|
Concert: Brass Band "Normandie"
Friday 5:15pm
Jon Burgess, reviewer
Brass Band "Normandie," which has been in existence for six years, won first prize at the International Championship of Bergen (Norway) in 1996. They were runner up at the International Championship of London in 1998 and won first prize at the French National Championships in Boise in the same year. The appearance at the ITG Conference was the first U.S. performance for this band.
From the first note, the audience knew they were in for a musical treat by this young ensemble. The first piece, English Heritage by G. Lloyd demanded incredible dynamic contrasts, plenty of technique, as well as lyrical sections that displayed an impressive blend of sound. The program featured four different cornet and trumpet soloists, starting with Pierre Dutot. He performed On With the Motley by R. Leoncavallo on soprano cornet. His wonderful lyricism and pure sound stood out, as well as his ability to soar above the band at climatic points in the music. David Guerrier performed a 19th century cornet solo by William Rimmer entitled Hailstorm. Guerrier's elegant playing and rapid triple tonguing was impressive. Frederic Presle, solo cornet in the Brass Band "Normandie," was featured in the lyrical solo Demelza by Hugh Nash. The final soloist was André Henry in a performance of Honeggar's Intrada. The audience enthusiastically received his warm, clean playing.
The brass band ended the concert with Corpus Christi by Robert Redhead. The energy and intensity of the final piece equaled the opening number by Brass Band "Normandie." Unfortunately, because of the length of the program, a large number of the audience had to leave for the ITG banquet. The remaining audience's overwhelmingly positive reaction demanded an encore. The powerful sound, blend, and balance of this ensemble are difficult to convey in words, but it was a highlight of the conference for many in the audience. (Jon Burgess, assistant professor of trumpet, Texas Christian University) |
