Search - Frederick Fennell, Eastman Wind Ensemble :: The Civil War: Its Music and Its Sounds

A history lesson on CD.

07/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not a just mere collection of music and songs from the Civil War era, but an actual attempt to teach the listener about the Civil War and its music.As the other reviewers have noted, this double CD package reproduces the band music of the Civil War with authentic instruments and actual arrangements from the period. The viewer is treated to as close a fascimile of a Civil War regimental band as can be possible. However, there is a whole lot more to this collection than just brass band music. It also features fife and drum music, the bugle and drum calls used by the troops (including the actual "charge" which is very different from what we hear today in football stadiums), songs of the period sung by a male chorus accompanied by a lone banjo, and a narration which introduces several segments by giving background on the music and a brief history of the war. (I personally think the brief history of the war narration is the weakest part of the CD. The CD should have concentrated solely on the music and sounds of the war, and left the military history to writers and documentary makers.) Along with the music, the CD comes with other sounds of the war including the sounds of cannons, rifles, and carbines. Yes, the CD actually features the sounds of these weapons actually being fired on the firing range at West Point. If you ever wanted to hear what cannister being fired from a 12lb Napoleon really sounds like then this the CD for you!Finally, this collection comes with a very thick little booklet which gives the listener tons of background on the making of the CDs and descriptions and historical information for everything on the CD's. It's particularly helpful in identifying the various bugle calls. This is a great collection for the serious Civil War buff."

BEST AND MOST AUTHENTIC CIVIL WAR MUSIC EVER

10/09/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a Civil War buff for over 40 years. This CD ( taken from a 4 album set recorded in the 1960s) was and still is the best I ever heard. No effort was spared in making this recording. All the instuments and arrangments are 1860s authentitic. Recording techniques used were state of the art in the 1960s and hold up well on the CD.You ain't gonna believe it !"

Powerful music--it brings you back to the period...

11/25/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I found that the music on this selection really grows on you--it gets better each time I listen to it. The Civil War has always interested me and Frederick Fennell does an excellent job by telling the story of Gettysburg to Appomattox through music, narration, and actual recorded sounds of weaponry used throughout the campaigns. I really like the fact that Fennell used the actual brass instruments of a band that was "there", on the battlefields, and even the selections played were taken from an original songbook from that band. I enjoyed listening to all the bugle calls and a neat booklet comes with the CD which details all of the selections. I think my favorite piece is at the end where the Star-spangled Banner is played, it is so powerful the way the brass band of that era played it. This CD-set is one of my favorites, I give it high marks all around!"