The first band CDs I bought were the old Mercury/Fennell recordings by the Eastman Wind Ensemble. The first new recordings I purchased were the early Cincinnati Conservatory/Corporon albums released by Mark Custom. These albums were rereleased by Klavier when they purchased the catalog and took over the recording project (which has since moved to GIA). I am particularly proud of owning the Mark original of three albums: Songs and Dances, Hearts Music, and the spotlight of today's blog, In Concert. Songs and Dances and Hearts Music remain two of my favorite band CDs. They introduced my young ears to some spectacular repertoire: The Winds of Nagual, Aspen Jubilee, Five Folk Songs for Soprano, Dionysiaques, The Dog Breath Variations, Concerto for 23 Winds.... all great pieces.
In Concert, though, is the first recording Eugene Corporon and the CCM Wind Symphony released commercially. At first glance, it is not much different than other Mark recordings by the likes of Rutgers or University of Illinois. What is represents is the start of one of the greatest wind band recording projects ever conceived, one that has yielded thirty years of great music and a veritable history of the wind band repertoire since 1991. The selections on the album are often quite strange. It opens with the now-classic Gavorkna Fanfare by Jack Stamp in a spirited performance. That is followed by works by two composers not known for their wind music: Ivan Tcherepnin and Michael Tippett. Statue by Tcherepnin is patriotically programmatic (having been written for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1986) yet highly angular and dissonant, like much of the music on the CD. The opening movement, "Fanfare," differs markedly from Stamp's more traditional fanfare, utilizing a variety of solo instruments and novel scoring. Movement 2, "Canzona," is reminiscent of the music of Morton Gould; think the first movement of Gould's West Point Symphony minus the marching section, or an extended version of Ballad for Band. Michael Tippett's Mosaic is one of the more pure contemporary works for band, and the CCM ensemble acquits itself quite nicely. The piano and harp play prominent parts in the opening, in duet first with the flute, then the tuba. Mosaic is the first movement of Tippett's Concerto for Orchestra, and you can hear the concerto concept in the work, with soloists and sections featured throughout. It is a fascinating, somewhat forgotten work that received a second life with this recording. As a college band director myself, Mosaic sounds absolutely treacherous, and it is a pleasure to hear CCM navigate it so well. The next two pieces are seemingly a break from the modern sounds preceding it: Irish Tune from County Derry and Gum-Suckers March by Percy Grainger. This version of Irish Tune, however, is not the standard edition that most bands play, keyed in F major. Instead, it is a version adapted from the women's choir arrangement. There are quite a few differences between the two settings. First is the key center. Grainger drops it from F to C major, and the lower register makes a big difference. The other difference of note is the chromaticism. There are very few accidentals in the band version, while this setting is teeming with them. It is more reminiscent of Grainger's original music, such as The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart. While I prefer the original better, the arrangement in this recording is refreshingly different if mildly depressing. Gum-Suckers March is the roughest recording of the set, or at least as far as I can tell. The playing is frantic at times, and the intonation in the opening moments is questionable. Overall, though, it is a welcome reprieve from the intensity of the first several works. The next work on the recording is intriguing for a few of reasons. Corporon chose the first and third movements of Michael Weinstein's Concerto for Wind Ensemble. While I do not know every program of every ensemble, this piece seems to have faded into history. I have never heard it live other than at my alma mater, who performed it in 1995. Also, Weinstein has not composed a lot of music for band. A cursory search found one other piece, Neopolitan Ode. When I searched on YouTube, there is one full recording of his Concerto for Wind Ensemble; Weinstein posted it on his own channel, and the recording is from 1994. So its inclusion here is an intriguing footnote to a decade when band music flourished. It is a very tricky work . The first movement is angular and rhythmically complex with each section highlighted at one point or another (like the Tippett). The third movement is dissonant and ends in an unexpectedly consonant, almost joyous way. You can hear the influences of Colgrass and Schwantner throughout; it is unfortunate that this Concerto has not gained a wider audience, though I think some of that stems from its difficulty. It is definitely worth a listen if you have not heard it before. The disc closes with the delightful Greek Dances by Nikos Skalkottas. Each of the four movements are brief and have an infectious energy. Like the Armenian Dances by Khachaturian, there is an authenticity to Skalkottas' writing that gets to the heart of the music. I cannot say I have a favorite dance of the four presented here, but if I was forced to pick one, it would be Kalamatinos, movement two. The shifting time signatures give it a playful energy, and the woodwind writing is outstanding. Greek Dances is a spirited way to end the CD. It has been far too long since I posted, so my New Year's resolution is to post weekly. I love my CD collection, and there are many recordings that deserve the spotlight. Happy New Year!
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AuthorBrian Shelton, DOB Archives
July 2022
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