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.
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AuthorBrian Shelton, DOB Archives
July 2022
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