Corporon does it again!
Jess Turner | Greenville, SC United States | 08/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yet another success from the Klavier Wind recording project! As a member of a university wind ensemble, I greatly appreciate Klavier's dedication to recording new music for wind ensemble, a previously neglected medium. The selection of pieces on this recording is good and Corporon's interpretations are excellent. I have never heard such a flawless performance of "Lincolnshire Posy" which is quite difficult standard band literature. I was amazed by the "Concerto for Solo Percussionist." The composer, William Childs melds classical and jazz styling in a very effective way and the solo work is jaw-dropping. And, of course everyone will love "Cartoon" by Paul Hart. This piece brought me back to the classic cartoons of my childhood. This CD is definitely a must-have for anyone interested in wind band music."
Highly recommended North Texas recording
BandGuy | Texas, USA | 05/23/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Klavier Records, with its extensive holdings spanning a wide range of recorded music for various ensembles has never failed to please, especially with its wind band recordings. Of all of its Cincinnati and North Texas recordings to date, "Wildflowers" is definitely one of the best. The disc's contents display both of the Klavier Wind Recording Project's primary goals - the identification and preservation of the standard repetoire and the promotion of contemporary music.Opening with self-taught composer Ernst Toch's delightful "Spiel," the clarity and balance of the North Texas Wind Symphony is readily apparent. Composed in 1926 for a series of festivals organized by Paul Hindemith, Toch would later go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for his "Third Symphony" in 1956. The first of Eastman faculty-member Joseph Schwantner's trilogy of wind band works, "and the mountains rising nowhere," follows. Having taken its name from a poem by Carol Adler, the work is scored for amplified piano, fifty percussion intruments, winds, brass, and string bass. Glass crystals can be heard as well, contributing to the ethreal sonorities of this highly interesting work.One of the monuments of 20th century band literature, native-Australian Percy Grainger's "Lincolnshire Posy" is given an excellent performance here by North Texas. The work itself, described by Grainger as a collection of "musical wildflowers" is based on folksongs that he collected during his travels in Lincolnshire, England between the years 1905 and 1906. Each movement is intended not only to present the folk material, but to weave each individual singer's personality (those that Grainger encountered) into the settings as well. While many recordings exist of "Lincolnshire Posy," including the popular Eastman Wind Ensemble/Frederick Fennell rendition, a certain inherent beauty lies within the North Texas sound - lush and full with a dark, sonorous quality during every band tutti.International Sudler and ABA Ostwald prize-winner Dana Wilson contributes his 1992 "Dance of the New World," a work that in the composer's words "...captures the spirit of awakening and burgeoning that resulted from his [Christopher Columbus'] journey." Employing Latin American elements, this nine-minute compostion contrasts nicely with the Grainger that precedes it. For those interested, although I have not actually heard it, Wilson's award-winning "Piece of Mind," a work highly touted by critics, has been recorded by Corporon and the Cincinnati Conservatory Wind Symphony on the Klavier disc Made in America (KCD 11051). USC alumnus and jazz pianist William Child's "Concerto for Solo Percussionist," commissioned and performed here by renowned artist Steve Houghton features various percussion instruments in its three movements, concluding with an unabashedly jazzy Presto for drum set. With lots of rhytmic interplay between soloist and band and moments of serenity and reflection within its seventeen minutes, I was able to appreciate the work more and more with repeated hearings.To conclude this superlative disc, English composer and TV tune-writer Paul Hart's "Cartoon" brings Wildflowers to a rousing finish. Inspired by cartoons and the music behind them, the listener is led through a genuinely entertaining musical romp. With its big, Gershwin-like main theme, "Cartoon" holds universal appeal for all music-lovers. Too bad Carl Stalling himself didn't pen his creative work into a band piece; nobody did it better.If you're looking to buy one band CD, make it this one. I can't emphasize its quality, variety, and aesthetic value enough. North Texas turns in excellent performances here under Eugene Corporon. With the huge array of classical recordings and products out there, it's often difficult to choose something worth your money. Nothing is more frustrating than shelling out 17 or 18 bucks only to find that you've brought home a snore, or worse yet (for you band aficionados), an unimaginative rehash of band music that should've been left on library shelves. You won't feel jipped or bored at all with Wildflowers, one of the true jewels in all commercially-recorded band music."
Fantastic collection of old and new band literature!
Scott Johnson | Ames, Iowa | 10/21/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I picked this CD up in order to have a recording of some of the pieces I had played while a member of the University of Nebraska Wind Ensemble. I was pleased to see three of my favorites listed on one CD: Lincolnshire Posy, ...and the mountains rising nowhere, and Cartoon. However, the other selections are equally worthy of the listener's time. This is a great compilation of traditional (Lincolnshire Posy, Spiel), modern (Dance of the New World, Concerto for Solo Percussionist), and cutting edge (Cartoon, ...and the mountains rising nowhere) wind band literature. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone seeking wind band music, whether a beginner or a long-time aficionado."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1