Word: concertant
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...composer was 56. This work in three movements was written at the request of the U.S. Army Band, and maybe little else need be said. Actually, the Symphony for Band by Hindemith has become somewhat of a staple of the wind band repertoire, but its rendition by the Concert Band Friday night was not as even and impressive as in parts it showed potential...
Persichetti, head of Juilliard's theory department, has woven an intricate piece of pervasive undercurrent themes and harmonies, based on fourth intervals rather than the traditional thirds. The concert band's playing was coordinated; not too restrained and quite fluid. Its mastery of contrasting ominous percussion in the opening Adagio and wild dynamics in the ensuing Allegro was conspicuous. The reflective, nicely sustained passages of the muted brass in the second movement, along with the fine ensemble of the baritone horns' tone color in the Allegretto showed that a concert band can indeed render a sensitive performance of a demanding...
...Concert Band played these provincial folk tunes with singular enthusiasm and sensitivity, although the performance did not quite match that of the Persichetti symphony. The performers showed their versatility in the opening "Normandie," played with gusto, sprightly clashes of brass and a fine ensemble, and in "Bretagne," somber and haunting with a nice, accented contrast of low brass and shrill woodwinds...
...France," the third part, which was swooning and quick-paced, ending on a sudden clash but not as movingly played as the others. The reflective quality of the winds, controlled and temperate, suffused the grave "Alsace-Lorraine," which seemed most to beckon recollections of the Second World War. The Concert Band have a rather moving, swelling climax here, and the tolling of the drums came across well with contrasting dolefullness and sobriety amid the dance of the winds at the end. "Provence," the last part, contained the richest melodies, played cleanly with an ear for interesting counterpoint...
Quickly remedying this flaw, the Concert Band found its former ensemble and enthusiasm in the ending Fugue, exhibiting just the right tone color which is contained in Hindemith's orchestration. The scope of the work--17 brass, 26 reeds and 3 percussion--was all the more evident in the Symphony in B flat as the group finished with polish and convincing togetherness...