Customer Reviews

Eastman Wind Ensemble Live in Osaka

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unfortunately, many musicians and dilettantes categorize band music as less in stature of that written for orchestra. Though major composers in history and present have used the orchestra as their main palette of tone colors to draw from, Many composers of stature have also chosen the wind band medium. Including Persichetti who began Parable 9 as an orchestra composition, but was later quoted as saying that the strings just "never came in" when he was composing it.

Ponder for a moment the importance of what Donald Hunsberger has done. He has programmed a concert of wind band compositions, which comprise works from the major composers in history, and has taken them on tour in Japan. Japan, which at the time of performance is reported to have over 16,000 wind bands in operation. In the jacket notes, Hunsberger notes that the programming of Japanese concerts is typically heavy in the first half and lighter in the second half. His programming expertise shines in this recording.

Certainly the Eastman wind ensemble has programmed a concert that attempts to define the eternal question "what is band music". In my opinion he has answered this question with the definitive stentorian response of the Eastman wind ensemble. Expect Hunsberger to adhere to score tempos, as I note that tempos are the main deviance from previous recordings of the same compositions. This recording would belong in the most discriminatory orchestral musician's library as well as the young band musician. This without doubt is True Music.

I own many many of the Eastman Wind Ensembles Recordings and I have to say this is one of the greatest.
I have to say the Grainger works on this Cd are probably the best around, a great way to learn and to listen from the recording. The Shostakovich and Bach pieces are amazing as well
This is a Great CD of many Great Works by many great composers.
You will enjoy it!

I own many many of the Eastman Wind Ensembles Recordings and I have to say this is one of the greatest.
I have to say the Grainger works on this Cd are probably the best around, a great way to learn and to listen from the recording. The Shostakovich and Bach pieces are amazing as well
This is a Great CD of many Great Works by many great composers.
You will enjoy it!

That an ensemble could play this beautifully is hard to imagine. If you've ever enjoyed a wonderful ensemble, a perfect concert, or a the thrill of a "tight", well-rehearsed concert band, you know then what to expect from this CD. The performances are great and the sound magnificent. The selection of music spans traditional to modern, and the ensemble rises to the occasion no-matter what the piece. A must-buy CD.

Eastman Wind ensemble is one of the best wind orchestras in the world ,in the same class as the Tokyo Kosei wind orchestra.
As always the eastman wind amazes us with theyr very good musicality and ensemble...another very good cd to own for any wind player....

Any Band enthusiast knows that the Eastman Wind Ensemble is the back bone of what we do, they were the first "wind ensemble" and the recordings are still standard. The original Mercury Monos of the 50s are all must-owns despite the poor recording quality occasionally. "Live in Osaka" is an outstanding cd, and is a great crash course in band music (who ever dreamed of putting the Holst Suite, Lincolnshire, Stars and Stripes and Festive all on ONE CD?!) but the performance falls short in a few places. There is some brass inaccuracy in Festive Overture, Stars and Stripes and a BIG splat at the end of the "March" in the Holst Suite #1. Don't get me wrong, this is overall a solid performance and a CD I enjoy listening to. I also question Hunsburger's tempos in Lincolnshire a tad, he takes off for the races in the first movement! Even though its great to have them all on one cd, get yourself a good mix of the Mercury Monos and some Cleveland Symphonic Winds cds if you want "standard band lit".

I am an old band musician and have played many of the pieces on this CD myself. This performance is incredibly good, it is hard to believe it is live.

Particularly good are the Grainger works (Lads of Wamphrey and Lincolnshire Posy) and the Holst suite. Particularly the third movement of the Posy, this is probably the most dramatic and most effective version of this I have heard.

Less favorite is the Bach organ music. The performance was very good but the fast passages (particularly in cadenzas) must be played in strict meter to keep all of the players together. I think that takes away from the music somewhat. Even with this limitation, I still listen to these pieces rather than skip past them.

The Schwantner piece is very good but some of the impact is lost in the recording.

There is not a lot of difficult listening here; this is a good, accessible "band music" CD. People who do not want to listen to "modern music" but still want more than just an album of marches will enjoy this CD.

This is a good CD that offers a broad range of literature. As for Eastman Wind Ensemble, they seem to lack a little emotion, but they sure have the technical aspects down. But this consists of classics from centuries of music, from Baroque (Toccatta in D Minor by J.S. Bach) to the postmodern (...and the Mountains rising nowhere). So if you are a fan of timeless wind ensemble, then this is the CD for you (and fortunately, it's inexpensive :-).

This is one of Eastman's finest recording. It's hard to believe it's live!! The first time I listened to Track One (Bach), I seriously thought there was an organ in the recording. Hunsberger notes that there was none. An excellent choice and variety of literature performed by some of nation's top musicians. This CD is one of my all-time favorites for band. I love it!

Thoroughly enjoyable. I play it all the time at work - and I'm a legal assistant so I NEED stress relief!