Our musical 4th of July climaxes the only way it can

Where else could our musical 4th of July end up but with John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever? Here's Vladimir Horowitz playing his legendary piano transcription. Again, note the moderate tempo -- Horowitz believed that the piece was generally played too fast, thereby trivializing it.

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA: Semper Fidelis

Morton Gould and His Symphonic Band RCA/BMG, recorded October 1956

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA: The Washington Post

Band of H.M. Royal Marines, Lt. Col. G.A.C. Hoskins, cond. EMI, recorded February 1983

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA: The Thunderer

Eastman Wind Ensemble, Donald Hunsberger, cond. Kem-Disc, recorded c1981

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA: The Stars and Stripes Forever

With spoken introduction by JPS Sousa Band, John Philip Sousa, cond. Radio performance, 1929
Concert Arts Symphonic Band, Felix Slatkin, cond. Capitol-EMI, recorded 1958


WANT MORE JPS? MORE AMERICAN MUSICAL TREASURES?

For more Sousa, don't forget the legendary May 2010 DWT Sousapalooza post.

And for a fuller musical Fourth, revisit the 2009 three-part "American Treasures" post (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

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