Brass Aficionados Will Love This
T. Swensen | S.F. Bay Area | 04/30/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has been releasing a lot of
recordings since they formed their own label. I have not found
them to be quite as well engineered as the best efforts from Philips
and Decca/London, but still the sound is quite good.
The playing from the brass section, on the other hand just gets
better all the time.
This disc will satisfy lovers of serious [and seriously difficult]
brass music. The playing is at the very highest level, and displays
a huge range of colors. There is enough variation in instrumentation
to keep the program interesting throughout, though a couple more
works from the Renaissance would help balance the program out even
better.
I have recently heard the Concertgebouw live in San Francisco,
and while the brass playing was altogether excellent, it was also
molded into the overall texture of this stunning orchestra so
seamlessly that one seldom took notice of the section as a section
by itself. This disc displays the section for the technical and
musical marvel that it is.
Stunning playing in the European orchestral tradition. Happily,
such a tradition still remains as a distinct and satisfying
alternative to the American sound pioneered by such orchestras as
Chicago and Cleveland. On this recording you will hear horn playing
with vibrato in solo passages, and a general approach to vibrato
that differs from the notably more conservative style of the
great Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. The Concertgebouw brass sound
more like that of the Berlin Philharmonic than of the Chicago Symphony.
Overall, a real treat for lovers of music for large brass ensemble,
and a technical and musical Tour de Force. Highly recommend, and in
good sound.
"