MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 

alternatively
CD: MDT AmazonUK AmazonUS

Shadowcatcher
Norman DELLO JOIO (1913-2008)
Scenes from the Louvre, for Wind Ensemble (1964) [10:35]
The Portals [2:11]
Children’s Gallery [2:07]
The Kings of France [2:29]
The Nativity Paintings [1:55]
Finale [1:52]
Anthony PLOG (b. 1947)
Double Concerto, for Two Trumpets and Wind Ensemble (2001) [13:36]
Joseph TURRIN (b. 1947)
Concertino, for 11 Instruments and Wind Ensemble (2010) [16:33]
Eric EWAZEN (b. 1954)
Shadowcatcher, Concerto for Brass Quintet and Wind Ensemble (1996) [32:05]
Offering to the Sun [7:05]
Among the Aspens [9:21]
The Vanishing Race [6:59]
Dancing to Restore an Eclipsed Moon [8:38]
West Chester University Wind Ensemble/Andrew Yozviak
rec. 3-5 March 2011, Westtown School, Westtown, Pennsylvania, USA
MSR CLASSICS MS1388 [72:51]

Experience Classicsonline

The informal foreword in the booklet – by the Dean of West Chester’s music school – sets the tone for this bright and breezy recital. But don’t be tempted to write this off as just another student group for, as I discovered with the New England Conservatory Percussion Ensemble, the standard of playing is likely to be very high (review). I’ve also noticed that with programmes of this kind variety is vital if the ear is not to tire too soon; indeed, that’s one of the strengths of that New England disc and, on paper at least, that’s the case here too. As for MSR, I don’t recall hearing any of their recordings before, so I hope they’re able to capture all the tingle and timbres of these most boisterous instruments.
 
In Norman Dello Joio’s musical portraits of that most famous gallery – written for an NBC documentary – the imposing entrance is approached with a mix of awe and solemn grandeur, the ‘Children’s Gallery’ full of wit and sparkle. As expected, the playing is wonderfully bright and buoyant, conductor Andrew Yozviak ensuring the sketches are done with due care and accuracy. Indeed, there’s a Baroque-like clarity and point to the writing that’s most appropriate, ‘The Kings of France’ Handelian in its joy and regal splendour. By contrast, the devotional air of ‘The Nativity Paintings’ is well caught, solid timps giving the festal Finale added weight.
 
A promising start then, the recording full, albeit with a touch of stridency in the tuttis; but, as anyone who’s been near a bandstand will tell you, the latter is to be expected. I did wish for more heft at the bottom end though, and the noise floor rises noticeably in the quiet passages. Minor caveats aside, this is shaping up to be a most entertaining CD. The pin-sharp articulation and cheeky chit-chat of trumpeters Terry Everson and teacher/freelancer Jean-Christophe Dobrzelewski in Anthony Plog’s Double Concerto should raise a smile or two; that said, it becomes a tad relentless – they play flugelhorns and piccolo trumpets, as well as standard ones – and, despite hints of Milhaud’s La création du monde in the lovely Lento, this music is liable to outstay its welcome. Also, there’s a surprising amount of background hum, although it’s more noticeable on headphones.
.
Joseph Turrin’s single-movement Concertino is much more of an ensemble piece, with a far wider range of sonorities, rhythms, dynamics and – especially desirable in a programme of this ilk – it has a strong narrative thread. It’s all very upfront, with some reflective interludes and stand-out solos. Blend and intonation are good, and one senses a remarkable degree of concentration and commitment in these young players. But there’s fun too, the panoply of sound and rhythm at the close pulled off with terrific brio.
 
Eric Ewazen’s Shadowcatcher, a musical tribute to Edward Curtis’s photographs of Native Americans, builds on the strengths of this ensemble, the composer adding an almost symphonic weight and breadth to the mix. I was struck again by the self-assurance and sheer technical skill of these players, not at all afraid to call attention to themselves. That said, there’s a strong sense of collective musicianship as well, and I was simply swept away by the vigour of ‘Offering to the Sun’. The rhythmic agility of the beat-driven ‘Under the Aspens’ is no less alluring.
 
Ewazen’s is a compelling and individual voice, and I’m sure newcomers will be as gripped as I was by the level of invention and interest that goes far beyond the merely pictorial. Tautly written and tightly argued, this is one of the finest brass/wind combos I’ve heard in ages. Just sample the darkly evocative music of ‘The Vanishing Race’, whose combined sonorities are simply hair-raising, the assurance of these musicians – there are no hurdles they can’t clear – matched only by that of Ewazen’s score. As for ‘Dancing to Restore an Eclipsed Moon’, it’s a heady mix of rhythm and ritual, the Orffian ostinati well caught by the MSR team. And kudos to Andrew Yozviak for holding it all together so well.
 
The shorter pieces are pleasing enough, but they’re eclipsed by Shadowcatcher, which raises this recital from the merely ordinary to something rather special. Ewazen is a composer I’d like to hear from again; an encore from these Pennsylvanians would be very welcome too.

Worth it for the main work alone; catch it if you can.

Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools






Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.