From: pajerek@telstar.kodak.com (Don Pajerek)
Subject: re: Wind ensemble recordings
Reply-To: pajerek@kadsma.kodak.com (Don Pajerek)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp. - Telstar
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 20:51:40 GMT

In article <+lv11cm@rpi.edu> clonij@rs6305.ecs.rpi.edu (John Paul Cloninger) writes:
>Thanks to Mr. Wyble!  I have killed the offending message.
>
>Anyway, does anyone know of any suppliers of Fennell-type wind ensemble
>recordings? CDs preferably.
>
>Thanks.


Well, there have been very few 'big-budget' recordings of the wind ensemble
literature.

There are, of course, the Fennell/Eastman recordings, which are in most
cases state-of-the-art in every respect. Many of these are now available
on CD. There are, however, a few that are mono-only and have NOT been
released. This list includes, regrettably, the Holst and Vaughan Williams
classics. Hopefully Philips won't get cold feet about releasing monaural
material on CD.

Fennell himself has re-recorded some of this literature, some with the
Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (available on imported Japanese CD only), and
some with the Cleveland SWS (really the wind section of the Cleveland
Orchestra). In all cases that I've heard, the Mercury/Eastman stuff is
better.

The Dallas Wind Symphony has made (so far) three recordings on Reference
Recordings. The first two, with Howard Dunn, are very good, especially
the one devoted to Holst's music. The third, with Fennell, doesn't have
much really interesting material on it, and is not as well-played as the
Dunn CD's either. The future of this series is in doubt, since Howard
Dunn is now dead.

The Eastman Wind Ensemble has made three CD's on Sony, one of which is
a collection of trumpet showpieces featuring Wynton Marsalis, and is
this primarily a Marsalis CD. The other two are more the real thing:
the first features a pretty good 'Music for Prague' (though one must
hear Husa conduct this to get the full effect), and a decent 'Toccata
Marziale' also. The new one has the Holst First Suite, Lincolnshire Posy,
and Joseph Schwanter's ',,,Mountains...', all of which are pretty good.
There is also a more obscure Grainger piece 'Lads of Wamphray', that is
as good as many of his better known pieces.

Speaking of Grainger: there is a CD on Delos of the Michigan State
band in an all-Grainger program, including 'Molly on the Shore' and
'Children's March'. I can easily recommend this one, although the
playing isn't of the very highest standard.

There are many British recordings of the Holst and Vaughan Williams
classics, but I prefer Dunn and Fennell to all of them that I've
heard. (Note that Fennell's Mercury recording is as yet unavailable
on CD; only the Telarc/Cleveland recording can be had). One nice
thing about some of the British recordings is that *real cornets*
are used, not trumpets.

The Hindemith 'Symphony in B-flat' can be had on an EMI re-release
conducted by the composer.

Lastly, I recommend the Montreal Symphony/Dutoit recording of the
Stravinsky 'Symphonies of Wind Instruments'. This is a great piece
and a great performance.


Don Pajerek

Standard disclaimers apply.
From: zornow@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Claudia Zornow)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 00:03:44 GMT
Subject: Re: 1992 TubaChristmas schedule
Organization: HP SSD R & D