Search - Giovanni Gabrieli, Eric Crees, London Symphony Orchestra [members of] :: Gabrieli: Music for Brass Vol. 3

Accessible, glorious music from the Late Renaissance.

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 05/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Any music lover who is reluctant to sample any music prior to Bach and Handel?s time is well advised to drop this super-budget priced CD into the trolley. Here is an hour of accessible, glorious music from the Late Renaissance. Originally written for ceremonial performance in St Mark?s Basilica, Venice, utilizing the galleries and specially built platforms to house the musicians, the music is stunningly powerful, exciting and grand. To sample the spatial interaction and echo effects, position yourself or your headphones so as to receive the stereophonic signals correctly in balance, and listen to Track 1. With this third CD of the series, the London Symphony Orchestra Brass conducted by Eric Crees complete the first ever recording of the complete instrumental ensemble canzonas and sonatas of Giovanni Gabrieli (c1553-1612). Eric Crees himself provides ample notes, analysing the music and illuminating performance aspects. Not much is known of composer Giovanni Gabrieli, now enjoying his own renaissance. The notes included with this CD carry a report from a travelling English contemporary, however, who visited St Mark?s where Gabrieli?s music was being performed. He reckoned it to be the best that he had heard in his whole life, "so good," he wrote, "that I would willingly goe an hundred miles a foote at any time to hear the like". Well, nowadays, ...(the website) can bring the music to you."

A must have

H. Thomas | Schweiz | 07/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have several recordings of Gabrielis work. Not only that this one is the only that has all brass works complete, it also is the one that I find the most to enjoy. I must admit I am not very interested in an acurate representation of Gabrielis work, I am more interested in the best sounding. Who is looking for historical acuracy to the original should search for recordings with Sackbut and Trombones. The London Brass recordings are with Trumpets and Trombones. For more richness and diversity I would prefer recordings with Trumpet, Trombones, Tuba and Horns. There are other recordings that do contain those instruments, for example "The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli", that is from sound basics a more interesting recordings, but unfortunately they play directly from sheet without any preparation, it lacks of musicality on some point. Then the Empire Brass recordings, dont know if they have prepared it or play on first sight too, but in any case they lack musicality too, their play is more a show off of technical possibilies then making good music, they often play too agressiv with too much velocity. So finally there is only this recordings of London Brass that is througly enjoyable."