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Fine Arts Brass play Baroque
Following their recent disc of Russian music, the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble turn their wizzardry to a collection of baroque musicincluding such well known works as Bach's Air on the G string, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Albinoni's Adagio and Handel's Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Fine Arts Brass perform with their usual flare injecting into these works the bravura and panache we have come to expect from this world class ensemble.
shipping_weight
0.135000
kg
£14.99
In stock
Catalogue Number
NI5651
| Review | This is the sort of CD I wouldn't have taken much notice of normally. I'm not too keen on naked brass, nor am I particularly sympathetic (now) to Baroque music (although I acknowledge Bach's astonishing genius and revere his instrumental music; and there are pieces by both Handel and Vivaldi that I love). As a rule, arrangements of this sort, however skilled, usually leave me cold. By chance, I heard a track from this CD on Radio 3 - the last movement of Bach's A minor Violin Concerto. I was impressed and requested a review copy. Fine Arts Brass - Simon Lenton and Angela Whelan (trumpets, piccolo trumpets), Stephen Roberts (horn), Simon Hogg (trombone) and Richard Sandland (tuba) - are veterans of over two-thousand concerts; they have commissioned many composers for new works and have travelled the world. Most of the arrangements for this Baroque CD are by Stephen Roberts who also writes an informative sleeve note. The highlight for me is his brilliant version of Wir eilen mit schwachen from Bach's Cantata 78. This is life-enhancing music played here with a joy and virtuosity (a particularly nimble tuba) that is spectacular. (This is the track - No.11 - to sample.) The other Bach arrangements are also excellent - complete performances of the A minor Violin Concerto and Second Brandenburg. The latter already has a trumpet part so comes off especially well. I like too the imaginative re-working of Vivaldi's D minor Concerto for two violins and cello; his Concerto for two trumpets was a natural for this programme, and Bach's Wachet Auf and Air on the G String are as sensitively rendered (no cloying sentimentality) as the Badinerie is sparkling. To complete the programme the ever-popular Adagio (Giazotto's arrangement of Albinoni) is nobly performed. Throughout this CD Fine Arts Brass display a beautiful sound, instrumental brilliance and sterling musicianship. The recording is naturally balanced and tonally faithful. In short a very enjoyable CD, and I'm going to play track 11 again! - Colin Anderson - musicweb-international.com |
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| Sample Tracks |
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Brandenburg Concerto No.2 I
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