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The recordings by the "Young German Brass Soloists," available on Spotify, are stunning. One includes unabridged arrangements of the 3 big Respighi "Roman" compositions for no more than 20 brass and percussion players, probably fewer. I'd like to know what the exact instrumentation is for those pieces and their other recordings. They are amazing.

Other than links to merchants who are selling their recordings, what websites contain information about the "Young German Brass Soloists" who are conducted by their founder, Walter Hilgers?

Their own website, http://www.jdbs-online.de, is not constructed. They don't seem to have a presence on Facebook or YouTube.

There is a contact whom I've emailed:

Stefan Kaundinya
stefan@kaundinya.de" target="_blank

Thank you, Klaus. There is some information provided at that site. But if I understand the text, the group is described as having "up to 20 brass players" and "up to 5 percussion players." Nothing specific about the actual instrumentation of each of their arrangements or compositions is shown.

On such a website and/or on a Facebook page, it's common to list the names of the players, provide photos, etc.

While it's possible that their management might be protecting the identity of young players, they aren't promoting their recordings nor their live performances nearly as actively as most performance ensembles of this high calibre do.

There's also scarce information of how excellent young brass players can become members of this organization and if they "age out."

Frankly, encountering their fine recordings on Spotify today was a total surprise--a pleasant one because their playing is so spectacular. Am I the only one outside of Germany who was not familiar with the Junge Deutsche Blechbläsersolisten before reading this?

As I read the text, this ensemble has no steady membership. Rather it is the framework for a series of projects. Somewhat like the Joint Conservatories’ Orchestra here, where students from all 5 conservatories met for a week to form a large romantic orchestra playing heavyweights from the repertory under conductors like Celibidache or Penderecki.

Klaus

I have the CD under discussion.
I´ll look it up and may be able to provide names off of the CD-Folder.
Yes, they performed nicely. As I understand this is a project ensemble consisting of students of the respective Generation.

Hans

Here is a cordial response from Herr Kaundinya:

The Young German Brass Soloists (German: Junge Deutsche Blechbläsersolisten) don't exist any more (mostly, because the members are old now ). Walter Hilgers is well known in Germany for being member of famous German Brass for many years. His website: http://www.walterhilgers.de
Several members of the ensemble now play in major orchestras in Germany.

The arrangements of the Respighi pieces are by Peter Lawrence (http://www.pledition.com). The instrumentation is 6 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, euphonium, 2 tubas, 5-7 percussion. I think we had an additional trumpet player and an additional horn player in performances.

On the CD "Just For Fun" you find pieces for 10 piece brass ensemble, and on the Hindemith recording there is a quartet, a quintet, and two pieces for 10/12 brass players, two harps and piano.

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.