Customer Reviews

The Canadian Brass Plays Bernstein

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of my favorite Canadian Brass CDs. If you enjoy Bernstein's Candide and West Side Story, you'll find a fresh take on many of the most memorable tracks. My personal favorite on this CD is 'Make Our Garden Grow.' The soaring trumpeters always give me chills, and the climax is massive! Also, the final track on this CD gives you a chance to hear the VOICES of the Canadian Brass performers in a comical version of 'Gee, Officer Krumpke.' Overall, this CD has wide range of styles and definitely shows that the Canadian Brass is not just a group of stuffy musicians!

"The Canadian Brass Plays Bernstein" provides enjoyable listening for a wide range of listeners. Instrumental until the last piece, this CD makes pleasant background music for one working or reading. The lively beat and familiar tunes hold the interest of the listener who is ready for a more intense involvement in the music. All in all, this was a worthwhile purchase.

This recording is what it is advertised to be: a series of pieces by Leonard Bernstein as performed by the Canadian Brass. And the music is very well done, as I would expect from the CB. But this could just as well have been a pirated CD, since it contained absolutely no liner notes or even the names of the song arranger(s). (The only reason we know the composer is because of the title of the CD!) I'm a musician, and reading about the music is as important to me as listening to it. I am willing to pay for a CD when I get the added value of insights about the composer, arranger, the story behind the music, etc. But, if the record labels decide to go the way of just putting blank inserts into CD cases - like this one - I might as well just steal it! And they may never pull out of their tailspin.

Track 2, Let Our Garden Grow, is probably one of the most memorable songs I have ever heard from the Canadian Brass. This album is a must.