Over the Edge

Has the talented Nick Ost really gone over the edge with his latest CD release, or has health and safety played a part?

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Nick Ost
Fodens Band
Conductor: Russell Gray
MHP1609
Total playing time: 69.11 mins

There can be a tendency in life to stick with the tried and tested, to stay with what one knows and is familiar with.

Just as it can apply with food and drink, so can it be with music, but if anyone were to overlook this new recording by Nick Ost on those grounds then they would be missing a gem.

The music is written by Flemish (Belgian) composers who are friends and colleagues of the soloist, and most of the names will probably be unfamiliar, although Johan Evenpoel in particular has written extensively for brass and wind, his 'Ginnungagap' ('...Seeming emptiness') making quite an impact when used on the contest stage. The pieces included are all very accessible, concentrating predominantly on the instrument’s lyrical qualities, although there is plenty for fans of technical fireworks as well.

Prize-winning performer

Nick Ost himself has quite an impressive curriculum vitae, having played with Brass Band Willebroeck since 1991, winning 'Best Euphonium' prizes with them on a number of occasions, and also receiving awards for Best Euphonium Player at the European Solo Championships in Glasgow in 2004, and at the British Solo Championships at Tameside in 2005.

Since June 2001 he has been a professional member of the Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides.

Collaboration between pupil and teacher

François Glorieux was Nick Ost’s chamber music teacher, and Nick has recorded an entire cd of his music accompanied by the Revivat Scaldis Chamber Orchestra ('Euphonic Moods').

The only overlap between the two discs is the 'Fantasy for Euphonium', commissioned as a solo work to illustrate both the lyrical potential of the instrument and also its flexibility in more technical passages. The extended cadenza has clearly been carefully thought through, and the concluding presto is taken at breakneck speed.

The 'Concerto for Euphonium' is a far more extended work than the 'Concertino' recorded earlier, incorporating a range of styles and moods. After the opening, setting a sustained euphonium line against a rhythmic accompaniment from the band, the 'Lento nostalgica' offers a moment of repose, with its yearning Rachmaninov-like melody.

The 'Allegro brioso' sees a reprise of the opening, but with more elaboration of the solo line than before, leading to an abrupt and somewhat unexpected cut-off. The second part of the concerto consists of a theme and variations, with the subtitle ('Glorous Sound'), the initial elegant statement being followed by a real sense of fun in the 'Tempo di saltarella', in which the “jumping” origin of the dance style comes across well.

An 'Andante caloroso' leads to a brief cadenza, before a lively and rhythmic 'Allegro con brio'. The ''Blues' has a nicely laid-back feel to it, and the 'Presto' finale sets off at a cracking pace, with the soloist constantly on the move.

Lively opener

The disc opens with 'Rhapsody for Euphonium' (Johann Evenepoel), written for Ben Haemhouts and Brassband Midden Brabant, his performance winning him the solo prize at the VARA Brass Band Festival in Utrecht. There is much interplay between soloist and band, both in terms of tutti sections and individual players from the band, with lively rhythms and a fast and furious finish.

Beautiful slow melody

'Walking on Music' (Roger Derongé) was written for Nick’s colleague at Willebroeck, Stef Pillaert, and is scored for a band with no cornets, making for a somewhat dark and austere texture. Opening with an unaccompanied passage for the soloist, it is predominantly slow, concentrating on the smooth, melodic characteristics of the instrument, and with a final note that seems to go on for ever.

Exotic sounds

Bart Picqueur trained as a clarinettist, and is a prolific arranger in the world of classical and light music. His 'Dr Livingstone I Presume?' bears the subtitle, ''A Jungle Fantasy for Euphonium & Brass Band', and gives him the opportunity to draw some suitably exotic colours from the ensemble.

He makes much use of mallet percussion, and incorporates the African djembe (a small skin-covered drum played with the hands). The solo line at times is something of a moto perpetuo with very little chance for a breather – the sleeve notes speak of the “courage” demanded of the soloist, and the spirit of adventure is ever present.

In the contrasting middle section Nick shows exemplary control over the full range of the instrument, comfortable in his phrasing and always emphasising the musical shape. The writing for the cornets towards the end is somewhat reminiscent of Aagaard-Nielsen’s 'Fever Fantasy', as the music moves inexorably towards the close.

Innovative scoring

The wording of the sleeve note for Bart Watté’s 'Over the Edge' would seem to refer to an orchestral version of the work, although some elements of that scoring have clearly found their way into the band version, notably with the use of the harp, played here by Lauren Scott, the wife of Fodens’ Composer in Residence Andy Scott.

It makes its presence felt at both the start and the finish of this moody and atmospheric work, making for some interesting variety in the texture. It is in these final two tracks that the band is heard at its best, with the some quite stunning playing at times as they match the intensity of the soloist, with thrilling sounds from the soprano cornet in particular.

Music is the winner

This is certainly not a disc for superficial display for its own sake, and one feels that whatever pyrotechnics are included are there at the service of the music, rather than to glorify the performer.

The programme notes are helpful, if not always in the most idiomatic English, and soloist, band and conductor should all be commended for the work they have put in.

It is highly recommended to any who enjoys high class brass playing, and who is willing to step away from the beaten track to explore the lesser known highways and byways.

Peter Bale

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