them,
Leopold Stokowski's 1960 effort with the
Symphony of the Air -- a brilliant and vivacious recording on Vanguard Classics -- has been the one to beat. Here,
Angel Gil-Ordóñez offers an effort that gives
Stokowski a run for his money. There's a delightful swing in the Washington-based
Post-Classical Ensemble's rhythms, and a sweet tone in their solos.
Gil-Ordóñez's deft balancing of colors and, most importantly, sensitivity to Thomson's populist manner makes a strong case for the music. Naxos provides clearer, warmer, and deeper sound than any of the digital competition in this repertoire.