Originals

Album No. 26 | Recorded 2006

Album Playlist

About the Album

Why would a composer choose to write for an ensemble of wind instruments? The answer to this question has been evolving since the earliest days of wind bands in its infancy, the reason for the wind ensembles existence was practical wind instruments are portable and can be played at loud volumes, making them ideally suited for outdoor performances Many of these early ensembles were used for ceremonies or background music for social events, and these functions bad an impact on the style of music, that was written for them, For several decades original band music consisted primarily of marches, dances, and other short forms and on many concert programs this original music was supplemented generously by arrangements of orchestral and operatic works. However, as band instruments improved and the skills of the instrumentalists and conductors became more sophisticated, composers became increasingly interested in the unique possibilities of the medium.

While the selections on Originals come from different eras and back- grounds, there is one important commonality shared by all sit each was conceived specifically for an ensemble of wind instruments From the earliest composition on the recording. Felix Mendelssohn's Overture for Winds, to Magnus Lindberg's Gran Duo, the most recent contribution, all were imagined and created in order to exploit the unique timbral palette of a wind band Furthermore, these works are not mere cast-off scraps from the workshop floor. Each rep resents the best efforts of the composer and are significant contributions to the ever-expanding repertoire of the wind ensemble. In his text The Wind Band (1961), famous bandmaster Richard Franko Goldman speculated on the future of the band medium and the ongoing efforts to establish an identity separate from that of the symphony orchestra The most important factor in the world of band and hand music today is the growth of a new and original repertoire. For it is this repertoire, which exploits the sound of the wind band in all is possibilities and is designed for the type of audience that is attracted to the hand, that well give the band an even more secure place in the musical community and that will once and for all settle the question of hand vs orchestra. While it may be some time before this question is answered once and for all the works on Originals make a convincing case for the credibility and legitimacy of the band as a serious concert medium.

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Tracks

1. Vincent Persichetti: Masquerade, Opus 102

2. Felix Mendelssohn: Overture in C for Winds, Opus 24

3. Warren Benson: The Leaves Are Falling

4. Percy Grainger: Hill-Song No. 2

5. Magnus Lindberg: Gran Duo

conducted by Colonel Timothy W. Foley

6. Ingolf Dahl: Sinfonietta

Introduction and Rondo

Pastoral Nocturne

Dance Variations