This blog is devoted to my wind band recording library, something I have been amassing for the past 30 years. Today, though, I wanted to talk about a presentation I am developing for 2023. In my conducting classes at TAMUCC, I start each semester asking the question, "What is a conductor?" The students in front of me are seasoned music majors, so they say "a leader" or describe the duties of the job: cuing, time keeping, dynamics. Then I prod further. But what does it mean to conduct? They rarely answer beyond technical demands. So I launch into my thoughts...
The most obvious answer to the first question is a leader. This is one of the first definitions you will find in a dictionary. But certainly there is more to it than that, right? Why the word conductor? And where else do we use that term? So I ask the students: If I were to go to the student center and ask a random student what they think of when they hear the word "conductor," how do you think they would reply? Almost always, someone says "a train conductor." So how does what we do compare to a train conductor? This question is a tricky one. A particularly thoughtful student might answer, "A train conductor drives the train from one place to another." What are the one place and the other, I ask. "They deliver the music to the audience." I start with this narrative to illustrate my developing philosophy, one I must develop into said presentation this fall. Conductors are not delivering music to the audience. Instead, we are delivering the music to the performers. The performers are our communicators. Think of it this way: score study informs the conductor's interpretation of the music. Hours of rigorous work develops an indelible aural picture of the music, the intent of the composer. The conductor is now on their island, alone, ready to spread the joy of the music. That is when the players enter. They are across the vast sea, unaware of the conductor's interpretation, the composer's intent. They (hopefully) know their parts but may not be aware of how those parts fit into the whole. And even if they do, they will not know the score in the same way the conductor does. So the conductor takes the musical interpretation and delivers it - conducts it - to the players. It is not a matter of waving arms at the players. That is one method of conducting music. But there is another definition of "conductor" that changed my view of the art. And that will be the subject of my next post.
0 Comments
In a previous post, I described some of my experiences at Northern Illinois University. It was during that time - starting around 1992 - that I began collecting wind band recordings. The first purchases were the CD rereleases of the classic Mercury recordings of the Eastman Wind Ensemble conducted by Frederick Fennell. Around that time, Eugene Corporon was just starting his now-extensive wind recording project with the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Wind Symphony. The Fennell discs featured standard repertoire; Corporon focused on contemporary repertoire. So these series complemented each other nicely.
Back to Dekalb. Each semester, the conductor of NIU Wind Ensemble would post all of the literature for the semester. The list for Spring 1993 included Aspen Jubilee by Ron Nelson. On a trip to Chicago with the Wind Ensemble to perform at the Chicago Cultural Center (an absolute fish bowl where we performed the Giannini Symphony), I broke away and visited the three-story Rose Records downtown. It was there that I found my first CCM Wind Symphony disc, Hearts Music. The recording featured the Nelson along with another piece the NIU group would perform the following semester, The Winds of Nagual by Michael Colgrass. I was thrilled at the find and could not wait to listen to the album. Hearts Music is a dazzling recording. It was one of the earliest recordings in the series, and it displays a polish and precision that would continue throughout the years. The difference between this and some other of Corporon's recordings is the passion and excitement in the playing. The combination of precision and passion creates an invaluable resource for band directors and music lovers. There is not a weak piece in the program, which is: Hearts Music by David Diamond Concerto for 23 Winds by Walter Hartley Ronald Searle Suite by Lyn Murray Winds of Nagual by Michael Colgrass Aspen Jubilee by Ron Nelson It is a somewhat unusual program, to be sure. The only one that I would consider a "classic" (at the time of its release, 1990) is Hartley's Concerto for 23 Winds. The rest are either newer or more obscure, in the case of the Ronald Searle Suite. But each piece is a gem in its own unique way. This recording opened my eyes to the possibilities inherent in the concert band medium, at a time when I knew very little and had heard even less. And it was probably the first best recording I had purchased, surpassing the others in my modest collection up to that point. It remains near the top of the list. The combination of outstanding performance and dynamic repertoire make this an album I recommend to this day. Where it could not be determined back in 1990 if the newer pieces on this album would endure, time has proven kind to all three of them. The opening work, Hearts Music, is highly sophisticated. David Diamond's orchestration is delightful, combining winds and percussion in beguiling ways. As the program note indicates, the piece was written after his other, larger band work, Tantivity, the one that would seemingly be more significant due to its larger scope. Hearts Music, though, is the far better work. I cannot say with confidence that it has become more popular than Tantivity; however, Hearts Music's focus and compactness creates an indelible intensity, and CCM and Corporon provide an impressive interpretation. The second of the newer works is Winds of Nagual by Michael Colgrass. It is a programmatic work based on the writings of new age guru Carlos Castaneda, whose doctoral thesis is based on his experiences studying hallucinogenic drugs. If you are reading this blog, I probably do not need to go into too many details about such a seminal work, so I won't. (If you have not read Castaneda's early writings, though, I recommend you do so. They profoundly illuminate the music and show just how brilliantly Colgrass captured the prose.) It is one of my favorites of all time, and it stands tall in the pantheon of groundbreaking works for the wind band medium, alongside Music for Prague, ...and the mountains rising nowhere, and A Child's Garden of Dreams. Incidentally, but perhaps not coincidentally, all of these masterpieces were either the first work for band by these composers, or in the case of the Maslanka, the third piece. I have acquired other recordings of Winds of Nagual over the years, including Colgrass conducting the U.S. Marine Band. But none has captured my imagination like CCM. Maybe it is nostalgia, which is becoming pretty powerful at my age. Great playing is great playing, though. And I LOVE this interpretation. The last of the three new works was Aspen Jubilee, a fairly typical Ron Nelson overture in the vein of his "holidays" and "sojourns." That does not diminish its genius. This could also be chalked up to nostalgia as it was one of the first pieces I played in the top group at NIU. That does not give the music or the performers enough credit. Corporon and his producers create just the right amount of reverberation to allow the music shimmer with its ample metallic percussion. They are equally successful with the balance between the ensemble and the soprano vocalist. Some recordings treat the voice part as a soloist; others imagine it in the distance, a memory or dream. It is clear in the score that Nelson wants the vocalist to be part of the ensemble, sitting on-stage among the ensemble. And that is how Corporon treats it. To my ear, it is the right approach and the one that produces a beautiful, heart-wrenching slow section. Like the Colgrass, this is my favorite recording of Aspen Jubilee. I originally started this blog with the intention of exploring my collection of wind band recordings from the 1990s. I fell in love with so many of those recordings, so I listened to them repeatedly. A number of them are burned into my mind's ear, so I feel comfortable writing about them. As I prepare for the Fall 2022 semester, I am listening to different recordings of works on the repertoire list. One of those is Sensemayá by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas. That led me to this post's recording, Latin Landscapes by the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Wind Orchestra from 2013. I purchased it at the most recent Texas Music Educators Association Convention and was impressed by the choice of music and the performances. There is a lot to praise on this recording, which features a variety of styles. The program is: One of the niftiest elements of the album is the cover art, with its vibrant colors and abstract images, appropriately capturing the spirit of the music. The recording includes three original works and two transcriptions; of the latter, one was originally for piano, the other for voice and piano.
The album opens with the work I am studying, Sensemayá by Revueltas. This Frank Bencriscutto transcription is a classic, one of the warhorses that is currently only available to rent. Fortunately, G. Schirmer sold the work for many years, so there are sets in many libraries out there should rental be cost prohibitive. (I do not have a band budget at my school, so I was fortunate to have access to a library that has the work.) This is a fine performance of an oft-programmed work; the tuba and trumpet soloists avail themselves well. The tempo is steady and menacing, never becoming overcooked and evoking the danger of the snake of the title. A solid, reliable performance of a transcription that is able to both honor the orchestral original and sound idiomatic for the wind band medium. The remainder of the works were new to me. The second selection, Tramonto by Spanish composer Luis Alarcón, is cinematic as it evokes a modern film soundtrack. The elegiac work (subtitled Romanza) oozes pathos and utilizes the solo cello wonderfully. If there is one drawback, the music does not live up to its enchanting opening. It loses its intensity and takes on a wandering quality. Even so, this is a fine recording of a unique new work that pair cello with wind band, something that has become more common in the past few decades. Speaking of unique, Hudson Nogueira's Brasileirismos No. 2 creates myriad sounds utilizing symphonic band and solo flute. As I relisten to it now, distinct sections are not always obvious. The first seven minutes are rhapsodic, leading to a lopsided groove that is handled with expert precision by the CCM players. The program notes indicate there are three dances in the piece, each from a different region of Brazil. I applaud Noqueira in being able to unify them without sounding like a medley. The tempo is moderate throughout, a mild drawback in a piece somewhat substantial length (almost 14 minutes). This is a minor squabble in a work with so much going for it. The fourth work caught my attention the most when I first listened to the CD. Enrique Granados' Tonadillas are arranged by Ralph Ford. I knew Ralph Ford as a composer and arranger for young band and marching band. Little did I know how sophisticated Mr. Ford's writing, or in this case arranging, could be. This arrangement includes four of the original 12 songs from the cycle. What is most striking are the colors Ford is able to create from the original piano score. The ensemble never intrudes on the soprano soloist, Melisa Bonetti. (Side note: Ms. Bonetti does a fine accounting of the songs, though I would have been just as happy integrating the voice part into the ensemble to better showcase the stellar wind writing.) Especially effective are Mr. Ford's use of flute, clarinet and harp throughout. That being said, it seems that all instruments are given moments to shine, such as the trumpet in the second movement and the bassoon in the third. The fourth movement, El majo discreto, is a lovely waltz that is well-paced by Glenn Price, with just the right amount of push and pull. The Granados is the highlight of the disc. The album closes with a work of larger intensity and scope, bookending nicely with the Revueltas. Suite No. 2 by Colombian composer Victoriano Rincón begins with a funeral march reminiscent of the first movement of Berlioz's Symphonie funebre et triomphal, albeit 15 minutes shorter. The music builds in volume and intensity for the first three minutes before breaking into intensely rhythmic passages. As with the preceding works, the CCM ensemble performs with aplomb. In some ways, the Rincón is the most traditional work on the album. The three movements follow a fairly typical intense-relaxed-intense structure. This would normally be fast-slow-fast, but the composer substitutes a jaunty 6/8 dance for a ballad in the middle movement (Bambuco), though it serves the similar purpose of a respite between the more intense outer movements. The final movement is, predictably but hardly predictable, highly rhythmic, alternating 3/4 and 6/8 (a la Bernstein's America), interspersing it with beautiful lyrical passages. Like the Alarcón, this is movie music in the best way and an excellent way to close out the performance. This is a piece I would gladly program with my ensemble. Sometimes it is good to introduce fresh sounds when listening to music, and Latin Landscapes did that for me. I was drawn to Sensemaya but discovered new works with unique sound palettes. While I cannot say they all would make my regular listening rotation or make it onto one of my programs, all are worthy additions to the repertoire. I was drawn to the Granados and Rincón, and I would encourage others to explore this album. 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! The first seven recordings have all been those that I consider superior quality, or that had particular versions of works that were notable. In the case of the current recordings, it holds a spot in my heart. Let me tell you a story. When I graduated from Streamwood (IL) High School way back in 1990, I was directionless. I had applied to zero colleges and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I really liked writing, so I thought about being an English major. My German teacher persuaded me to get a degree in German and become a foreign correspondent or translator. I really liked band, so I thought, "Why not major in music?", having no idea what I was doing. At that point, I did not even understand transposition, and that the C on the trumpet is not the same as C on the piano. But I pursued it anyway. I applied to Elgin Community College; they offered full-ride scholarships to anyone in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class - that roped me in. I could spend hours telling you about my time at ECC, but I will sum it up quickly by saying thanks to Dan Maki, John Slawson and Mark Bettcher, three of the best teachers I have ever had. Two successful years later, I graduated with my associates degree and headed off to Northern Illinois University. It was there that I blossomed as a musician. I have many faculty and friends to thank for that, but the one who may have been most influential was Steve Squires, the conductor of the Wind Ensemble. I went from playing a three valve baritone as the last chair player in the department to being chosen for the top ensemble the very next semester. Watching Steve work was a revelation, and to this day I marvel at his conducting technique and style of rehearsal. I played in his ensemble for two years and learned so much. In 1994, Steve and an NIU alumnus, Brian Wis, started a recording project. They wanted to record works for younger band. Many of the recordings I have featured so far are from the 1990s, and they mostly contain advanced band music. What about middle school and high school music? This series would address those levels. Nine discs later, Squires and Wis made an indelible mark in the wind band world. It seems that they chose more sophisticated music as the series progressed, so the early volumes represent their vision best, at least their initial vision. And why am I so enamored of volume 1, the disc with the most issues? I played euphonium on this recording and was in the room when Steve Squires listened to the first track for the first time. The program is diverse and interesting, alternating more challenging works with less rigorous ones. On balance, the ensemble (myself included) sounds better on the easier works. And there is a problem with the recording volume: the levels are low throughout, so you have to turn up the volume quite loud to hear it. Steve noticed that when he first listened to the printed disc, so there was not much to do at that point. I will discuss the music by difficulty, as opposed to disc order. There are six pieces I consider more challenging, and six that are on the easier side. The challenging works are: "Dancing Day" from Symphony for Winds and Percussion by Joseph Downing March from "Symphonic Metamorphoses" by Paul Hindemith, arranged by Keith Wilson Chorale and Shaker Dance by John Zdechlik Chester by William Schuman Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance "Danza Final" from Estancia by Alberto Ginastera, arranged by David John The Downing symphony is an interesting choice. I absolutely adore the whole symphony and was able to conduct it way back in 2010. But it has never properly caught on in the wind band repertoire. Downing composed it as part of his doctoral project. An organist himself, Downing includes overtones and sounds that brilliantly imitate the organ while being firmly rooted in wind band tradition. "Dancing Day" is the first movement, and it is a reputable interpretation. The middle section is messy at times, as the woodwinds present a Baroque organ work against modern interjections by the brass and percussion. It was clear that the music pushed some of the players beyond their abilities, and some of the percussion parts are almost inaudible, noticeable only if you know the work. The overall balances are wonderful at the end, though, and I was particularly proud of this recording. The Hindemith March is another story. It may be the biggest misstep on this volume. Tempos fluctuate throughout, and individuals stick out at times, failing to blend into the textures. The biggest problem may be familiarity. This is a titan in the wind band and orchestral world, and there are just too many excellent recordings for this one to stand out as anything but mediocre. Chorale and Shaker Dance, on the other hand, has its merits. The sound is warm and generous, the balances once again outstanding. The dynamics and tempos could be slightly more spirited. I must confess, though, that the biggest error is, in part my fault. After the introduction, the piece settles into D major. The euphonium part has a misprint, giving them an F natural. Neither I, my fellow euphonium Paul, Steve, Brian or any of the engineers noticed a brutal F natural sticking out against a D major chord. It haunts me to this day. (If you want to hear it, the infamous note starts at 2:30.) Chester suffers somewhat in the same way the Hindemith does, through familiarity. Any slip in intonation, articulation or rhythm is readily apparent in a piece as famous as this, and the opening chorale exposes issues. The unison woodwinds at the opening of the fast section also struggle to match pitch. While these and other little problems plague this interpretation, it is a decent rendition of this piece. There could, once again, be a more generous dynamic range, and the middle tempo could stand to be a little quicker, but the ensemble acquits itself well. I am especially fond of this Variations on a Korean Folk Song. It is a magnificent work played very well. It is the one interpretation that I consider among the best in my collection. The relaxed tempos that may hinder other works enhance the music in this case. The Chance is beautifully paced and performed. The last difficult work is "Danza Final" by Ginastera. This piece is pretty one-note, so it needs to be played with extraordinary intensity. The ensemble does well (the running eighth notes are especially effective), even if some of the rhythms do not pop the way they are meant to. As a closer to the album, it works. The balance is great, with the piano adding just enough and the piccolo trumpet nailing the challenging muted parts. The accelerando at the end could use more energy, but this is another track of which I am proud. As good as some of these moments are, the ensemble shines in the simpler works. You can hear from the first notes of the simpler works that the ensemble sounds more mature, warmer and more robust. Perhaps not having to worry about technique freed us to be the more expressive. The easier works are: Allerseelen by Richard Strauss, arranged by A.O. Davis Three Chorale Preludes by William Latham Overture for Winds by Charles Carter Flourish for Wind Band by Ralph Vaughan Williams Colonel Bogey by Kenneth Alford Salvation is Created by Pavel Tchesnekoff, arranged by Bruce Houseknecht I will keep this part brief, having written a lot already. The Strauss and Latham are the highlights of the album. They are dynamite versions from beginning to end (with the exception of some trumpet peckiness in the third movement of the Latham). Almost all elements are improved from the harder pieces, especially intonation and blend. The low reeds that start Allerseelen are chill-inducing for their depth. Steve always did like low reeds, and it is apparent here. The Carter Overtire - in my opinion, one of the great band works of all time - is given a fine performance, as is that evergreen, Salvation is Created. It appears that when Steve Squires was given the opportunity to be espressivo, it benefited the ensemble. The only misstep is the Flourish by Vaughan Williams. It is a deceptively challenging work, and short. The trombones and horns never settle their intonation, and the E-flat clarinet sticks out of the texture in rather unpleasing ways. But at less than two minutes, it is a minor problem in a pretty great album. I am proud to have performed on this album. This series may have gotten lost a bit in all of the great band recordings being produced at that time, but it deserves a second look. And a great place to start is where it all started, in volume 1.
That CD image is not the same cover as the CD I have. Lowell Graham and the ACC Heritage of America Band released the Emblems disc in 1995, and Klavier acquired it and a number of other recordings, repackaging them to look much fancier than the original military releases. But I would not trade my disc for a new one. There is a measure of pride having the originals, and the quality of the recordings is outstanding. This disc in particular is one of the best in my collection in terms of performance and program. As with almost any recording, I have a few squabbles, so I will get those out of the way up front. William Schuman's An American Hymn lacks the warmth in its chorale passages that provide contrast to the more angular and aggressive middle. And Graham made the unusual choice of ending the disc with Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments. It is not an indictment of the classic work, though it is unusual to see it on a military band disc; however, it is anticlimactic, especially considering all of the thrilling works the precede it.
Other than that, I have no issues with this immaculate recording. The program is an exciting mix of newer and older works, some of which became favorites of mine. As a young teacher (I graduated with my music education degree from Northern Illinois University in 1995), the disc opened my mind to works I had never heard before. I began to consume as much wind band music as I could, leading me to purchase over 500 discs from 1992 to present, with the majority of them purchased in the 1990s. A big thank you to West Coast Music for providing many of them. I would purchase $1500 of discs each year as I sought to learn as much repertoire as I could. All because of recordings like Emblems. But I digress. The dynamic program is: Cheers! by Jack Stamp Dedication Overture by Vittorio Giannini Laude by Howard Hanson An American Hymn by William Schuman Prelude and Dance by Paul Creston Emblems by Aaron Copland New Dance by Wallingford Riegger Symphonies of Wind Instruments by Igor Stravinsky The Stamp, Giannini and Schuman are all serviceable interpretations. I would describe them as lesser works by each of the composers. They wrote other things for which they are better known, and are better works, in my opinion. The Stamp fanfares have a - shall we say, limited - scope, so recordings tend not to vary too much. Cheers! is an exciting version of a nice fanfare t and a great way to open the album. The Giannini is no Symphony No. 3, but it is a workman-like piece in Giannini's neo-romantic style. And the Schuman is an interesting, meandering work, similar to Chester in that it is a sort of theme and variations but lacking the latter's tightness of form and focus. Then there is the Hanson, Creston and Riegger, the undoubted highlights of the disc. I absolutely love Laude. Another theme and variations, it takes a majestic melody and takes it through seven transformations, many of which are unexpected. It is unpredictable in the best of ways. I was fortunate to be able to conduct Laude when I was Director of Bands at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Creston's Prelude and Dance and Riegger's New Dance are thrilling. I had never heard of Wallingford Riegger before I acquired this disc, and I was amazed that he composed New Dance in 1935. It sounds fresh and, indeed, "new." Its rhythms are infectious, and his Dance Rhythms is equally delightful (and probably more popular with bands). Prelude and Dance is in vintage Creston style, which I first heard when I performed his Celebration Overture in high school. The unusual harmonic motion and exotic melodies are present. Graham and his players execute it near flawlessly, evoking a strong sense of rubato at the beginning and driving to the invigorating finale. The last two works are by the most famous composers represented here: Copland and Stravinsky. Copland's Emblems is somewhat controversial in the band world. A number of conductors I have spoken to are not fans of the work, preferring that Copland would have written a more "Copland-esque" work. And I counted myself among that crowd for many years. Listening to it again here, I have to say that I appreciate what the ACC Heritage of America band does with the piece. Like the Schuman, it lacks direction at times as not every section seems to be going somewhere. I can better appreciate, though, the style of writing, as though Copland was channeling Schuman's George Washington Bridge with its tall, bold polytonal chords. I find myself involved in the piece more than I remember, going so far as to consider programming it in the future. (At the time of this writing, the COVID-19 virus is wreaking havoc on the country. The band world is not immune. I am still deciding how I will run my ensemble in the fall, from sectional rehearsals to chamber music. Hello Noble Numbers and Old Wine in New Bottles.) As I mentioned earlier, the Stravinksy is a good interpretation, but it lacks the polish of the orchestral recordings I own. The challenge of work appears to make it difficult for the players to get beyond the very difficult time and tempo shifts. I would have preferred this work midway through the disc as a palette cleanser between two of the larger works. Despite any complaints, this is an essential disc for wind band collectors. I am sure it is available physically and digitally, so take a listen to one of Lowell Graham's great contributions to the canon.
It has been a long while since I posted a review. I figured, with the pandemic in full swing, it was time to restart. When it comes to University of Illinois recordings, the series conducted by Harry Begian is probably the gold standard. I find Begian's recordings a bit indulgent (i.e., slow) at times, but the playing is generally excellent. Even so, I decided to feature one of the many recordings by James Keene as the first on this list. The reason is more nostalgic than anything. This disc featured many pieces I was hearing for the first time: Liturgical Dances by Holsinger, "Profanation" by Bernstein, and a very charming version of Napoli as played by a euphonium quartet. (Incidentally, euphonium is my principal instrument.) As with others of Keene's recordings, the performances are inconsistent. But there is a spirit that I appreciate, and it is a fine collection of classic works that has an esteemed place in my collection.
The album opens with the Keith Wilson transcription of Hindemith's mouthful of a work, Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber. The orchestral original is one of his more approachable works, and the band transcription is outstanding. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am not a huge fan of large orchestral transcriptions, but it works marvelously here. That is largely due to the orchestration of the original. The strings are important, but many of the featured solos and melodies belong to the winds and, in the case of the second movement, percussion. The Illinois Band is solid overall. The biggest issue is the rushed feeling at times. The pacing of the second movement Turandot opening does not allow the music rest, giving it the space it needs. The third movement feels pushed, robbing the music of much of its melancholy. Thefourth movement starts quite brisk before settling into Hindemith's tempo. In the end, the ensemble tackles a challenging work well. The most disappointing selection is Mendelssohn's Overture for Band. The light, frothy work of a precocious young man is too lumbering in the hands of a large band, at the music suffers for it. The finale is exciting, but the piece begs for a group half the size performing it. The next three pieces are the reason to seek out the recording. "Profanation" from the Jeremiah Symphony by Leonard Bernstein is able to evoke the lithe quality required. The players clearly know how navigate the constantly shifting meter, and the transition from orchestra to band is smooth once again. The centerpiece of the album is also the most obscure work, and it is one I would love to conduct. Overture on Russian and Kirghiz Folk Songs by Dmitri Shostakovich is patently Russian in its melodies and orchestration. The low reeds dominate the opening, and the richness of their sound is wonderful to hear. The fast section is well-controlled, and I appreciated the pacing of the final accelerando. There are not many recordings of this piece in my collection. The third work is David Holsinger's classic Liturgical Dances. This version, released in 1994, remains my favorite. It is hardly perfect. There is a tragic mute drop at one of the few quiet moments, and the ending is too slow for my taste. But the intonation is better than any other version I own, and the drive of the fast section is thrilling. The ending works at the slower tempo, but it lacks that little extra "oomph." But it is the benchmark for this piece. The CD eases to its finish with three light works. The first is Roger Nixon's Centennial-Fanfare March. To be frank, this march is not among my favorites. I find it repetitive and uninspiring. Other than its unmistakable energy and a really nice trio melody, there is not much else to recommend. What I would recommend is the Sousa march, The Federal. The chromaticism in the dogfight is delightfully unexpected, and the clarinets handle the obbligato line with aplomb. In a world where so many marches sound the same, this one is a gem. The album closes with a euphonium quartet version of Napoli. It is a little bit ridiculous but redeemed by the virtuoso playing of the quartet. It is a bang up way to end. As a side note, when I first joined the Wheaton Municipal Band in the early 1990's, one of my section mates was Mark Jirousek, one of the players in the quartet. That makes this recording a little more special. There are other, better Illinois recordings, and I will discuss some of them later. But for a great program performed well, you can't go wrong with In Concert Recording #125. As has been the trend in this blog so far, this is yet another album from 1990s, specifically 1992. Craig Kirchhoff leads the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra in a fascinating and diverse programs of major transcriptions and original works. They may not be the best recordings I own for most of the pieces, but I think this album is worth a serious listen. The program is: New England Triptych by William Schuman Prelude in E-flat Minor, Op. 34 No. 14 by Dmitri Shostakovich, arr. H. Robert Reynolds Desi by Michael Daugherty Danzón-Memory by Warren Benson Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber by Paul Hindemith, arr. Keith Wilson If you do not know the background, the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (TKWO) was created as an ensemble dedicated to making great recordings of band repertoire. It was led by the legendary Frederick Fennell for many years, and he made some of the best recordings of his career with them. They have dozens of albums and are prolific in my CD collection. They have covered everything from marches to showtunes, symphonies to suites. Some albums are dedicated to single composers (Alfred Reed, James Barnes), music from specific countries (Britain, Switzerland), and many with guest conductor, such as the album I am looking at today. I do not have many recordings of the bands of Craig Kirchhoff, and I have only heard him conduct ensembles live a handful of times. But I had always thought he tended to be a bit conservative. Not so on another listening of Symphonic Metamorphosis. Maybe I have mellowed over the years, but the playing in the first movement of New England Triptych - "Be Glad Then, America" - has drive and urgency. The playing can be aggressive almost to the point of crassness, but I think the playing fits the style of the piece. The playing in the second movement - "When Jesus Wept" - is lovely; I only wish it would be more relaxed. There is a tension to it that should be more resignation. The solos are thick with vibrato (especially the euphonium) as well. But it is a fine account. I rather enjoy their reading of "Chester." After the leisurely pacing of the opening in the Air Force Band recording I discussed in Blog #2, this one is refreshingly majestic and never dawdles. The brass hits at the start of the fast section tend to be "fwoppy," a distraction to be sure. As with "Be Glad Then, America" I love the intensity. A version worth hearing. Below are the YouTube links. The next two works are fascinating. The first is Bob Reynolds' arrangement of a Shostakovich piano prelude. The key (E-flat minor) can be tricky for some players, but I have heard it played by groups from middle school through professionals. The precision of the performers serves the piece well. Then there is "Desi" by Michael Daugherty. I have a soft spot in my heart for "Desi." I began my studies at Northern Illinois University in 1992, and "Desi" was of the first pieces I remember hearing in concert. I found it fascinating and humorous and entertaining. It is a joy to hear it on this recording. The Tokyo players play with rambunctious style, sometimes overdoing it to the point of being garish. And yet, it feels right. I do not remember why I purchased this album, but I am confident that "Desi" played a part.
The music of Warren Benson tends to be rather cerebral. With the exception of his fine junior high work "Ginger Marmalade," his music tends to be opaque. His "Danson-Memory" falls strongly into that category. It serves its purpose on the album, to contrast other works that are decidedly more tonal and mainstream. The rather lengthy work (almost 12 minutes) cleanses the aural palette for the largest work: "Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber" by Paul Hindemith. I am not a huge fan on large-scale orchestral transcriptions because they are often pale imitations of the original. The absence of strings leaves too great a deficit for the wind band to overcome. Not so with the Hindemith, who requested and oversaw the transcription of the "Symphonic Metamorphosis." Kirchhoff and Tokyo Kosei does a reputable job with the work, especially considering how many fine interpretations are available. As with the Schuman, there is sometimes less heart and warmth than is inherent in the music. However, it is one of the best recordings of the band version and one worth hearing. Craig Kirchhoff and the Tokyo ensemble created a great CD with an outstanding program. I recommend it highly. Here is another European band recording from the mid-1990s. Where I have a large collection of albums by the Belgian Guides, this is the only CD by the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It is unusual for me to have a single album by an ensemble in my wind band collection, especially one as fine as the Netherlands Navy. It is unusual in several ways. The first is its program. The first three albums I discussed contained primarily original works for band. Homage à Saint Petersbourg has four rather large and - in the cases of two of the four pieces - obscure orchestral transcriptions. In addition, these are GREAT transcriptions. There are two qualities I look for in an effective transcription: 1. Honor the original style/mood/intention of the original work and 2. The music sounds idiomatic for the medium to which it is transferred. That is a tricky proposition and seemingly contradictory. How can a piece sound like the original yet sound idiomatic for band? It is a high bar to pass and the reason I am very careful in programming transcriptions. I am in Texas - the land of the band transcription - yet I think many of the most-played transcriptions do not work well for band. Every other band seems to perform the last movement of Scheherazade and the finale to Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky, both of which I think fall short in both criteria. (By way of clarifying, some of the transcriptions I think work very well for band are Sensemaya by Revueltas, Symphonic Metamorphosis by Hindemith, Short Ride in a Fast Machine by Adams; these works all feature winds and/or percussion prominently, making the transfer to the band medium smoother.) So it is refreshing and heartening to listen to an album with sophisticated transcriptions that work masterfully for wind band. That album is Homage à Saint Petersbourg. The program is: Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34 by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, arr. Alphonse Courtain Hommage à Dmitri Shostakovich, Op. 4 by Alexander Comitas, arr. Franz Scheepers Emmy Vehey, Violin Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 102 by Dmitri Shostakovich, arr. Harrie Janssen Loes Geusebroek, Piano The Firebird (Suite) by Igor Stravinsky, arr. Randy Earles One of the most fascinating aspects of the CD is the liner notes. Most liner notes for wind band CDs are perfunctory explanations of the works' origins and brief blurbs about the composers. Not so here. There is an interesting history of the development and nurturing of the wind band in nineteenth century Russia, led by Rimsky-Korsakov. The three page explanation is worth a read. (I would reproduce it here, but I am always concerned about copyright.) It offers the kind of background the puts band music in a historical perspective that is often missing. As far as the recording itself, it would seem to be particularly difficult to transcribe wind accompaniments solos for piano and violin. Yet they are affecting and powerful works where the winds never overpower their comparatively underpowered soloists. The Hommage is very moving with the inclusion of the violin, and the Shostakovich loses none of its Shostakovichian style and bite. Capriccio Espagnol is also well-performed, though it is competing in a crowded marketplace. There are many different band transcriptions of the piece, and there are a number of outstanding recordings. This one is certainly distinguished. The work on which I would like to focus is The Firebird. When this album was released in 1996, I had not heard the Earles transcription of The Firebird; I only knew the warhorse setting by Mark Hindsley. For a piece that uses the strings and string effects so prominently, an issue that could hinder an arranger, Earles knocks it out of the park. It sounds as though Stravinsky envisioned and wrote the piece for wind band. And it is aided by an absolutely stunning performance by the Netherlands Band. The brass sound orchestral in the best way, and the most memorable moments retain their power. For my overview, I will focus on The Infernal Dance of King Kastchei. The original has a number of wind and percussion solos; that helps but also can handicap because it demands a level of performance commensurate to the best recordings by the best orchestras. The trombone and trumpet octaves in the opening are gorgeous and muscular, the woodwind playing appropriately brilliant, and the xylophone soloist a star in all its passages. It seemingly loses little to nothing in its journey to band. There is some issue with the busy woodwinds imitating the strings around the 2:15 mark. The performance, however, is unassailable. The recording is below. Find this album and enjoy one of the best wind band recordings around. With the recent passing of David Maslanka, I want to look at one of his albums, so I want to take a little time to find the best one or two in my library. I will post an overview of my favorite Maslanka albums in the coming weeks.
I was going to look at another USAF Band/Lowell Graham recording for my third entry but decided to go in a different direction. (The CD I had in mind is Songs of the Earth, which contains British classics including Lincolnshire Posy. But its focus on classic literature made it a bit too much like #2, Celebration, so I decided to postpone.) Nuts has a special story for me. I enjoy many recordings in my collection, but this is one of the first ones that blew me away. I purchased it in the mid 1990s, in the days when I would spend $1000-1500 a year on band recordings (you read that right). I was looking for a recording of Morton Gould's Jericho, a piece I loved the first time I played it in the Wheaton (IL) Municipal Band. I had never heard of the Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides, but that would not stop me back then. I listened to it for the first time... and I did not know wind bands could sound like that, so precise and virtuoso. The recordings that populated my collection - the old Eastman albums, military ensembles - were fine, but the Belgian Guides seem to take things to the next level. I went on to collect another dozen of their CDs, some of which I will examine in later posts. I was baffled by the title of the recordings: Nuts? Put through Google Translate, "Nuts" means "Utility" in Dutch. I do not know if that is title, but I assume it has more to do with the Dutch meaning than what it is in English. As the CD cover above hints at with its imagery, though, it is a tribute to the American armed forces on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Belgium in 1944 (hence the American and Belgian flag side by side). The photo is of the Mardasson Memorial, dedicated to the American troops who were wounded or killed in the Battle of the Bulge. Accordingly, all of the pieces are by well-known American composers. The program is: Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein, arr. Walter Beeler Three Dance Episodes from On the Town by Leonard Bernstein, arr. Marice Stith Jericho by Morton Gould Festival Variations by Claude T. Smith The album benefits greatly from something I did not consider when I was a younger musician: a booming acoustic. This album is the definition of playing in a "fishbowl." It is distant and reverberant, and it more than likely aided the ensemble's sound. But having heard hundreds of bands and marching bands in my travels as a judge, I can tell when a group plays well together and when a group has great players. The Belgian Guides have GREAT players. It is most evident in the virtuoso moments on the CD, most notably the technical passages of Festival Variations (of which there are many). A "fishbowl" can hide mistakes, but the absolute perfection of the ascending scale from the tuba to the piccolo at the end of the Smith cannot be faked - it is brilliant playing. To judge the CD by the first two pieces, you might think it is a typical recording. There are so many recordings of Fanfare for the Common Man and Rhapsody in Blue by the best orchestras and ensembles in world that it is tough to stick out from the crowd. And these interpretations, sadly, do not. Are they bad? Not by any stretch. But they are just...fine. The playing is excellent with nothing to separate from the myriad other versions available. Starting with Overture to Candide, it becomes one of the finest wind band recordings around. It is here that you can hear how truly outstanding the group is. From then on, tempo seems to be no issue. They sail through Candide with a fleet-footedness that is never labored. They capture the pure joy of the music with seemingly little effort. The Three Dance Episodes from On the Town are mad fun. This piece is still performed, but not as often as I would like. It is an ingenious transcription that fits the wind band to a tee. Some of this is due to Bernstein's original orchestra. Each movement features winds prominently. The first movement, "The Great Lover Displays Himself," opens with a boisterous trombone solo. The pas de deux ("Lonely Town") starts with a bass clarinet line followed by a muted trumpet solo. "Times Square 1944" begins with an iconic E-flat clarinet solo and numerous wind solos throughout. The Belgian Guides soloist are more than up to the challenge. Bernstein composed On the Town in his Broadway phase, and it rides the line between traditional classical and pops music magnificently. I consider my collection to be quite large with well over 500 wind band recordings from the 1950s through the 2000s, this is one of only two full recordings of the Three Dance Episodes I own. It is worth seeking it out if only for that. Jericho, the reason I own the CD, is very fine. The trumpets are especially up to the task with the antiphonal section in the middle of the work. Jericho is not technically very difficult, so the band highlights its lyrical capabilities and sheer musicality. It is a tone poem depicting the destruction of the walls at Jericho (hence the antiphonal trumpets), and there is a natural flow that carries the music from one section to the next. Credit conductor Norbert Nozy for that. His interpretations are rife with style and nuance, and this Jericho is the best in my library (followed very closely by the U.S. Marine Band!). As fine as these recordings are, nothing could prepare me for Festival Variations. I had not heard of the piece when I first bought the recording, and it is the primary reason I return to this CD often. This is masterful playing from beginning to end. The wrenching middle section has the perfect amount of "give and take" and the rubato is expertly applied. This highlight, though, is the fugue at the recapitulation. The horns execute an incredibly challenging unison melody that leads to the fugue deftly, and the brass bring the fugue thrillingly to life. I have played this work on trombone (as a euphonium player) and there is no faking it. The Belgian Guides manage to not only navigate the section but do so at breakneck speed. It leads to an dazzling conclusion with the aforementioned run up the band. Any group that is considering playing Festival Variations should consult this recording. It is the gold standard of wind band playing. I have uploaded the finale below so you can hear just how amazing it is. Nuts was my introduction to European wind ensembles, and it remains to this day the finest example I own. Highly recommended! |
AuthorBrian Shelton, DOB Archives
July 2022
Categories |