Biggs and Boston Brass: CD Recommendation for Week of 7 June 2015

The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli is my classical music recommendation this week.  Grab this CD if you can find any available, particularly if you like early music.  Giovanni Gabrieli (1557 – 1612) spans the period from early music into the Baroque Era.  Just in case this CD is unavailable, a good substitute is Arcangelo Corelli’s (1653 – 1713), The Complete Conceti Grossi.

Below is one cut from the Gabrieli recording.  Enjoy.

Here is a positive review of the Gabrieli recording.

“This is one of the top handful of brass albums available. It is a once-in-a-lifetime recording – many of America’s top brass players reading through polyphonic music of Gabrieli. Playing, intonation, and ensemble are all exactly what you should expect: outstanding.  Also, this album is not the result of hours upon hours in the studio – the rehearsal and recording took place in a total of nine hours (the Chicago/ Cleveland/ Philadelphia brass ensemble part).  That aspect adds further to this CD’s special place in the listening catalog.
This CD falls basically into two parts: the Chicago/ Cleveland/ Philadelphia brass ensemble and E. Power Biggs/ Boston Brass Ensemble. I find the triple brass group to be more of the attraction than the organ and smaller brass group.  E. Power Biggs has numerous other recordings, but this is the only one made by the combined forces of three of America’s top brass sections. The 13 tracks of Gabrieli are more than worth the price.  Still, with the inclusion of Armado Ghitalla from Boston, the performer list for this album reads like a “Who’s Who” of American orchestral brass players.
Don’t be thrown off by the thin neckties on the cover – fashion may have moved on, but the musical strength of this album has not wavered at all. Notes are detailed and excellent, and the price is lower than more recent but lesser quality CDs. If you buy one album of brass instruments, this should be it.”