Album

Brass bands began emerging throughout Great Britain in the middle of the nineteenth century, and by the first decades of the twentieth century, England alone boasted almost 20,000 groups. For much of their first 100 years, they had to rely primarily on arrangements and transcriptions rather than original works. Edward Elgar was among the first significant composers to write for the bands, and his first work, the majestic Severn Suite, didn't appear until 1930. BIS' collection of six attractive pieces for brass band begins with the Elgar, and traces trends in English composition up through John Pickard's 2002 Black Castles. The German ensemble, brass partout, plays even the most fiendishly difficult pieces with polish and high energy. The group, conducted by Hermann Bäumann, has released two previous CDs of brass music by Scandinavian and Russian composers, but in those collections, they had to rely heavily on arrangements, whereas all the works on this CD were originally conceived for brass.

Arthur Butterworth's 1972 Triton Suite is a spiritual descendant of Vaughan Williams' music at its hale and heartiest. The five movements of William and Mary, by Derek Bourgeois, depict crucial moments in the lives of the monarchs, and while sounding thoroughly modern, suggest the era through the subtle use of archaisms. John Tavener's Trisagion, originally written for the Philip Jones Brass Quartet, which ultimately rejected it as unplayable, remains a virtuosic tour de force in this arrangement for 10 players. John Pickard's Black Castles is the most musically sophisticated and satisfying piece on the album. The title refers to a field of huge geological structures in northern Iceland created by the upheavals of lava flows. The music aptly embodies the stark monumentality of that landscape, and Pickard's masterful orchestration creates strikingly original and unusual sonorities, both powerful and delicate. BIS' sound is clear, but a little distant, perhaps to keep the loud sections from blasting out speakers.

© Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

CD 1
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Severn Suite, for brass band, Op.87 Work 17:27 Brass Partout Ensemble, Hermann Bäumer Conductor
1	1.Introduction (Worcester Castle)	2:09			$0.99
2	2.Toccata (Tournament)	4:10			$0.99
3	3.Fugue (Cathedral)	3:53			$0.99
4	4.Minuet (Commandery; based on sketch of 1903)	5:30			$0.99
5	5.Coda	1:45			$0.99
Arthur Butterworth Composer Triton Suite, for brass Op.46 Work 11:19 Brass Partout Ensemble, Hermann Bäumer Conductor
6	1.Maestoso	1:38			$0.99
7	2.Vivace	2:39			$0.99
8	3.Lament. Adagio	3:16			$0.99
9	4.Scherzo. Allegretto	3:46			$0.99
Derek (David) Bourgeois Composer William and Mary Suite for brass, Op.106 Work 17:27 Brass Partout Ensemble, Hermann Bäumer Conductor
10	1.Fanfare	1:47			$0.99
11	2.The Landing at Torbay and the Journey to London	3:48			$0.99
12	3.The King's Champion	2:29			$0.99
13	4.The Death of Mary	4:31			$0.99
14	5.The Achievement	4:52			$0.99
Sir John Tavener Composer Trisagion, for brass quintet Work Brass Partout Ensemble, Hermann Bäumer Conductor
15	Trisagion, for brass quintet	14:21			$2.49
John Pickard Composer Black Castles, for brass Work Brass Partout Ensemble, Hermann Bäumer Conductor
16	Black Castles, for brass	10:59			$1.99
Mark-Anthony Turnage Composer Set To, for brass Work Brass Partout Ensemble, Hermann Bäumer Conductor
17	Set To, for brass	7:40			$1.49