Search - Eugene Bozza, Nikolai Lopatnikoff, Camargo Guarnieri :: DePaul Wind Ensemble

Excellant Wind Music & Performance

Steven Apergis | Burke, VA USA | 10/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Generally I liked the music on this and the performance is excellant.



In the 50's and 60's the benchmark recordings for wind ensemble (band) music was the Eastman Wind Ensemble. In the past 20 years, recordings of other music ensembles from other universities have been released (North Texas, University of Georgia, etc.) which rival those landmark recordings of Eastman. DePaul,s wind ensemble performance easily rivals any of these groups. Most of the works on this CD are for wind ensemble and listening to these works is more like listening to chamber music. For this CD these fine young musicians have to handle a wide range of styles.



The real gem on this CD is the Concerto for Clarinet/Soprano Saxophone. John Beal is a Hollywood composer who has written for movies and television, including the film Pollack and the HBO TV Series Rome. Like many film composers, he is also at home on the concert stage. Beal writes accross a wide range of styles from jazz to classical.



The soloist, Larry Combs, is principal clarinetist with the Chicago Symphony. The soloist has the option of playing part of the second movement on Soprano Saxophone. Combs handles the transition beautifully. He displays the tremendous versitily that one finds with the current generation of jazz/studio/classical instrumentalists. Along with being a supurb classical clarinetist, his jazz soprano saxophone playing is some of the finest I have ever heard. He has remarkable consistency in his tone quality throughout the ranges of both instruments.



Since this CD was released in 1999, I am suprised that I am the first one to review it.



It is worth getting this CD just to get the Beal work. That is why I am giving it a 5 star rating."