Sapphire Brass Quintet
In Recital
Thursday, August 2nd at 8:15 pm
Five musicians dedicated to one idea, the idea of performing at the highest level. A group capable of not only playing anything in the repertoire, but commissioning new works, the standards of the future. An ensemble that is devoted to bringing the joys of music to the public. A group that believes education is the key to keeping music alive.
This is the Sapphire Brass.
For more information, please visit
www.SapphireBrass.com
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For this event, seating is limited. RSVP to the phone number below or email smarcus@chicagopianosuperstore.com.
Thank you very much,
Steve Marcus
Store Manager,
CHICAGO PIANO SUPERSTORE
University Plaza
1205A Butterfield Road (Rte. 56)(near Rossi Furniture)
Downers Grove, IL 60515 (near I-88 and I-355)
630/512-8830
http://www.chicagopianosuperstore.com
Northern Illinois' and Northwest Indiana's Exclusive Authorized Representatives for New & Used Steinway Pianos
Free Recital in Chicago Area--Sapphire Brass
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Steve Marcus
- pro musician
- Posts: 1843
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:18 am
- Location: Chicago area
- Contact:
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Brendan Bohnhorst
- pro musician
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:59 am
- Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
-
Steve Marcus
- pro musician
- Posts: 1843
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:18 am
- Location: Chicago area
- Contact:
You missed a great recital by the Sapphire Brass. The quintet played with excellent balance, intonation, and attention to detail. It's a shame that there weren't more people in the audience. Perhaps as the word gets out about the professionalism of this ensemble and as they release their own CD/MP3s to market, they'll have people clamoring to hear them.
The program began with Grand Valley Fanfare by Eric Ewazen. This piece, like much of Ewazen's music, is very audience accessible and quite satisfying for the performers to play. Although Sapphire Brass had done a sound check prior to the recital, they utilized this piece to sense the aspects of the Recital Hall and work with them.
A un giro sol de'beglocchi lucenti by Monteverdi followed. The ensemble played this early Baroque piece effectively. Unfortunately, the names of the arrangers/transcribers of all of the non-original pieces in the recital were not listed on the printed program.
Malcolm Forsyth is a Canadian composer who penned Golyardes Grounde. The piece began as an homage to the Baroque period with its typical counterpoint. Then it broke out into a more expansive, late 20th century harmonic and textural language. Interesting piece.
The quintet played Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel at a rather deliberate pace. It lacked some of the dancelike bounce that this piece can muster if performed with a lighter touch. This particular transcription also was missing the high piccolo trumpet line in the last entrance of the theme that is present in other transcription(s).
The 4-movement Sonata Saint Mark contained some of the infectuous melodies that are not often found in other Baroque composers' works, but are welcome and frequent in those by Albinoni. The relatively short contrasting movements can be programmed in a lot of settings.
After intermission, the quintet presented Debussy's The Girl with the Flaxen Hair. This transcription has been around for awhile and appears in many brass quintets' books. But some of the voicings in this arrangement for brass are somewhat bottom-heavy in contrast to the clarity of the original piano solo.
Canzona Prima #5 offered no surprises. Gabrieli's music works well for brass quintet, and Sapphire Brass certainly did justice to this piece.
The Ewald quintets, especially the first one in b-flat minor, are ubiquitous among brass players. And why not--their musical structure is well crafted and the parts treat each instrument idiosyncratically (with the possible exception of the 4th Quintet, which is rarely heard in comparison to the first three).
In performing the Quintet #1, Sapphire Brass chose a very slow tempo for the opening statement and its recapitulation in the first movement, risking a loss of forward motion. But they rolled along well once the piu mosso section arrived. The members had made very clear decisions on dynamics in each phrase and figuration; pairs of instruments were very well matched in this regard. When the tuba had a featured line, Brendan Bohnhorst let his Alex F speak broadly but without any distortion.
In the 5/4 second movement, the quintet took extremes with the tempi again. The opening and closing sections were slow enough to almost disturb the phrasing. The middle section was treated as if each beat were a steady machine-gun pulse. The rollicking 2+3 feeling was virtually lost to this listener.
The final movement of the Ewald was excellently played. It made for a very effective finale for a very fine recital.
I thank the members of Sapphire Brass Quintet for performing at Chicago Piano Superstore's Recital Hall. As a result of Brendon's kind posting elsewhere on TubeNet, other tub[a]ists have emailed me indicating their interest in performing here when they are in the Chicago area. I hope that many tuba players will do so.
Respectfully yours,
Steve Marcus
The program began with Grand Valley Fanfare by Eric Ewazen. This piece, like much of Ewazen's music, is very audience accessible and quite satisfying for the performers to play. Although Sapphire Brass had done a sound check prior to the recital, they utilized this piece to sense the aspects of the Recital Hall and work with them.
A un giro sol de'beglocchi lucenti by Monteverdi followed. The ensemble played this early Baroque piece effectively. Unfortunately, the names of the arrangers/transcribers of all of the non-original pieces in the recital were not listed on the printed program.
Malcolm Forsyth is a Canadian composer who penned Golyardes Grounde. The piece began as an homage to the Baroque period with its typical counterpoint. Then it broke out into a more expansive, late 20th century harmonic and textural language. Interesting piece.
The quintet played Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel at a rather deliberate pace. It lacked some of the dancelike bounce that this piece can muster if performed with a lighter touch. This particular transcription also was missing the high piccolo trumpet line in the last entrance of the theme that is present in other transcription(s).
The 4-movement Sonata Saint Mark contained some of the infectuous melodies that are not often found in other Baroque composers' works, but are welcome and frequent in those by Albinoni. The relatively short contrasting movements can be programmed in a lot of settings.
After intermission, the quintet presented Debussy's The Girl with the Flaxen Hair. This transcription has been around for awhile and appears in many brass quintets' books. But some of the voicings in this arrangement for brass are somewhat bottom-heavy in contrast to the clarity of the original piano solo.
Canzona Prima #5 offered no surprises. Gabrieli's music works well for brass quintet, and Sapphire Brass certainly did justice to this piece.
The Ewald quintets, especially the first one in b-flat minor, are ubiquitous among brass players. And why not--their musical structure is well crafted and the parts treat each instrument idiosyncratically (with the possible exception of the 4th Quintet, which is rarely heard in comparison to the first three).
In performing the Quintet #1, Sapphire Brass chose a very slow tempo for the opening statement and its recapitulation in the first movement, risking a loss of forward motion. But they rolled along well once the piu mosso section arrived. The members had made very clear decisions on dynamics in each phrase and figuration; pairs of instruments were very well matched in this regard. When the tuba had a featured line, Brendan Bohnhorst let his Alex F speak broadly but without any distortion.
In the 5/4 second movement, the quintet took extremes with the tempi again. The opening and closing sections were slow enough to almost disturb the phrasing. The middle section was treated as if each beat were a steady machine-gun pulse. The rollicking 2+3 feeling was virtually lost to this listener.
The final movement of the Ewald was excellently played. It made for a very effective finale for a very fine recital.
I thank the members of Sapphire Brass Quintet for performing at Chicago Piano Superstore's Recital Hall. As a result of Brendon's kind posting elsewhere on TubeNet, other tub[a]ists have emailed me indicating their interest in performing here when they are in the Chicago area. I hope that many tuba players will do so.
Respectfully yours,
Steve Marcus