There are few more thrilling noises than that of a brass/wind band in full cry. Last year I had the pleasure of hearing two memorable examples of the breed: a high-res download of John Pickard’s virtuosic
Eden and
Gaia Symphony (
review) and a high-tingle-factor Blu-ray Audio disc from 2L entitled
La voie triomphale. The prowess of those two ensembles – the Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag and The Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces respectively – is beyond question; indeed, they take the genre way beyond its somewhat anorakish following and give it the serious status it so richly deserves.
This enterprising album – a follow-up to
Brass (RCO Live
RCO 07002) – showcases the Concertgebouw’s peerless brass
and percussion sections, not to mention their formidable strings in
Hindemith’s
Konzertmusik. It’s a well-chosen programme,
beginning with an arrangement of four numbers from Shostakovich’s
Gadfly Suite by Steven Verhaert; the latter is also a trumpet
teacher and player with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic. In the liner-notes
Verhaert says the selection is designed to offer maximum contrast and
variety.
Does it succeed? Emphatically, yes. The sheer weight and superior blend
of these Dutch players is a wonder to behold. However, all that technique
doesn’t count for much unless it’s firmly focused on musical
values; happily this artful arrangement ensures those elements are always
paramount.
The Barrel Organ Waltz is a case in point; lightly
scored and delectably played it’s a nimble number that highlights
the knife-edge articulation of these players. As for the Keystone-Kops-like
Galop it rollicks with the best of them; the yearning
Romance
is nicely done and the timps and bass drum add martial splendour to
the
Finale.
Just as impressive as the playing is the full-blooded and very well
balanced recording. The temptation with ensembles and repertoire such
as this must be to go for a crude ‘hi-fi spectacular’; that’s
certainly not the case here, for all the pleasure and excitement comes
from hearing these instruments in their pure, unforced state. The result
is uncannily close to the delicious
frisson and bodily impact
one feels on hearing these instruments live, and that’s a remarkable
achievement. Next up is
Concertgeblaas, Detlev Glanert’s
punny little interlude for 12 brass instruments and percussion. Premiered
by this group in 2012, the work’s blend of asperity, rhythmic
verve and big-band pizzazz is a delight from start to finish.
I first encountered the Corsican composer Henri Tomasi’s
Fanfares
liturgiques, culled from his radio-play-turned-opera
Don Juan
de Mañara, on
La voie triomphale. The music, which depicts
a religious festival in Seville, begins with the heraldic
Annonciation,
which soon modulates into something rather more sombre. The musical
fabric is plainly dyed, the weave simple, but the bright threads of
Evangile add colour to this solemn processional. Here and in
the quirky
Apocalypse the agility of these players is astonishing,
and the dark-hued
Procession du Vendredi-Saint exudes
a pleasing pliancy throughout. The quieter passages are eloquently voiced,
and the potentially brazen climax is tastefully done.
Good taste and good judgment are the watchwords here, even when the
music invites the players to excess. That’s certainly true of
the composer/arranger/trombone player Steven Verhelst’s take on
Astor Piazzolla’s
tango operita,
María de Buenos
Aires. This suite was suggested by the RCO’s principal trombonist
Jörgen van Rijen, who plays a key role in the piece. Interestingly two
trumpets, with and without sneering mutes, mimic the
bandoneón,
a concertina-like instrument used in tango ensembles. However, it’s
the rich, in-your-boots sound of the trombone that really draws the
ear. Not only that, the slink and slide of this seductive music is nicely
sistained.
This is one of those rare collections that you
can listen to
in one sitting, such is the level of variety and interest on show. Moreover,
there’s a real sense of fun here, and that’s readily communicated
to the receptive listener. These players – the bedrock of one
of the world’s great Mahler orchestras – wear their virtuosity
so lightly, and that’s an added bonus. The album ends with a live
account of Hindemith’s Op. 50
Konzertmusik, conducted
by Kurt Masur. This is a big-boned performance whose bold brass chords
invariably bring to mind the composer’s
Mathis der Maler
symphony. As before the sound is exemplary.
This is a thoroughly entertaining release that’s prompted me to seek out the first one in the series. Brass playing does not come much better than this, and the Polyhymnia team have done the music proud. Also, I’m pleased to see the brass and percussion players credited so prominently in the well-designed, easy-on-the-eye liner-notes.
What a blast; not to be missed.
Dan Morgan
twitter.com/mahlerei
