Baritones to the Fore!
30-Apr-2008
Brilliant baritones? You are kidding? No - four of the best and they really are quite briliant too...
Brass Band of Columbus
Featuring: Robert Richardson; Diana Herak; Helen Tyler; Katrina Marzella
Dodgy Valve Productions: CD1036
Total Playing Time: Approx 1 hour
This ambitious recording project is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Pat and Diana Herak, both members of the Brass Band of Columbus and Diana’s father, Paul Droste, the band’s founding conductor and one of the leading lights in the growth of the British style brass band in the USA.
Perhaps one would expect a band (especially one from ‘over the pond’), making what is a fairly groundbreaking and pioneering recording, to play safe and use 1 or 2 soloists.
However, ‘Baritones to the Fore’ brings together four of the leading exponents of an instrument experiencing something approaching a golden period: three from the British Isles (Katrina Marzella, Rob Richardson and Helen Tyler) and one from the ‘home team' of Columbus, Ohio (Diana Herak).
The Brass Band of Columbus (BBC), founded in 1984, has been at the forefront of the resurgence of American banding for the past twenty years or so. The band has been North American Champions no less than ten times, most recently in 2006 (it was a very creditable 3rd this year).
One of the big ‘achilles heels’ for the baritones acceptance as a serious solo instrument has been the lack of original, quality repertoire. So it is refreshing to see that of the 16 tracks here only 5 are transcriptions. In fact a number of the pieces are world premiere recordings, whilst many of the others are fairly new additions to the repertoire.
Many of the works were written for the soloists who commit them to disc here. In this respect, the lack of programme notes in what is an otherwise attractively produced package is slightly disappointing.
A number of the contributions are from young composers currently making a name for themselves. Interestingly these are almost all British writers, perhaps ironic considering this project was ‘born in the USA’!
The unconventional use of four soloists makes for a fascinating contrast of styles and sounds and arguably a more rewarding listening experience.
Rob Richardson demonstrates consistent rock solid technique and great musicality when tackling some of the more substantial works on this CD and indeed the repertoire for baritone – Thorne’s colourful ‘Concertino’, Golland’s ‘Rhapsody: Don Quixote’ and Sparke’s excellent ‘Rhapsody’ (one of a few works accompanied by piano and not the band) . Andrea Crossley’s reflective ‘A New Day’ would be a welcome addition to most concert programmes.
Helen Tyler makes beautiful contributions in ‘Horizon’ by Stephen Booth (himself a fine exponent of the instrument, now resident in New Zealand) and a lovely arrangement by Leigh Baker of the hymn tune ‘Slane’.
Through her numerous competition successes and solo appearances, Katrina Marzella is arguably leading the way for the promotion of the Baritone as a solo instrument at the moment.
The quality of tone and musicality in Philip Harper’s excellent ‘Hebridean Lullaby’ is one of the highlights of this album and this standard is maintained in the thoughtful interpretation of Bach’s unaccompanied ‘Prelude No. 4 in C Minor’ and Bruce Fraser’s delightfully vibrant and evocative ‘Sun’ (featuring some great sounds from the band and in particular some very fine percussion playing).
Diana Herak’s solo contributions are perhaps the most intriguing. There is a noticeably different style to her playing (particularly in the use of the wider vibrato) to that of the Brits, but surely as variety is the spice of life this can only be a positive thing.
Her chosen works too are a break from the norm: the highlight being the mysteriously atmospheric ‘Alu’ (Peter Meechan) and also Phil Lawrence’s quirkily musically schizophrenic ‘Day in the Life of Pooh and Tigger’ (a pity about the tinny sound of the piano and a rather abrupt ending here) and home grown composer Montgomery’s two movement work ‘Mirror Lake’ (the beautiful lake located on the campus of Ohio State University).
The two duets (Baker’s ‘Baritunes’ and the almost inevitable ‘Deep Inside the Sacred Temple’) offer more traditional fare, further contrast and a bit of light relief to some of the recording’s more substantial items.
The Brass Band of Columbus provides solid and unobtrusive accompaniments throughout. There is the odd moment of untidiness in the ensemble and occasionally the recorded sound is a touch too close and lacks resonance, but this is a minor quibble in what it is very worthy and fascinating project which should be of interest to an audience far wider than just Baritone fanatics.
Highly recommended.
Mark Bousie
What's on this CD?
1. Concertino for Baritone, Roger Thorne, Robert Richardson, 7.02
2. Deep Inside the Sacred Temple, Georges Bizet arr. Wilkinson, Diana Herak and Helen Tyler, 3.22
3. Hebredian Lullaby, Philip Harper, Katrina Marzella, 5.14
4. A Day in the Life of Pooh and Tigger, Phil Lawrence, Diana Herak, 3.57
5. Rhapsody for Baritone: Don Quixote, John Golland, Robert Richardson, 8.53
6. Horizon, Steven Booth, Helen Tyler, 6.02
7. Alu, Peter Meechan, Diana Herak, 3.59
8. Rhapsody for Baritone, Philip Sparke, Robert Richardson, 7.52
9. Prelude No. 4 in C Minor , Bach arr. Piper, Katrina Marzella, 3.47
10 Slane, Trad arr. Leigh Baker, Helen Tyler, 3.14
11. Mirror Lake, Montgomery arr. Benjamin Tubb, Diana Herak
12. i. Serenade, 5.12
13. ii. Festival, 2.30
14. A New Day, Andrea Crossley, Robert Richardson, 3.54
15. By the Waterside, Gabriel Fauré arr. Wilson, Diana Herak, 2.17
16. Sun, Frasier, Katrina Marzella, 5.48
17. Baritunes, Leigh Baker, Robert Richardson and Diana Herak, 3.42
