Search - Willem Van Otterloo, Nick Woud, Giovanni Gabrieli :: Brass [Hybrid SACD]

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.

"