Discovering Brass

Today in ABEL we were asked to write a live reaction to several pieces for early brass ensemble by several different composers. Here are my thoughts: Canzon per sonar in echo duodecimi toni a 10 by Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612).      I thought that this ensemble played the piece remarkably well. When I think of early brass music, I think of the sound as being dull. This is mainly because of how the instruments were made and the material they were made of. I believe this ensemble was playing with modern instruments because the ensemble was very bright and brassy. Which was tasteful to the modern ear, but I'm not sure how accurate that would be. Canzona a 5 by Claudio Merula (1533-1604).      This ensemble has the dull sound that I would expect from an early music ensemble. This leads me to believe that this ensemble performed on period instruments. Although I am not certain. La Bignani by  Giovanni Cavaccio (1556-1626).     This is a typical...

Welcome to Discovering Brass! My name is Max Gradisher and this blog is an opportunity for me to learn more about brass ensembles and to share my findings.  I am ashamed to say that as a graduate level trumpet player I am not well versed in the vast array of brass ensembles. My knowledge of brass ensembles is rooted in drum corps. I marched with The Cadets in 2023 and it was the most intense and fulfilling experience of my performing career. This photo is from our performance at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. I would be ecstatic to talk about drum corps for every post, but that wouldn't be much of a discovery for me. So instead I will widen my horizons and find something new for every post... and perhaps include a favorite drum corps fun fact, memory or show. :)