SPECTRUM BRASS BAND FRICkTAL cond. roland fröscher

This piece is a bit of brass-banding history. It did for brass-band music what "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faun" did for the flute and what "Rite of Spring" did for all classical music. It changed the world forever.

Previously serious brass-band music had been well-meaning rather stodgy "tone poems" with earnest names like "An Epic Symphony" and "Life Divine". Think Finlandia with Euphoniums.

"Spectrum" brought weird rhythms, funky harmonies, jerky tunes and exotic percussion.

For me, it was my favourite piece in my heady brass-banding adolescence.

Thanks Dirk, Dutch trombone brother, for posting these videos (in two parts). Be merciful in your judgement. This is very difficult for the euphonium especially...

Comments

Alan said…
In fact we played Finlandia with euphoniums. And transcriptions of Beethoven (Egmont), Berlioz, Franck, etc.

Somewhat predictably, Berlioz overtures work really well for brass band !
7:53 am
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