One thing America did not lack during the 20th century was superb pianists. The works in this program by two of the greatest American composers were created in response to the vast talent at their disposal: Samuel Barber’s Excursions and Piano Sonata were written for Vladimir Horowitz and his Ballade for the Van Cliburn Competition, while each of Aaron Copland’s Four Piano Blues was dedicated to a particular pianist: Leo Smit, Andor Földes, William Kapell and John Kirkpatrick. Copland’s knotty and taxing Piano Variations was taken up by a young composer/pianist named Leonard Bernstein.

While Excursions and the Four Piano Blues use various aspects of musical Americana they remain sophisticated examples of the art of...