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Faculty Chamber Music Concert Sunday at 4 pm in Finney Chapel |
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Brass Odyssey will take the stage for the first half of the program. Ryan Anthony, professor of trumpet and a member of the group, says the group has an edge over similar brass ensembles. "One thing that sets us apart," says Anthony, "is that we use bass trombone instead of tuba, which is rare, especially to have a bass trombone played well. We also have a percussionist, which is uncommon in brass quintets." The Brass Odyssey sextet consists of Ryan Anthony and Jonathan Fields on trumpets, David Brockett on horn, David Mitchell on trombone, Andrew Hicks on bass trombone, and Abe Sobriesky on percussion. All are classically trained and have performed professionally in a variety of settings. That level of experience is another distinguishing factor of their group, says Anthony. "To successfully perform a program as diverse as this one, every member of the group must have a broad knowledge of and skill in performing many different styles." Diverse may be an understatement. The program begins with a late Renaissance piece, "The Earl of Oxford's March" by William Byrd, followed by "Nimrod" by Edward Elgar -- a successful transcription of the orchestral version of the same piece, says Anthony. "It was also written for organ, and anything written for organ usually transcribes very well for brass ensembles" They will then play an arrangement of the Queen of the Night's aria from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, with two piccolo trumpets "singing" the famous coloratura firework passage. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D minor is next, followed by Peter Warlock's Two Movements from the Capriol Suite and Smetana's "Dance of Comedians," both in transcription for brass ensemble. On a lighter note, Brass Odyssey will then perform "Backtalk," which Anthony describes as a "jazzy, ragtime piece with a marimba solo," followed by a mellow arrangement of "My Romance" by Rogers and Hart, "Firedance" by A. Di Lorenzo, and a medley of Tommy Dorsey tunes to "end the first half of the concert with a bang." "It should be a lot of fun," says Anthony. "It is rare to see a group play so many styles (and play them well) in one hour. We have a good time playing and I'm sure the audience will have a good time listening."
"This is probably the most 'finished' of all Brahms' piano quartets," says Toth. "Brahms is famous for his meticulous re-working of every piece, but in this one it seems he took even more care than usual. It is another one of his very lyrical pieces, almost orchestral in scope with long, horizontal melodic lines and rich rhythmic tensions. All of the instruments have their chance to shine." This concert is free and open to the public.
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Back to the Backstage Pass |
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