Reviews of Eqilibrium Recordings

Brooklyn Bridge
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SYMPHONY BAND,
Michael Haithcock, Conductor

This CD by the University of Michigan Symphony Band combines two classics of the band repertory with creations by several of the stars of the university's composition faculty; it's of interest far beyond the Big Ten and shows something of the continuing vitality of the symphonic band tradition. The disc opens with a short, appropriately overture-like work by Bright Sheng, for "orchestra without strings." Called "La'i," it is loosely inspired by the mood of a type of Tibetan love song. Over nearly five minutes it moves from passages of dissonant, highly expressive evocation of the romantic feelings embodied in the Tibetan form to more transparent textures in which the basic pitch materials of the work are clarified; the effect is that of a feeling springing into clear definition.

Susan Botti's "Cosmosis for wind ensemble, soprano, and women's voices" sets diverse poetry by May Swenson; the texts do not fully hang together, but Botti's dual treatment of the voices -- at times they converse in a disorganized crowd, while elsewhere they sing sweetly -- is compelling, and is integrated well into the textures of the band. Perhaps the disc's highlight is the album's title work, by Michael Daugherty, a fine example of his unique mixture of Stravinskian techniques with vernacular materials.

The four-movement work depicts views in four directions from the great New York bridge and at the beginning uses the clarinet and full band in a wonderful evocation of the bridge's combination of delicacy and bulk. There seems to be less popular material here than in other Daugherty works, but he is just setting the listener up for the rollicking jazz of the Ivesian final movement, a piece of fun as infectious as anything in the recent concert repertoire. The University of Michigan Symphony Band under Michael Haithcock smoothly executes the pastoral textures of Percy Grainger's "Lincolnshire Posy" and the final fantasia on "Chester" by William Schuman, and does not flag through a program of varied and fairly difficult music. James Manheim - From: Barnes & Noble - All Music Guide

Go to "Brooklyn Bridge"

MUSIC OF JAN BACH

Boen, Rachleff, and Symphony II (Chicago Philharmonic) were fleet and agile, dashing through Bach's upbeat tangles with sophisticated flair. Boen's tone was clear and mellow, capable of blending elegantly into the orchestral texture as well as striking out in confident solo voice. Wynne Delacoma, Chicago Sun-Times

The solo horn gets a bravura workout, dancing around the orchestra's darting figuration and pounding, percussion-driven rhythms. The virtuosic Boen and Symphony II made the concerto a real audience-grabber..." John Von Rhein, Chicago Tribune

Go to "Music of Jan Bach"

THE AMBASSADOR DUO

Critics have hailed the Ambassador Duo as "intuitive, exciting, and enthralling." "Clifford Leaman is an artist of the first order [and] Derek Parsons is truly his musical match." (Paul Wagner, The Saxophone Journal) "

... they reveal themselves to be artists of technical brilliance and emotional commitment." "The range of colors is impressive..." (Jack Sullivan, American Record Guide)

Go to "Illuminations"
Go to "Excursions"
Go to "Brilliance

IGOR LESNIK

All Music Guide

Although Croatian composer Igor Lesnik has yet to make a splash in the United States, his accessible and highly entertaining music for percussion ensemble has a chance of catching on, if his growing acceptance in Western Europe is any indication. Lesnik's style is idiosyncratic and iconoclastic -- often similar in its jazz-rock flavor and occasional silliness to Frank Zappa's music; and, just as often, it is as technically demanding as Christopher Rouse's celebrated percussion music for virtuosos.

Taken at face value, "Dwarfs" (2003), "Chamade Suite" (1993), and the Lesnik/Cibulka collaboration the "Concerto for percussion and percussion" (2002), are instant crowd-pleasers with an extroverted character; these works offer bright displays of various mallet instruments and impressively vigorous drumming. However, Lesnik's "Hommage à Ball" (1995) is a bit more arcane and perhaps less immediately appealing for its experimental nature.

This setting of Hugo Ball's 1916 Dadaist sound-poem "Six Poems of Voices and Sounds" may annoy the less adventurous listener if the verbalizations are not taken in a spirit of fun. The Jeunesses Musicales Croatia, also known as biNg bang, was founded by Lesnik, and this talented group delivers his music with special authority, enthusiasm, and panache. Equilibrium's sound quality is fine. Blair Sanderson.

Go to "biNg bang plays Lesnik"

TRANSMUTATIONS AND METAMORPHOSES
Michael Udow, director
Douglas Walter, marimba
U of M Percussion Ensemble

Michael Udow directs the University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble, joining soloists Douglas Walter (the only percussionist to win the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York City), Jeffrey Moore (Director of Percussion Studies, University of Central Florida), and Tomoko Azuma (2002 semi-finalist in the Stuttgart World Marimba Competition).

"I have heard your Transmutations and Metamorphoses...I stayed in a sweet dream...the recording is astounding." ➢ Karlheinz Stockhausen

Go to "Transmutations and Metamorphoses"