Eastman Wind Ensemble Plays Husa, Copland, Vaughan Williams, Hindemith

Category: Music

List Price: $11.98
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As of: January 09th, 2009 08:27:38 AM

Customer comments on this selection.

4 Star Rating

The Hunsberger Era of the Eastman Wind Ensemble
I purchased this CD primarily to have a recording of the Husa composition Music for Prague. This is the first Eastman Wind Ensemble recording I've listened to that wasn't conducted by Frederick Fennell.

I am not familiar with most of the music on the CD; the only piece I've heard before is the Toccata Marziale. The music seems to be well-executed to me.

While I admire what Frederick Fennell did in bringing the Eastman Wind Ensemble to the top of the list of wind ensembles and symphonic bands, I've always thought the final result was a little bit too well blended. The Fennell sound was so homogenous that sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the saxophones and the cornets. With Hunsberger, the blend is still there, but each section of the ensemble has a distinct flavor -- a shade closer to the University of Michigan concept of a band sound than Eastman. The intonation was outstanding, and the group turns in a virtuoso performance on very difficult music that would challenge most elite college bands.

I don't know for a fact, but I'm assuming this recording was made in the Eastman Concert Hall in Rochester. There are a few times when the forte and fortissimo passages get away from the engineer. Otherwise, there's a very nice balance with just the right amount of reverberation and echo (well, maybe a tad too much, but that is a matter of my personal taste).

I recommend this CD, which is affordably priced.

5 Star Rating

Outstanding Work by Eastman Performers
This is an excellently performed CD with numerous powerful moments. Although Wynton Marsalis's name is prominent on the cover, he only plays on one piece - Copland's Quiet City. Quiet City is a duet between trumpet and English horn and Marsalis's playing here is very beautiful and expressive. Another excellent Quiet City recording (played by Phil Smith) can be found with a strong Copland 3rd Symphony by Bernstein/ NY Phil on DG. Both recordings get top marks. The Vaughn Williams and Hindemith works here are fairly straightforward and are also well performed.

The Husa Music for Prague 1968 is extremely powerful although not as initially listener-friendly as Copland and Vaughn Williams. The music has to do with the invasion of Prague by the Soviets in 1968 and while I enjoy the entire piece, I find the very end extremely powerful. Among the more avant garde techniques used in the piece, Husa also uses a Hussite war song as a chorale. At the end of the piece, as the ensemble sustains a long chord, the snare drum repeats a martial pattern that grows louder and louder. When the snare drum reaches its loudest, everything else drops out, leaving the snare drum to sound alone, as though the Soviets are marching into Prague. This moment of triumph is short, though, as the snare drum is quickly smothered by a full ensemble statement of the Hussite war song. It is a very poweful moment.

I enjoy this CD very much, but don't be fooled by the Marsalis name into thinking that this is an all Marsalis album. This CD covers a wide variety of emotions and is another excellent album from the Eastman Wind Ensemble.

5 Star Rating Continuing to set the standard
I am really enjoying this CD, particularly the Toccata Marziale. I enjoy how Hunsberger interpreted the piece and allowed a lot of the clarinet lines to project. On other recordings, I've found the clarinet lines to be rather obscure. But not this one!! Excellent balance within the brass. The Variations for Brass Band (wind band in this case) is played very well, and the excellent transcription is worth noting. Excellent recording!!

4 Star Rating Two thumbs up
This is a very good recording with some terrific pieces on it. Donald Hunsberger and Eastman really make the pieces sound great. They have a nice sound and know how to let loose on pieces, which is great. Great cd to have in your personal library.

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