{"title":"Naxos Wind Ensemble Sale","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"saint-saens-music-for-wind-ensemble","title":"Saint-Saëns: Music For Wind Ensemble","description":"\u003cp\u003eCamille Saint-Saens was involved in every aspect of French music during his long lifetime, and his frequent travels led to a fascinating mixture of Western music with Moorish and African elements in works such as Orient et Occident and the Suite algérienne. Saint-Saëns wrote few works for winds, but the grand biblical themes of Samson et Dalila, patriotic military traditions and the dignity of a British coronation all lend themselves perfectly to arrangement.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46907949416728,"sku":"747313423477","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3897492-2665181.jpg?v=1777756148"},{"product_id":"grainger-complete-music-for-wind-band-vol-3","title":"Grainger: Complete Music For Wind Band, Vol. 3","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe final volume of Percy Graingerʼs complete music for wind band once again respects his precise instrumental demands in pieces that span the breadth of his career, from his first large work in the genre, “The Lads of Wamphray March,” to “The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart,” his largest such work and one of his last.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46907969437976,"sku":"747313368174","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3793251_723d1c5c-b195-418c-8031-da05fa8dec56.jpg?v=1777771370"},{"product_id":"grainger-complete-music-for-wind-band-vol-1","title":"Grainger: Complete Music For Wind Band, Vol. 1","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the first volume in a complete sequence of Percy Grainger’s music for wind band and it adheres strictly to his instrumental demands. Grainger wrote a series of Chosen Gems for Winds, which include beautiful transcriptions of music by composers such as Bach, Franck, and Faure. This first volume also contains some of his greatest and most joyous creations- the immortal \"Country Gardens,\" and \"Molly on the Shore.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46907969667352,"sku":"747313367979","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3756891.jpg?v=1777566565"},{"product_id":"fuchs-point-of-tranquility","title":"Fuchs: Point Of Tranquility","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe fifth Naxos recording of works by Kenneth Fuchs with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta, won the Grammy Award in 2018 for Best Classical Compendium. This new album reveals his mastery of the band medium and features the exceptional United States Coast Guard Band, in definitive performances of seven works for symphonic winds by one of America’s leading composers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46907972387096,"sku":"747313356775","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3835972-2585216.jpg?v=1777759690"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-21-937409","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 21","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis current volume of Sousa’s music for wind band presents three exceptional examples of Sousa’s musical creativity. Chris and the Wonderful Lamp is an enchanting retelling of the Aladdin legend, while Showing Off Before Company is a clever routine Sousa often used to open matinee concerts. The painstaking reconstruction of Sisterhood of the States allows us to hear the ‘ballet’ that incorporated music from each of the 48 states for a spectacular show in 1916. (Naxos)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908002566424,"sku":"636943986325","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3978793-2718295.jpg?v=1777781873"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-20","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 20","description":"\u003cp\u003eNaxos presents the John Philip Sousa \"Music for Wind Band\" series of recordings. Sousa’s name is eternally connected with famous marches such as The Stars and Stripes Forever, but his inventiveness also saw the creation of popular operettas, adaptations of humorous songs and popular ballads. Enjoy this wide-ranging collection!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908003221784,"sku":"636943985021","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3890425-2659670.jpg?v=1777585750"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-19","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 19","description":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Philip Sousa could very well be America’s most famous composer. Most known for his marches, which he regularly performed with his wind band, he was also a master of the piquant Humoresque, of which there are two examples here. Other songs on this rousing 8-track release include “The Fighting Race,” “Turkey in the Straw,” “Non-Committal Declarations,” and more.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908003483928,"sku":"636943983928","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3679554-2413456.jpg?v=1777585708"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-18","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 18","description":"\u003cp\u003eSpanning over 50 years of composition, Volume 18 reveals Sousa to be a master of operetta and the ‘humoresque’ just as much as the marches for which he is still referred the world over. Stag Party depicts a students’ night out via a string of imperishable popular melodies, while Among My Souvenirs sees the song lengthened into a vivid narrative ‘sketch.’ There is also the Incidental Suite from The Charlatan, one of his best-known operettas, and March of the Pan-Americans, Part 2, the national anthem spectacular. Trinity Laban Conservatoire is the UK’s only conservatoire of music and contemporary dance. As a leader in music and contemporary dance education, the conservatoire also provides exciting opportunities for the public to encounter dance and music and access arts health programmes. The staff of the conservatoire deliver unequalled expertise and experience, and their world-class facilities are housed in landmark buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908003942680,"sku":"636943981221","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3897516.jpg?v=1777585561"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-17","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 17","description":"\u003cp\u003eSousa, the American master of the march, also enjoyed great prestige in the realm of operetta. The suite from The American Maid, set in a glass factory and culminating in scenes based on the 1898 Spanish-American War, was among the first theatrical shows to employ actual film footage. The beautiful quintet from his early operetta The Smugglers was scored for his eminent brass virtuosi. The medley of drinking songs called A Mingling of the Wets and the Drys was composed during Prohibition, while the unusual and previously unrecorded March of the Pan Americans- Part One celebrates the independent nations of North and South America in 1915 with zest and elan.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908004237592,"sku":"636943981122","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3748208_f07704c2-75c8-483f-b441-752de61d6250.jpg?v=1777585543"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-16","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 16","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe personification of turn-of-the-century America, John Philip Sousa toured the world and won unprecedented fame. His marches are acknowledged as some of the best in the genre and The Triumph of Time embodies all the nobility of his great parade marches. Sousa the successful operetta composer is encountered in the dashing overture to The Irish Dragoon, in the spirited Circus Galop, and in selections from The Charlatan, one of his most lyrical and successful operettas. Showpieces and solos enhance a program that also features the iconic Sousa\/Walter Damrosch arrangement of The Star Spangled Banner.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908006301976,"sku":"636943974629","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3525270_fb2bf04c-f330-4958-99fb-b0169b3361c9.jpg?v=1777586086"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-15","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 15","description":"\u003cp\u003e“The March King” John Philip Sousa compositions are known worldwide having been incorporated into the larger zeitgeist of sporting events, special occasions and military ceremonies. The Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy contribute to the vast Sousa discography with this collection of familiar marches, tangos, operetta excerpts and arrangements that will have high appeal to the Sousa completist and marching band fans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908006564120,"sku":"636943974520","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3039148.jpg?v=1747139590"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-14","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 14","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe unprecedented popularity enjoyed by John Philip Sousa was garnered through constant national and international touring with a band that included some of the very best American instrumentalists. +Volume 14 of this series includes brilliant show overtures, such as The Glass Blowers, theatrical marches such as The Lambs, the suite El Capitan and His Friends, from three of Sousa's remarkably successful operettas and,last but not least, the 22 year-old composer’s extraordinary collection of patriotic songs of many countries, +The International Congress, which ends with The Star Spangled Banner set against the violin obbligato from Wagner’s Tannhauser.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908006891800,"sku":"636943973028","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2580298.jpg?v=1777914319"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-13-arr-keith-brion-for-wi","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 13 (Arr. Keith Brion For Wi","description":"\u003cp\u003e• “The March King”, John Philip Sousa, composer of over 130 marches and numerous other works, was a legend in his lifetime \n\u003cbr\u003e• The Central Band of the RAF is one of the foremost military bands in the United Kingdom, and the first outside the USA \n\u003cbr\u003e• to be awarded the ‘John Philip Sousa Citation for Musical Excellence’. \n\u003cbr\u003e• Volume 13 includes 5 world premiers and “In Memoriam”, played at the funeral of assassinated American President James Garfield \n\u003cbr\u003e• Recorded 2012\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908007153944,"sku":"636943972922","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2498224.jpg?v=1747150949"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-12","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 12","description":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Philip Sousa’s swift rise to fame and greatness came at a time when band concerts were the most important aspect of musical life in the U.S. The works on this recording range from the early  Revival March  of 1876 and the stirring  Right Forward March from Sousa’s time as conductor of the U.S. Marine band, to the “up-to-date” 1920s fox-trot  Peaches and Cream and the 1923  Leaves from My Notebook, dedicated to the Campfire Girls of America. Music from Sousa’s operetta Chris and the Wonderful Lamp can be found alongside his medley of tunes from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, which includes many of the hit tunes from this operetta, while The Honored Dead was performed at President Ulysses S. Grant’s funeral.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908007350552,"sku":"636943969120","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2225702.jpg?v=1777585839"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-11","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 11","description":"\u003cp\u003e0\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908008694040,"sku":"636943969021","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2096577.jpg?v=1777586005"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-10","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 10","description":"\u003cp\u003e0\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908010529048,"sku":"636943939727","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1912420_6248588f-5c00-480e-ad1b-9005e8b03721.jpg?v=1777587034"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-9","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 9","description":"\u003cp\u003e0\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908010955032,"sku":"636943939628","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1855939.jpg?v=1777951666"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-8","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol. 8","description":"\u003cp\u003e0\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46908011512088,"sku":"636943924822","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1745459.jpg?v=1777920748"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-22-csgt-gordon-carter-the-band-of-her-majesty-s-royal-marines-plymouth-keith-brion","title":"Sousa: Music For Wind Band, Vol.  22  Csgt Gordon Carter, The Band Of Her Majesty’S Royal Marines Plymouth, Keith Brion","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"The March King”, expressing the brash energy of an emerging United States of America in famous pieces such as The Stars and Stripes Forever! The commemorative Assembly of the Artisans mixes light-hearted tunes with more serious hymn-like music, finishing with the “Anvil Chorus” from Verdi’s Il trovatore, while The Messiah of Nations sets a patriotic text by James Whitcomb Riley. (Naxos)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":47301755830552,"sku":"636943988022","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/4041831-2790507.jpg?v=1777722685"},{"product_id":"works-golden-voices-of-ruse-sofia-metropolitan-golden-voices-sofia-amadeus-symphony-orchestra-nikolaos","title":"Works  Golden Voices Of Ruse, Sofia Metropolitan Golden Voices, Sofia Amadeus Symphony Orchestra, Nikolaos","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Requiem for the Emperor Constantine Palaiologos mourns the end of the Byzantine Empire with elegiac lyricism culminating in an ultimately uplifting finale. The Third Symphony is a musical tribute to France, Petros Petridis’s adopted home, while the Concerto Grosso enriches an older form with contemporary color. All of these works are eminently representative of this composer’s significant aesthetic and creative achievements. (Naxos) \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":47301797085464,"sku":"747313435470","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/4021744-2773821.jpg?v=1777565907"},{"product_id":"sousas-greatest-marches-brion-royal-artillery-band","title":"Sousa'S Greatest Marches  Brion, Royal Artillery Band","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis 2-CD set presents 34 of John Philip Sousa' best-loved marches, including \"The Washington Post\" which, in the early 1890s, sparked a huge world-wide dance-craze. Other tracks include \"Hands across the Sea,\" \"Semper Fidelis,\" \"The Royal Welch Fusiliers,\" \"Sabre and Spurs,\" \"King Cotton,\" \"Pathfinder of Panama,\" \"Hail to the Spirit of Liberty,\" \"Daughters of Texas,\" \"Riders For the Flag,\" and more. (Naxos)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":47301870223640,"sku":"747313265176","price":22.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1719254.jpg?v=1777570284"},{"product_id":"sousa-music-for-wind-band-vol-23-her-majestys-royal-marines-band-plymouth","title":"Sousa: Music for Wind Band, Vol. 23 \/ Her Majesty's Royal Marines Band, Plymouth","description":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Philip Sousa’s fame as ‘The March King’ came about in part due to the tireless touring of Sousa’s Band, attracting worldwide acclaim with thousands of concerts. This final volume in the series explores some of the lesser-known corners of Sousa’s output. These include fantasies and humoresques that use renowned classical works and fashionable melodies of their day. Also featured are the rarely heard processional hymn with choir We March, We March to Victory and The Fancy of the Town, which offers up a world tour of traditional and popular songs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":47678895358232,"sku":"636943988121","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/4063874-2801871.jpg?v=1777736503"},{"product_id":"heavy-weather-1","title":"Heavy Weather","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Hartt School Wind Ensemble presents recent concertante works by three contemporary American composers- demonstrating once more the versatility of the ensemble, heard here in conjunction with soloists. Susan Botti’s sull’ala is inspired by flight, expressed in rhythm, harmony and texture, while Jess Langston Turner describes powerful meteorological phenomena in Heavy Weather. In Guignol, Stephen Michael Grye conjures witty banter and frenetic action from his puppet hero.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49644145115416,"sku":"747313408771","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3770674-2534878.jpg?v=1777733568"},{"product_id":"freedom-from-fear","title":"Freedom from Fear","description":"\u003cp\u003eContemporary American music for wind band continues to offer a rich combination of color and variety. David Maslanka was one of the most prolific and admired of all wind band composers, and in Liberation he utilizes plainchant in a moving exploration of death, the afterlife and the continuance of hope. Inspired by Walt Whitman, Aaron Perrine’s In the Open Air, In the Silent Lines creates a rich sense of space, while Kevin Walczyk’s moving Symphony No. 5: Freedom from Fear – Images from the Shoreline is unified by its themes of adoption, segregation and immigration. The University of Kansas Wind Ensemble enjoys a long history of excellence and musical leadership in the state of Kansas, across the nation and around the world. The ensemble is at the forefront of the Naxos Wind Band Classics series, having recorded five previous albums on the label. The ensemble is committed to contemporary music and regularly commissions, premieres and records new works.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49644147081496,"sku":"747313416974","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3788008-2550683.jpg?v=1777766173"},{"product_id":"havergal-brian-symphonies-nos-6-28-29-31","title":"Havergal Brian: Symphonies Nos. 6, 28, 29 \u0026 31","description":"Brian’s Sixth Symphony, subtitled “Sinfonia Tragica,” makes an ideal introduction to his music. It’s full of evocative sounds and unusually (for him) arresting thematic ideas, and its single movement takes less than twenty minutes. The last few minutes are a Mahlerian phantasmagoria of march and dance tunes not unlike the wild outburst in the development section of the first movement of the German composer’s Third Symphony, but the final bars are hauntingly elegiac. Very well recorded once before for Lyrita, this newcomer is also quite well done, and has enough differences in tone and texture to justify duplication. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Symphonies Nos. 28 and 29 both date from 1967, and both have four movements that play without pause, more or less. No. 28 is only fourteen minutes long in total. Late Brian is an acquired taste, largely because of the music’s relentlessly contrapuntal textures, heavy orchestration with lots of low brass and percussion, and lack of simple repetition to permit listeners to get their bearings. Indeed, these pieces, and the brief, single-movement No. 31 for that matter, sound as though Brian simply chopped off hunks of music from some larger overall blob of material. And yet, the opening of No. 28 has an innocent simplicity of tone and texture that the composer never lost, and all of this music sounds like no one else. That is why it retains its peculiar fascination. It may not be “easy” or “friendly,” but it is distinctive, and the work of a strong musical personality with a definite message.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  As with No. 6, the performances under Alexander Walker sound remarkably assured given the unfamiliarity of the material, and they are very well recorded. The Havergal Brian Society and Mr. Godfrey Berry underwrote this production, and they definitely got their money’s worth.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49644161433880,"sku":"747313340873","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2862137.jpg?v=1777733013"},{"product_id":"catalan-wind-music","title":"Catalan Wind Music","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe three colorful works on this world premiere recording are a representative sample of 20th century Catalan music, all of them including popular cobla band instruments such as the timble and the tenora with their bright, piercing reeds, and the flabiol flute with its high tones. Manuel oltra's music is deeply rooted in Catalan tradition, and L'Alimara is a symphonic poem with medieval echoes. Both Juli Garreta's Suite empordanesa and Joan Lluis Moraleda's epic Tirant lo Blanc are considered milestones in Catalonian symphonic music, the latter transporting us to the fights, feasts and chivalric romance of its eponymous hero.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49644162711832,"sku":"747313354771","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/3524650.jpg?v=1777768826"},{"product_id":"wind-band-classics-fanfares-and-overtures","title":"Wind Band Classics - Fanfares and Overtures","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eFANFARES AND OVERTURES \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e William Berz, cond; Nicholas Farco (nar); Rutgers Wind Ens \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12U\"\u003eNAXOS\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e 8.572230 (65:46) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eREED \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eOverture-1940 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e(arr. Berz).\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003e Fanfare for Remembrance. Renascence.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003e HUSA \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSmetana Fanfare. Music for Prague 1968.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003e NELHÝBEL \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLibuše: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eFanfares.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003e SCHUMAN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eGeorge Washington Bridge \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe Rutgers Wind Ensemble has released a number of distinguished recordings on the educational Mark label. To my knowledge, this Naxos disc is their first commercial release and a fine one it is. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWind music enthusiasts will likely know H. Owen Reed for his magnificent programmatic symphony for band, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLa fiesta mexicana\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. He is represented here by three smaller scaled works. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eOverture-1940\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, arranged by conductor William Berz, is a driving, energetic work featuring angular melodies, mildly dissonant harmonies, and busy counterpoint in its development. Though a bit reminiscent of Howard Hanson, Samuel Barber, and other prominent composers of the pre-World War II era, it is nonetheless an engaging work in its own right. Similarly, Reed’s\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003e Renascence\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is a pleasant concert overture that calls to mind the band works of Vincent Persichetti. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare for Remembrance\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is scored for narrator, trumpet ensemble, and percussion. Inspired by the poem “For Remembrance” by Edythe Hope Genée, the work consists of two rather mundane settings of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThe Battle Hymn of the Republic \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003efollowed by an unimaginative recitation of the poetry over a repetitious collage of melodic fragments. A concluding gimmick—that of having the last line of the poem repeatedly intoned over whispered “echoes” from the trumpeters—does little to redeem the work’s negligible effect. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eCzech-born composers Václav Nelhýbel and Karel Husa are “household names” in the band world, each having penned a number of colorful, dynamic scores that have become standard repertoire for the medium. Both of their fanfares are based on music of their countryman Bedrich Smetana. Though Nelhýbel receives credit as the composer of Fanfares from \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLibuše\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, the piece is actually an arrangement of excerpts from the Overture to Smetana’s opera. Unfortunately, the work as presented here does not make much of an impression. Not so of Husa’s splendid \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eSmetana Fanfare\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, a thrilling concert opener—oddly placed second on this disc—based on material from the elder composer’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eWallenstein’s Camp. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWhen Husa’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMusic for Prague 1968\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e burst onto the band scene in 1969, it created a sensation and was lauded as the work that would finally break through the barriers of the band subculture and stand the test of time as a true masterpiece of modern music. Forty years later, such an assessment might raise a few eyebrows, but the work is still a very powerful and moving memorial to the crushing of the Prague Spring reform movement by the Soviet Union in the summer of 1968. The work has received thousands of performances, both in the original version for wind ensemble and in the composer’s own orchestral transcription. Conductor Donald Hunsberger and his Eastman Wind Ensemble set the standard with their breathtaking performance on Sony 44916. This new recording, though very good, is blemished by occasional slack rhythms and intermittent intonation problems in the upper woodwinds. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eAlso a band standard, William Schuman’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eGeorge Washington Bridge\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e was inspired by the composer’s view of the bridge on his daily treks to and from the Juilliard School, where he served as president. To Schuman, the bridge took on an almost human personality—a personality that seemed to change depending on the time of day, the weather, and his own mood and state of mind. It is a masterful work in five sections, creating an arc structure and characterized by massive polychords, bold gestures, and vivid colors. The Rutgers players deliver a powerhouse performance. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eDespite a few minor lapses in ensemble precision and the aforementioned intonation problems, the Rutgers Wind Ensemble and conductor William Berz make a very positive impression. The recorded sound is rich and spacious, sacrificing some degree of detail for a concert hall-like ambience. Recommended, despite the caveats mentioned above. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Merlin Patterson \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49655298425112,"sku":"747313223077","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1550357.jpg?v=1777572419"},{"product_id":"wind-band-music-daugherty-m-burritt-m-gillingham","title":"Wind Band Music - Daugherty, M. \/ Burritt, M. \/ Gillingham,","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12biU\"\u003eSYNERGY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Robert W. Rumbelow, cond; John Bruce Yeh (cl,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003ebh\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Teresa Reilly (cl);\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e3\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Molly Yeh (perc);\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e4 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eColumbus State University Wind Ens \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.572319 (67:46) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDAUGHERTY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eBrooklyn Bridge.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBURRITT\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003e Duo Concertante for Clarinet and Percussion.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1,4 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eGILLINGHAM\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003e Concertino for Four Percussion and Wind Ensemble. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDAVID \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eFantasy Etudes, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eBook II.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e 2,3 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMcALLISTER \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eBlack Dog\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e 1 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe Naxos Wind Band Classics has to be one of the most valuable series that Naxos has produced so far. Using licensed recordings made primarily by local production teams and often produced by the ensemble director or soloist, Naxos has documented a wide range of fine university and service ensembles. The 24 releases so far have made available an attractive assortment of fine compositions for wind ensemble, from the traditional to the avant-garde, some transcriptions, but many original compositions. They haven’t caught up with Klavier’s long-running Wind Project with the indefatigable Eugene Corporon, not to mention that label’s many other wind ensemble releases, or the almost encyclopedic, though variable, Mark Custom catalog, but Naxos has only been at it for four years. Give it time. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eSynergy\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is the latest release in the series, so titled to celebrate the collaboration of the Columbus State University (Georgia) Wind Ensemble with Chicago Symphony assistant principal clarinet John Bruce Yeh; his wife, clarinetist Teresa Reilly; and his percussionist daughter Molly Yeh. It is hard to gauge the synergistic effect of the Yeh Family Residency, as it is called here, having no benchmark, but the energy, precision, and musicianship of the ensemble and soloists in this studio recording—made after the March 20, 2007, concert—are all high. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe most substantial work on the CD is Michael Daugherty’s 2004 “panoramic clarinet concerto,” \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eBrooklyn Bridge\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. The four contrasting movements represent the views from the bridge toward the compass points. Looking east, the music stretches and bursts into life as the great city awakens, and it is edgy and sullen as it looks west toward the site of the World Trade Center. It contemplates the north with an infectious Latin rhythm, and is lyric, with a melody of uncommon pensive beauty, as it looks south toward the Statue of Liberty. The writing for the clarinet is both congenial and challenging and Yeh plays it beautifully. This performance is softer-grained than the premiere recording by clarinetist Michael Wayne and the University of Michigan Symphony Band (Equilibrium 75 or 86), in part because the CSU ensemble has been given less presence in its recording, but also because of the greater intensity and extraordinary playing of the Michigan band. If the Daugherty were my only concern, I’d go for the Equilibrium recording, but I would be missing some excellent companion works. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eChief among these is percussionist\/composer Michael Burritt’s brilliant, jazzy Duo Concertante. Written for John and Molly Yeh, it is a moving tribute both to Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa, and to the Yehs. J. M. David’s fascinating set of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFantasy Etudes\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e for clarinet, basset horn, and small wind ensemble, a CSU commission for this concert inspired by works of Mussorgsky, Ligeti, and Stravinsky, is also well worth knowing. David Gillingham’s haunting Concertino, though not perhaps the most melodically inspired piece, showcases the excellent CSU percussionists with sonorities both thundered and (most effectively) whispered. And Scott McAllister’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eBlack Dog\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, which reimagines the Led Zeppelin song as a rhapsody for clarinet and band, brings the program to a conclusion that is both tender and, at the end, rousing. Yes, the recording could have provided more impact, especially for the brass, and a more realistic balance between the soloists and ensemble, but overall this is an impressive release. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Ronald E. Grames \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e I understand why this is issued under the Naxos Wind Band series, but it’s almost a recital disc for the truly excellent John Bruce Yeh. A member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, he plays on all the pieces except the Gillingham. The program follows an arch progression from solo to duet to quartet and back again. All told, it’s a very satisfying progression – bravo to whoever designed it. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The repertoire itself is mostly excellent – the McAllister may be a bit too long, and I wasn’t fully convinced by the Stravinskyesque touches of the David, though it has grown on me. But all the works have their charms, and the Daugherty is a wonderful surprise, the best work of his I’ve heard. The first movement opens the disc in tremendously convincing fashion, drawing the listener in for the full length of the work. The second movement accesses a tenderness and harmonic sensitivity I didn’t give Daugherty credit for. The fourth movement is a witty romp that doesn’t feel disposable the way this type of music sometimes can. The Burritt is also very accessible, in a standard fast-slow-fast shape and filled with memorable melodies and colors. I hope it has more of a life outside of this disc! The percussion soloist is Yeh’s daughter, and she was in high school when she recorded this remarkable performance. Yeh’s wife joins him on the David, where she also plays extremely well – what a family! Finally, the Gillingham is another excellent, colorful work which has already found a place in the repertoire. Moving steadily from a place of stillness and suspense to one of dramatic declamation, it is playable by an excellent amateur group but doesn’t feel like a “compromised” work at all. This performance cleanses the palette effectively for the rest of the disc yet also feels very much of a piece with the rest of the program. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Then there are the performances. Yeh dominates the disc, and completely inhabits these pieces, making each performance feel definitive. He’s a fabulous player who deserves this level of exposure. As for the band, their performances are thrilling, extremely precise and well rehearsed while still being very musical – there’s a palpable sense that everybody cares about every note. It’s a balancing act few wind bands seem to be able to achieve on recordings, with too many erring on the side of precise-but-not-musical - an understandable but regrettable error. On this disc, there’s a real sense of communication from composer, through ensemble, to listener. Congratulations and appreciation to everyone involved with this project for achieving it. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- Benn Martin, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49655299178776,"sku":"747313231973","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1579609.jpg?v=1777947181"},{"product_id":"hovhaness-symphonies-nos-4-20-and-53","title":"HOVHANESS: Symphonies Nos. 4, 20 and 53","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/p10s10.gif\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  Three of Alan Hovhaness' six symphonies for wind ensemble are included on this Naxos release. After hearing these, I'm eagerly waiting for the label to get to the other three. All of the ensemble playing is flawless, the many solos are ravishingly beautiful, and conductor Keith Brion's grasp of the music results in performances I can't imagine being bettered, surpassing even the classic Mercury Living Presence recording by the late Frederick Fennell and the Eastman Wind Ensemble.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The symphonies are separated by two of the composer's works for trumpet and band, the solo part played by Scotland's great trumpeter John Wallace. He soars ecstatically above his colleagues in the Prayer of Saint Gregory, and his more varied part in Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places (the most aggressive music on the disc) achieves a threatening quality without ever losing beauty of tone.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Hovhaness' style is so distinctive, and his oeuvre so vast, that it's easy to tag him as having written the same piece over and over. And it is true that these works share many of the same elements: long, arching modal melodies, rich triadic harmonies laced with non-harmonic chiming notes, \"spirit murmurs\", and fluent, noble fugues. But there is enough difference in the inspiration of these works, and enough stylistic development, that you don't really get an impression of sameness. And there are many passages that haunt the memory: the flowing oboe and harp duet at the heart of the Fourth Symphony; the crossing trombone portamentos in the same work; the gorgeous fugue for all of the bell-like instruments in \"Star Dawn\"; the emergence from the frightening eruption that represents the \"Desolate Places\".\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The recording was made in a church in Paisley, Scotland, and the venue contributes just the right mixture of spaciousness and intimacy to suit the music. If you are the sort of record collector who keeps alert for good new releases of unusual repertoire, this is a disc with the musical values and production quality that you always are hoping for. [1\/4\/2006]\u003cbr\u003e --Joseph Stevenson, ClassicsToday.com","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705097625880,"sku":"636943920725","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/778395_4f7788f8-f4f8-4fe0-b10c-2ab1e302214a.jpg?v=1777587387"},{"product_id":"hovhaness-symphonies-nos-7-14-23","title":"Hovhaness: Symphonies Nos. 7, 14 \u0026 23","description":"\u003cb\u003eAdmirers of the composer need not hesitate.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e An hour’s worth of Hovhaness in ‘wind band plus percussion symphonic garb’ is the raison d’être of this Naxos release. It bears all his most obvious hallmarks, sometimes starkly: vistas, intense tattoos, hieratic brass, convulsive dialogues, chimes, noble perorations, edifices of almost Mayan splendour. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The Seventh Symphony dates from 1959. The purity of its rhythmic percussion tattoos and the hieratic nature of its brass calls give one an idea of the processional intensity of its dramaturgy. The loquacity of his wind writing implies a raft of interior monologues. The writing becomes more concentrated in the central movement where Hovhaness ensures themes are less fragmentary and by the finale things have turned positively Olympian. The percussion is now subservient to the to the brass calls, themselves more legato and ushering in a sunset glow, and a cooling, reflective consonance. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The following year he wrote  \u003ci\u003eArarat, \u003c\/i\u003eSymphony No.14. It makes much of ‘dragon fly’ sonorities, bright trumpets and glittering percussion once again but adds a further percussive layer via bell chimes and a buzzy series of terraced sonorities – dramatic, florid, and ground shaking in the central movement. The percussion starts up immediately in the finale but is gradually worn down by the sheer pugilistic insistence of the conquering brass. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The final symphony of the three is written on a much broader canvas than these two quarter of an hour works. But it too is a powerful construction, its chattering winds and terse declamation capturing the ear with great trenchancy. Drunken lowering lower brass add a leering patina as well, as do the aero engine and gamelan evocations. The finale is a wonderful example of nobility and processional tread with repeated figures passed from brass to wind adding a layer of sonic depth. We feel as if some vast castle is being evoked, as the brass calls resound from battlement to crenellation; Gormenghast in music. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Keith Brion has a long track-record with Hovhaness and he directs his forces with great vitality and precision. This splendid disc has been excellently engineered and admirers of the composer need not hesitate. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  -- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e These three symphonies for wind orchestra treat some recurring themes in Alan Hovhaness' work: mountains (Symphonies Nos. 7 and 14) and his Armenian heritage (Symphony No. 23, evocative of the medieval city of Ani, \"The City of A Thousand and One Cathedrals\"). The later work is by far the most substantial, but all of them constitute worthy additions to the repertoire for winds and percussion. They are very well played here by the Trinity College ensemble under Keith Brion, who has lived with this music for many decades. Perhaps the English horn soloist in \"Sunset\", the last movement of Symphony No. 7, is a touch \"quacky\", but this and any other criticisms would be mere quibbles. The brass play with confidence and the sort of imposing serenity that Hovhaness so often requires, while the drums, bells, and tam-tam punctuate the texture atmospherically. Sonics are very fine, and the entire production is dedicated touchingly to the memory of Lady Evelyn Barbirolli (d. 2008), who some readers may recall was a noted oboist in her day. Recommended to fans of the composer, and of good music for concert band.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705102278936,"sku":"636943938522","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1654349.jpg?v=1777586096"},{"product_id":"mackey-redline-tango-mower-flute-concerto-pann-slalom","title":"MACKEY: Redline Tango \/ MOWER: Flute Concerto \/ PANN: Slalom","description":"Redline Tango launches the new line of Naxos recordings, Wind Band Classics.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705630990616,"sku":"747313007479","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/824836.jpg?v=1777576496"},{"product_id":"persichetti-divertimento-masquerade-parable-ix","title":"PERSICHETTI: Divertimento \/ Masquerade \/ Parable IX","description":"Persichetti's band music comprises one of the most enjoyable and successful segments of his copious compositional output. In it you will find a communicative voice and range of expression often missing from his symphonies, where at times he seemed to find the seriousness of the genre inhibiting. Here, though, the challenge and discipline of creating really good music for wind ensemble has set his imagination free. Listen, for example, to the atmospheric opening of the chorale prelude O God Unseen, or to the quirky humor evident in the Divertimento and Masquerade. The largest piece here, Parable for Band, is an absolute masterpiece of the medium. The winds of the London Symphony Orchestra (and friends, presumably, unless the orchestra employs a dozen clarinets) play all of this music with appropriate aplomb under conductor David Amos. If you enjoy the symphonic band repertoire, you probably already know a lot of this music, and so you also will know that you want this well-recorded disc (originally released by Harmonia Mundi in the mid-'90s). [4\/12\/2006]--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705634267416,"sku":"747313012374","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/824835.jpg?v=1777576564"},{"product_id":"giannini-symphony-no-3","title":"Giannini: Symphony No. 3","description":"\u003cp\u003eIncludes work(s) by Vittorio Giannini.  Ensemble: University of Houston Wind Ensemble.  Conductor: Tom Bennett.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705634332952,"sku":"747313013074","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/661643_afadabf4-968d-47f7-9dcd-ccf6f65164c1.jpg?v=1777925362"},{"product_id":"orff-carmina-burana-suite-bird-serenade-reed-la-fiest","title":"ORFF: Carmina Burana Suite \/ BIRD: Serenade \/ REED: La fiest","description":"Let us separate the crime from the execution. The Peabody Conservatory Wind Ensemble has to be rated among the very top wind bands in the US, right up there with the estimable Eastman Wind Ensemble. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e I believe it was a Fanfare contributor who once wrote that if he ever had to listen to Orff’s Carmina burana again he would throw up. While the piece is not exactly an emetic for me, it’s not one I find to have many redeeming features. This arrangement for concert band by John Krance strikes me as the equivalent of a divide by zero error. It’s too bad that much brilliant playing has been spent on it, (therein lies the crime) when there are so many wonderful pieces, both original and arranged, for concert band.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Bird’s Serenade is one of them. Arthur A. Bird (1856–1923)—you will not learn from the enclosed booklet note—was born in Belmont, Massachusetts. In 1875, he was sent to Germany to study at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik; and except for brief visits home, he remained abroad for the rest of his life. He became a chess partner and close friend of Liszt, and wrote over 100 works. He was considered a “composer of promise” up until his marriage in 1888 to a wealthy widow, after which he apparently preferred to live the lazy life of the idle rich. Bird’s Serenade, here edited by Gunther Schuller, is a beautiful piece in late Romantic style that won the Paderewski Prize for best chamber work by an American composer in 1901. It was first performed in Boston by Georges Longy and his Woodwind Club in 1902. If you are familiar with and like the wind works of Richard Strauss, you will find much to enjoy here.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Herbert Owen Reed (b. 1910) in Odessa, Missouri, has quite an impressive calling card. Earning his baccalaureate and graduate degrees in music composition from Louisiana State University, he went on to the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Howard Hanson, among others, earning his Ph.D. in 1939. At Tanglewood, he met and furthered his studies with Martin?, Copland, and Bernstein. Then, in Colorado Springs, he continued to study under Roy Harris, and eventually he took lessons from Schoenberg. That’s quite a diverse background, a lot of which, except for the Schoenberg, is reflected in his La fiesta mexicana, Reed’s best-known work. Reed has made a serious study of the Native American musics of Taos, New Mexico, and his scores derive much of their material, not just from Native North American cultures, but from Mexican and Aztec sources as well. La fiesta is a major composition that embraces a number of musical styles and evokes an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors and moods. Particularly moving is the movement titled Mass. It is the centerpiece of this Mexican folk song symphony that depicts a religious festival dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Bird and Reed items are more than worth the price of this budget Naxos disc. And you are not likely to hear these pieces better played. Recommended.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003e FANFARE: Jerry Dubins \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705640100120,"sku":"747313024278","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/951661.jpg?v=1777950018"},{"product_id":"monumental-works-for-winds","title":"MONUMENTAL WORKS FOR WINDS","description":"The United States Marine Band was founded by an act of Congress in 1798, making it the oldest professional musical organisation in America. It is also one of the most respected Bands in the World, so expectations have to be high. The standard is indeed remarkable, with, as you might anticipate, faultless intonation, rhythmic control and instrumental balance. The recording location is not given on the CD notes, and the website gives nothing away either, the word ‘Studio’ having to suffice – no doubt a wise security precaution, and as such a sad sign for our times. There is a touch of resonance in the acoustic to take away what might otherwise be an overly dry recording, but certainly nothing which in any way interferes with the detail in the playing or scoring.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The grand title for this CD covers most of the work in the programme, with only the arranged and transcribed creating any cause for controversy. All of these arrangements were made many years ago however, and have therefore been a staple of the Band repertoire for as long as anyone can remember. The arrangement by Giuseppe Creatore of Verdi’s Triumphal March was made some time in the 1900s, and has a well-rounded feel, instruments all playing well within their range, and the voicings nicely spread.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e After this agreeable overture, we have the original 1920 version of Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Winds, in an edition prepared by Robert Craft. Stravinsky revised the work in 1945-47, but to my ear the work remains essentially the same, with the reduced scoring of 23 instruments just giving the work more of a chamber-music feel. This performance is of course excellent, but I don’t quite ‘get’ the interpretation. Stravinsky’s neo-classical style demands a certain coolness, but Michael Colburn’s reading is almost matter-of-fact. Most of the other versions I know come in at around nine minutes, but this one leaves very little room between sections, shaving off half a minute from the average and not giving much space for the music to breathe. Listening to Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra on Decca shows how there can be more room for some expressive quasi-rubato in the more lyrical passages. Picking another 1920 version almost at random, Thierry Fischer and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble on Chandos wring much more contrast out of the reedy articulation-rhythm of the winds and the round kick of the brass. I’m not so keen on the American style of vibrato in the flutes either, but that is of course a question of taste. The funereal end is as always a moving moment, but could have had a heavier tread from the Marines – despite marvellous playing this version doesn’t come close to knocking any others off my shelf.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Vincent Persichetti is a new name to me, but his Symphony for Band has become one of the most frequently performed original works for band ever written. On just one hearing of the work you can easily understand its popularity among performers and audiences alike. It has everything, excitement in the opening Allegro, a moving chorale for the second Adagio sostenuto, a lilting and dance-like Allegretto, and a return to the ‘grit’ of the opening with a fun-filled Vivace finale. All of the instruments are given effective parts, and while there is an extrovert character in the outer movements the Americanism has a light touch and a refreshing lack of bombast. I have a feeling that this recording will be the reference to which many bands will be referring in the future.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Jaromír Weinberger’s famous Polka and Fugue from ‘Schwanda the Bagpiper’ was arranged for band by Glenn Cliffe Bainum in 1934, who was Director of Bands at Northwestern University. This provides some light relief between two heavyweight works for band in this programme, but the fugue provides the Marine woodwinds a chance to shine as well.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Emblems is Aaron Copland’s only work for band, and is certainly the most ‘modern’ sounding on this disc. Filled with grand gesture and some typical Copland resolutions, the opening does have a broadness and eloquence which plumbs greater depths than most Band music one could name. The second section is genuinely funky, starting with a kind of compositional finger-painting, lines and thematic fragments being thrown around like confetti in a high and turbulent wind. Toward the end the grand gesture returns, pungently resonant harmonies underpinning relatively simple melodic shapes – back at the ‘Copland Chorale’, and with a return of ‘Auld lang syne’ as well.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e With these rarefied sonic heights still echoing in the memory, Percy Grainger kicks in with characteristic gusto with his Children’s March. This piece was written while Grainger was serving in the U.S. army as a member of the Coast Artillery Band, and resembles some of his folk-song settings, while remaining an original band piece. Striking elements include a prominent part for piano, and choral singing from the musicians – a master stroke among many fine details which turns a fun march into something rather haunting and special. My compliments to the low reeds as well – everyone seems on cracking form here.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Walton’s well-known Crown Imperial written for the coronation of King George VI appears here in a transcription made by W.J. Duthoit in 1937. The piece works very well as a flourish for band, with some virtuoso writing for the low brass. None of the Englishness in this work is lost in this setting, so there need be no fear of twitching moustaches in clubland.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e This is a marvellous display of crack Wind Band performing, a superb recording and a stimulating programme. If you feel your red blood corpuscles need restoring then this might very well be the musical pep pill they require. With my reservations about the Stravinsky only mildly nagging in the back of my mind, I can wholeheartedly recommend this as a standard bearer for this form.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e -- Dominy Clements, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705640132888,"sku":"747313024377","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/984698.jpg?v=1777951894"},{"product_id":"colgrass-winds-of-nagual-dvorak-serenade-gillingham-n","title":"COLGRASS: Winds of Nagual \/ DVORAK: Serenade \/ GILLINGHAM: N","description":"The work that gives this disc it's name, Michael Colgrass' Winds of Nagual, was inspired by the writings of Carlos Castaneda and his experiences with a Yaqui Indian sorcerer, delving into the secrets of pre-Columbian wisdom.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705640165656,"sku":"747313024476","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1018585.jpg?v=1777950031"},{"product_id":"collage-a-celebration-of-the-150th-anniversary-of-the-peab","title":"COLLAGE - A Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Peab","description":"Glinka's ever-popular overture to Ruslan and Lyudmilla sets the stage for a journey through the wind band repertoire that includes one of it's cornerstones, Theme and Variations by Arnold Schoenberg.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705643082008,"sku":"747313040377","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1028467_9fbabc1d-1897-4169-be0a-067932b324b9.jpg?v=1777575863"},{"product_id":"sleeper-trumpet-concerto-maslanka-symphony-no-3","title":"SLEEPER: Trumpet Concerto \/ MASLANKA: Symphony No. 3","description":"\u003cp\u003eIncludes work(s) by various composers.  Ensemble: Frost Wind Ensemble.  Conductor: Gary Green.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705644294424,"sku":"747313046577","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1206635.jpg?v=1747137441"},{"product_id":"ticheli-f-wild-nights-etezady-r-anahita-mackey-j","title":"Ticheli, F.: Wild Nights! \/ Etezady, R.: Anahita \/ Mackey, J","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12biU\"\u003eWILD NIGHTS! \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Scott Weiss, cond; Vince Gnojek (s sax); Univ of Kansas Wind Ens \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.572129 (60:23) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eTICHELI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eWild Nights! \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDZUBAY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eShadow Dance. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBryant \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eDusk. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eETEZADY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eAnahita. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMACKEY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSoprano Saxophone Concerto \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eA wild night, indeed! This isn’t exactly warm-breezy-night-on-the-square band fare, though it would certainly make an exciting concert if the municipal ensemble were up to the considerable virtuosic demands. As we know from their earlier Naxos release, “Redline Tango” (8.570074), the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble has virtuosity to burn. As in that inaugural release of the Naxos Winds Band Classics series, they produce a superb blend and sonority; brilliant and thrillingly massive in full flight and—thanks in large part to a collection of outstanding section soloists—beautifully refined in quieter passages. “Redline Tango” was conducted by long-time Director of Bands John Lynch, who left a fine legacy of technical excellence, musical sensitivity, and dedication to new music. Scott Weiss, holder of the director’s position since Lynch’s retirement in 2007, has plainly maintained the high standards. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe title work of the album starts the proceedings with a swagger. With high energy and high spirited, it lies stylistically somewhere between Copland’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAn Outdoor Overture\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and Bernstein’s more manic moments. Inspired by the Emily Dickenson poem of the same name, it is more about the joy and ecstasy in that work than anything of the poet’s repressed sexual desires. In any case, jazzy and full of surprises, it is the perfect program opener. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eEqually effective are David Dzubay’s magical \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eShadow Dance\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, a revisitation of Pérotin’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eViderunt omnes\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and John Mackey’s hyperactive Concerto for Soprano Sax and Wind Ensemble. Dzubay takes the concept of organum to remarkable extremes, creating a frenzied, irreverent modern equivalent of the 13th-century composer’s primitive polyphony. It has little to do with the medieval—excepting, of course, the concluding monk-like chanting of the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ecantus firmus\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e—but everything to do with joyful celebration of the past. The Mackey Concerto, homage to his teacher John Corigliano, is five movements of nonstop technical demands on the soloist. Flanked by a Prelude and Finale that in themselves would provide a challenging work, the three inner movements celebrate the three materials in the saxophone. “Felt” shows off key work, with wild note bending and alternate fingerings. “Metal” exploits the beauty of the brass, with the sax playing high and sweetly, attended by bells and chimes. “Wood” displays the instrument’s warmth in a sensuous tango. Vince Gnojek, professor of saxophone at the University of Kansas, may not have the sweetest tone—more a reedy American jazz sound than a French quality—but his technical skill is staggering and he is matched by the band members who get an amazing workout. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe other two works, Steven Bryant’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDusk\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, a chorale work that shows off the band’s beautiful control and Roshanne Etezady’s three-movement \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAnahita\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, inspired by a mural of the Zoroastrian goddess of the night, are attractive, but less-distinctive works. The locally produced recording has great dynamics but not a lot of air around the ensemble, and loud climaxes become congested. It is hard to tell if it is the hall or the miking, but it is not enough to detract significantly from the overall excellent impression. Enough said: those looking for Sousa and Broadway medleys, head for the ol’ band shell. Lovers of top-drawer wind bands and high octane, listener-friendly contemporary charts should apply within. And pick up that earlier Naxos release as well. Great stuff. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Ronald E. Grames \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705662710040,"sku":"747313212972","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1499737.jpg?v=1777572620"},{"product_id":"puts-k-millennium-canons-newman-j-my-hands-are-a-city","title":"Puts, K. Millennium Canons \/ Newman, J.: My Hands Are A City","description":"Comprising the University' s most accomplished musicians, the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble commissions and premieres new compositions and performs other significant works from the wind band repertoire. From Holst' Hammersmith, d.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705667330328,"sku":"747313223176","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1525280.jpg?v=1777944208"},{"product_id":"southern-harmony-music-for-wind-band","title":"Southern Harmony: Music for Wind Band","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSOUTHERN HARMONY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e• \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eRussel C. Mikkelson, Richard L. Blatti,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e cond; Ohio State University Wind Ens \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.572342 (60:20) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eKABALEVSKY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e(arr. Hunsberger) \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eColas Breugnon: \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eOverture.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eSTEVENS \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSymphony in Three Movements. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eGRANTHAM \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSouthern Harmony. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eLAURIDSEN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e(arr. Reynolds) \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eO Magnum Mysterium. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eCOPLAND \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e(arr. Svanoe) \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eEl Salón México \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThis disc represents the Ohio State University Wind Ensemble’s second entry in Naxos’s ongoing Wind Band Classics series. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe program gets off to a rousing start with a thrilling virtuoso romp through Donald Hunsberger’s idiomatic transcription of Kabalevsky’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eColas Breugnon \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eOverture. John Stevens’ Symphony from 2006, cast in the familiar fast-slow-fast three-movement format, is vaguely reminiscent of the wind music of Vincent Persichetti, and bears an even stronger influence of the many band composers of the 1960s and 1970s, most notably John Barnes Chance, Robert Washburn, and my own beloved teacher, Fisher Tull. The entire symphony is based on a theme that is stated by the horns at the outset. Throughout the work, the theme is subjected to rather routine and rudimentary developmental techniques—i.e., rhythmic transformations, interplay of melodic fragments, chorale harmonization, and the obligatory fugue. While I will not make any claims that the work is an unheralded masterpiece, I can state that it did hold my interest, even on repeated listenings—that is, until the third movement, where the music loses its focus and direction. This movement also features a devilishly difficult trumpet solo, which the poor trumpeter just barely manages to pull off. The performance, recorded a year earlier and by an ensemble with substantially different personnel from that used for the other works on the disc, suffers from some rather serious intonation problems in the upper woodwinds that are not present in the remainder of the program. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe British folk-song settings of Percy Grainger are held in particularly high esteem in the wind band repertoire, and deservedly so. Donald Grantham, in his brilliant \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eSouthern Harmony\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, bestows a similarly innovative and ingenious treatment to American folk-based material. The work consists of settings of four tunes taken from the shaped-noted songbook \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eSouthern Harmony and Musical Companion\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, compiled in 1835 by William Walker. Like Grainger before him, Grantham arranges the material with bold, exotic harmonies, innovative melodic and rhythmic treatments, novel instrumental effects (the chorus of hand clappers in the third movement is especially delightful), and vividly colorful orchestrations. The highlight of the work (and this disc) is the second movement, an absolutely heart-wrenching setting (and performance) of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eWondrous Love\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. The Ohio State musicians play their collective hearts out and conductor Mikkelson shapes the movement with a loving hand, wringing every last drop of emotion out of the music. If this does not give you goose-bumps, nothing will. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWhen it appeared in 2003, Morten Lauridsen’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eO Magnum Mysterium\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e took the choral world by storm. The original version for unaccompanied chorus has received literally thousands of performances and at least 30 recordings. Though only six minutes in length, the piece nonetheless packs a huge emotional wallop, at least in its original choral setting. The band arrangement, though certainly lovely in its own right, does not re-create the ear-caressing sensuality or the spiritual mysticism of the original. The phrasing in this performance is curiously inflexible and a bit clipped, which is odd considering the conductor’s moving account of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eWondrous Love\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. The program concludes with an exhilarating run-through of Aaron Copland’s familiar \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eEl Salón México\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e in a new arrangement that unfortunately does not represent an improvement over the standard band transcription. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe Ohio State University Wind Ensemble has long held a well-deserved place in the upper echelon of university band programs in this country, and aside from the aforementioned blemishes in the performance of the symphony, it fully lives up to its reputation. The recorded sound is excellent, vividly detailed with a pleasing concert-hall ambience. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Merlin Patterson \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705696067864,"sku":"747313234271","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1584492.jpg?v=1747170709"},{"product_id":"fanfare-capriccio-and-rhapsody","title":"Fanfare, Capriccio and Rhapsody","description":"Fanfare, Capriccio and Rhapsody embraces an extraordinary range of musical styles from a wide variety of sources. The Medieval Suite pays homage to Leonin, Perotin and Machaut, three master-composers from the Middle Ages.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705701703960,"sku":"747313252879","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1825996.jpg?v=1777570363"},{"product_id":"contemporary-classics","title":"Contemporary Classics","description":"The Rutgers Wind Ensemble here presents four engaging works rich with cross-cultural allusions by leading American composers. John Mackey' aptly named Strange Humors merges African hand-drumming, an Orientalist musical style and the big band sound.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705701769496,"sku":"747313252978","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1775966_41367063-d302-4b17-a418-b5d9c78466d5.jpg?v=1777928024"},{"product_id":"angels-in-the-architecture","title":"Angels in the Architecture","description":"Frank Ticheli' award-winning Symphony No. 2 has been described as 'uninhibited, high-flying and intensely rhythmic'.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705709535512,"sku":"747313273270","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1877982.jpg?v=1777571502"},{"product_id":"alwyn-film-music-arranged-for-wind-band","title":"Alwyn: Film Music arranged for Wind Band","description":"William Alwyn was a consummate film composer, as capable of creating powerful marches as he was atmospheric waltzes. In these exciting arrangements by Martin Ellerby for wind band, the full variety of Alwyn' inspiration can be appreciated.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705710092568,"sku":"747313274772","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1957340.jpg?v=1777570288"},{"product_id":"old-wine-in-new-bottles","title":"Old Wine in New Bottles","description":"The wind ensemble repertory has a rich history and a vibrant contemporary presence. Donald Grantham, for example, evokes gospel music of the 1920s and '30s in Starry Crown, which draws on the earthy vitality of call-and-response sermons. Steven Bryant's Ecstatic Waters reaches forward to present a pulsating narrative of exuberance, contradiction and subtle dialogue. Gordon Jacob wrote two series of settings of Old Wine in New Bottles in which he took old English settings and clothed them in his zesty and witty colors. To end, we have the songful lyricism of Carter Penn's Hold This Boy and Listen. Stephen L. Gage has served as instrumental music coordinator, professor of conducting, and director of bands at Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music since 1993.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705711501592,"sku":"747313276271","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2031858.jpg?v=1777570376"},{"product_id":"converging-cultures-music-for-wind-band-1","title":"Converging Cultures: Music for Wind Band","description":"Converging Cultures: Music for Wind Band","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705714090264,"sku":"747313283774","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/4013174-3143430.jpg?v=1777569404"},{"product_id":"chen-yi-music-for-wind-band","title":"Chen Yi: Music for Wind Band","description":"Chinese American composer Chen Yi brings a unique compositional voice to the wind ensemble by fusing the traditions and sounds of the East with those of her adopted West. This collection of world première recordings ranges from the first wind quintet of 1987, inspired by the booming tide of Chaoyin Cave in Southeastern China, to the Suite for Cello and Chamber Winds of 2004 in which Chen borrows extensively from folk-tunes, Chinese percussion, stringed, and wind instruments. The exuberant KC Capriccio contrasts with the gripping intensity of Tu, dedicated to the victims of the 9\/11 tragedy.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705714123032,"sku":"747313283873","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2911289.jpg?v=1777569349"},{"product_id":"dragon-rhyme","title":"Dragon Rhyme","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eHIGDON \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSoprano Saxophone Concerto.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003e WEILL \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eConcerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eCHEN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eDragon Rhyme \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Glen Adsit, cond; Carrie Koffman (s sax); Anton Miller (vn); Hartt School Wind Ensemble \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.572889 (56:44) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe present CD was a particularly welcome arrival from \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eFanfare \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ecentral—unlike some reviewers for this magazine, I seldom request particular CDs to review, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePictures at an Exhibition \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eexcepted, so I never know what to expect when I open a parcel. I have heard little of Jennifer Higdon’s music to date, but what I have heard has whetted my appetite for more. The disc also includes an old friend, Weill’s Concerto for Violin and Winds, and a completely new and welcome discovery, the music of Chen Yi. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eHigdon’s Soprano Saxophone Concerto is an arrangement of her oboe concerto. Given the very similar range of the two instruments, a number of composers (including Hilary Tann in her \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eShakkei\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e) have made a single work do double duty for these two instruments. Saxophonists, always looking for new repertory for their instrument, approached Higdon to make this arrangement, which she was glad to do, given her positive estimation of the power and beauty of the saxophone. The opening of the work is characterized by gently flowing lines in the solo part that are underpinned by a beautiful sequence of chords in the ensemble. Not long afterwards, rhythmic activity increases and the colorful writing flowers into full bloom. A subcurrent of modality runs throughout the musical canvas, and the parts of the various instruments, including that of the solo saxophone, intertwine in clever and creative ways. The solo part is virtuosic to a degree, but the virtuosity is never on display for its own sake. I can guess that the work is as rewarding to play as it is to listen to, and Carrie Koffman’s saxophone playing is suave, subtly nuanced, and technically secure in its every gesture. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe Hindemithian Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra of Kurt Weill has received enough performances and recordings to put it at least \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ealmost\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e in the standard repertory category. In the LP era, it appeared on a number of labels, including Candide, Westminster, MCA, MHS, French RCA, and DGG, the latter with Nona Lidell and David Atherton, and likely the best known of the bunch, judging by the number of copies that came through my hands during my years as a record dealer. On CD, there are at least 15 currently available versions. Consequently, it is likely that most readers interested in this work already own it, but the present recording is at least as excitingly and brilliantly rendered as any of the several recordings of the work that I’ve previously heard. Violinist Anton Miller plays with accuracy and flair to bring the work off in splendid fashion, and is ably supported by the Hartt School Wind Ensemble under the direction of Glen Adsit. Indeed these performers have brought to my mind a new appreciation for this work of a composer that I find uneven in the quality of his output. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eChen Yi’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDragon Rhyme \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eis a very recent (2010) work in two movements, commissioned by the National Wind Ensemble Consortium Group and premiered by the forces who present it here. The first movement, “Mysteriously-harmoniously,” evokes an aura of mystery through trills and fluttering in the upper woodwinds, and these continue in various ways throughout the work, sometimes underlying other solo instruments, the brass choir, and so on. The second movement, “Energetically,” is based upon the same material (intervals drawn from those typical of Chinese opera), but uses them in more vivid fashion. The image of a dragon is evoked through layering and dynamic textures, although hearing the piece unaware of its title or connotations, one might well come up with other mental images. Nevertheless, it’s a very exciting and dramatic work, and I would be surprised if \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eDragon Rhyme\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e does not enter the band repertory. As in the other pieces, Glen Adsit and his forces brilliantly bring the music to life in stunning recorded sound. My only complaint is that the review copy hung up in the last band in both of my CD players, a problem I trust not universal in the production of this otherwise splendid CD. Very highly recommended. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: David DeBoor Canfield \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705715433752,"sku":"747313288977","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2042939.jpg?v=1747168833"},{"product_id":"street-song","title":"Street Song","description":"The expressive range and versatility of the wind ensemble is exemplified in this program from one of the world's leading ensembles of it's kind, which presents classics of the genre alongside new works. Wayne Oquin's Tower Ascending pulsates with urban power whilst Richard Lorenz explores a web of Latin American music. Michael Tilson Thomas distils old and new perspectives and James Mobberely offers affecting Words of Love. We also hear Copland's indelible Fanfare for the Common Man, Vaughan Williams's intricate Toccata Marziale and Stravinsky's brilliantly virtuosic Concerto.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49705716351256,"sku":"747313291779","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/2017605.jpg?v=1777569153"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/collections\/Wind_Band_Sale_1200_x_1200_px.png?v=1751629177","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/collections\/naxos-wind-ensemble-sale.oembed?page=2","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}