Search - Vincent Persichetti, David Amos, Winds of the London Symphony Orchestra :: Persichetti: Divertimento; Masquerade; Parable

A Most Welcome Reissue of Persichetti Wind Band Music

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 05/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The contents of this CD were originally issued on the Harmonia Mundi label about ten years ago. It was a treasurable issue then and its reappearance on a budget label is particularly welcome for those who don't own the older disc. Much of this music stands at the very center of essential American concert band music repertoire, along with his Symphony No. 6. Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987), whose polytonal and rhythmically alive music is presented here, had a particular talent for writing for combinations of winds, brass and percussion. Included on this well-filled disc are seven of the fourteen such works that he wrote. Divertimento for Band, Op. 42, Psalm for Band, Op. 53, and Pageant, Op. 59 are among the most-played of these works, but the much more complex and striking Parable for Band (Parable IX), Op. 121, one of the last things he wrote, is perhaps one of his most original works.



The music itself is performed beautifully by players of the London Symphony under the direction of American conductor, David Amos, long known for his recorded forays into forgotten or nearly-forgotten American music. One could not ask for more idiomatic performances. As someone who had many years ago played in performances of the Divertimento and the Psalm, this recording brought back warm memories. Naxos, which has just started a new series called 'Wind Band Classics,' has issued this as the second in what hopes will be an extensive list of recordings to come. A plus for this release is the knowledgeable booklet essay by the leading expert on the music of Persichetti, Walter Simmons.



Strongly recommended.



Scott Morrison"

Persichetti / LSO Winds

Gary Davis | Columbus, OH USA | 07/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At the time when most of the pieces on this recording were composed, the repertoire of concert band music was quite small. There were marches, transcriptions, light pops music and the pioneering British works by Holst, Vaughan Williams and Grainger.



Around 1950, the demand for serious concert music for band increased partly due to the emergence of college bands. The long play record made it possible for Frederick Fennell and others to make them available to the record buying public. Thank goodness for composers like Vincent Persichetti and a handful of others, for their examples set the template for the music to come. His music is rhythmically exciting and well orchestrated. These are not pieces that come across as conceived for another medium and translated for band. Persichetti obviously had a natural feel for band instrumentation - he had few precedents in band composition - and these recordings show it. Persichetti was basically a classicist and it is easy to comprehend his works from an architectural standpoint.



The London Symphony Winds are a good choice for this repertoire, given the history of wind music in England. The performances are crisp and well-balanced and bring out the energy that Persichetti aimed for as well as the expression needed in the lyrical sections. A must for anyone interested in wind music."