Search - Philip Franke, Director Colonel John R. Bourgeois :: Music of Hector Berlioz; The President's Own United States Marine Band

The U.S. Marine Band reveals its solemn side. A unique perf

Steven A. Reading | San Francisco, CA | 09/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The United States Marine Band under the direction of Col. John Bourgois left an outstanding recorded legacy of repertoire from Sousa marches to remarkable transcriptions of

orchestral literature. All are worthy of a collector's attention.



However, with this Berlioz work, we enter the field of formal ceremonial music written for wind instruments. This is solemn stuff. It has been recorded a number of times before, but never

has the gravity and seriousness of the opening 20 minute march come through as truly worthy

music. This isn't throw-away Berlioz, as I used to think it was. It is imaginative, colorfully

orchestrated (of course Berlioz loved masses of winds including now-obsolete instruments), and its chromaticism evokes, of all things, Bruckner's slow movements. Who'd have thought?



Here is where Bourgois and his troops shine...they can set a march tempo, hold it, and expose

clearly and forcefully the evolution which takes place as the procession moves forward. The

concentration of the Marine Band pulls us right along through the many harmonic and dynamic

changes which make up this movement, the most impressive and strongest of the three movements. It would be a worthy piece of repertoire on its own, minus the following two movements.



The second movement, an oration, is, obviously, mostly rhetorical. It does provide for a fine

trombone solo, and the Marine's Philip Franke carries on enviably with fine and sensitive support from his colleagues.



The Finale, a hymn of glory and honor (to the 1830 Revolution), gets all it is worth from

the band and University of Maryland Chorus. However, neither of the latter movements can escape

the impression that they were event-specific and seem somewhat strained.



The initial movement and the "Les francs-juges" Overture, superbly transcribed by Thomas Knox, a Marine Band member, make this cd valuable to serious concert band listeners. The performances

are of the highest order and the in-house Marine Band recording engineering is excellent.



Thanks to Mark Custom Recording Service for making this unique and unusual cd available!

"