Listening Presentation
Metropolis 1927 by Peter Graham. Performed by the Black Dyke Band.
Peter Graham is a highly respected composer in the brass band community. He is known for his innovative and challenging pieces that have pushed the boundaries of the brass band genre. Metropolis 1927 is one of Grahams most Signiant works and required a high level of technical skill and musicality. The piece was inspired by the 1927 silent film Metropolis, by Fritz Lang. Grahams pieces captures the film's dystopian atmosphere, industrial intensity, and emotional turmoil in its dramatic music. DCI fun fact: Santa Clara Vanguard based their 2018 show Babylon, around this piece and took 1st place at the DCI World Championships.
Tre-Mendez Polka, by Rafael Mendez. Performed by the Mendez family.
Rafael Mendez and his sons Ralph and Robert performed the Tre-Mendez Trio, on the Art Linkletter show in 1957. This piece showcases the families exceptional talent and deep connection to family. Mendez enjoyed performing with his two sons and wrote this piece specifically for the three of them to play together, and reflects the joy and passion he felt when performing with his family.
Tales of the Orient Express, by Adam Rapa. Performed by the Corno Festival Brass Ensemble.
Adam Rapa wrote Tales of the Orient Express, as a concerto for trumpet and brass ensemble. Rapa has mastered many genres including jazz and pop which he often features in his music and pushes the boundaries of several genres. This piece showcases Rapa's remarkable range, agility and control of the horn. Rapa continues to compose and arrange pieces around his unique talents and blends his technical skills between several genres.
War, by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble consists of the eight sons of the Chicago based jazz trumpeter Kelan Phil Cohran. Growing up in Chicago, Cohrans sons were surrounded with several musical environments, such as jazz, funk, hip-hop and rock. Early on, they began playing on the streets of Chicago which developed raw urban grit and authentic energy into their music. War, is an emotional reflection of the complexities and brutalities of conflict. The intensity and driving rhythm creates a sense of urgency and unease which is meant to mirror the chaos and tension of warfare. This piece carries a strong message of social consciousness, reflecting their own experience of growing up on the South Side of Chicago. Fun fact: This is this music the show host Caesar walks out to in The Hunger Games movies.
Tine Thing Helselth arranged music from Bizet's opera Carmen, for her all female brass ensemble, tenThing Brassensemble. Helseth's arrangement of the piece includes choreography that you would not see in a typical brass ensemble. They do not go over the top to where it would be consider brass theater, but is enough to keep the audience engaged and highlight the interesting parts in the piece. In their performance you can hear the ensembles wide dynamic range, clarity of articulation, and powerful ensemble sound.
William Tell Overture, by Rossini/Mnozil Brass.
Mnozil brass has made a connection with audiences all over the world by incorporating theatric comedy into their performance. Their adaptation of Rossini's William Tell Overture, turns the familiar piece into a hilarious narrative. However, underneath the theatrics is exceptional virtuosity demonstrated by their ability to not only master the technical challenges of the piece, but also to blend genres and incorporate their own unique style. The Mnozil brass' stage presence and audience engagement enhances the performance and leaves a lasting impression on their audiences.
Thanks for your presentation, I really enjoyed it! I really have enjoyed learning more about the Black Dyke Band from you, you have shared their music a couple times, and they are just a phenomenal group, and I would love to hear more from them. I loved the carmen suite arrangement, I just listened to another arrangement of this by Mattias Hofs, I liked his better, but he is also a beast!
ReplyDeleteThe Black Dyke band was a group I had heard of, but never really sat down and listened to, so I was happy that you included it in your presentation! It seems like the brass band trend is really picking up, at least in the circles I'm aware of, as it seems someone is always playing in or advertising a brass band concert online. It would be amazing to have an ensemble like this at the school!
ReplyDeleteI loved your inclusion of Mnozil Brass. They’re a group that I haven’t listened to much, and given how much I love humor in music, I’m surprised I didn’t start watching them sooner. Needless to say say I’ve had some listening and watching to do in the weeks since your presentation, an I can say I’m happier for it.
ReplyDeleteI loved the arrangement of Metropolis 1927. After class, I even went and watched a portion of the movie. It is so amazing not only how well they technically played the piece, but the level of musicality with which they performed transported the audience inside the movie without needing any visual.
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