CD - Brass of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

[WorldofBrass.com]

I apologise if this appears to be a poorly disguised advert, it is not intended to be.

I've just received a preview copy of the first ever CD made by the brass section of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Holland.
For those of you that don't know, the RCO is one of the top orchestras in the world and attracts some of the world's leading conductors. Bernhard Haitink has been associated with the orchestra for many years and the Chief Conductor now is the inspirational Mariss Jansons.

I was particularly interested in hearing this CD as the final track is the original (10 piece) version of Derek Bourgeois' Concerto Grosso which he wrote for the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. Some of you will know the brass band version which YBS used as their own-choice test piece at the European Brass Band Championships on some occasions.
Just imagine that being played by just 10! You have to hear the playing on this CD to believe it, absolutely stunning! The Euphonium cadenza of the brass band version is on French Horn in the original and the Eb Bass cadenza (that the euphonium finishes off!) is played on the tuba in its entirety.

Also included is Hans Werner Henze's own rescoring for 10 piece of Ragtimes & Habaneras.

The CD has been recorded in Super Audio and it also says SURROUND / 5.0 on the back, whatever that means!
Suffice to say, it plays perfectly on my 10+ year old Denon CD player and also on my work PC.

We'll be stocking this CD and should have supplies available for the launch in June.
I highly recommend this CD, whether you like orchestral brass or not, as this is brass playing (and recording) of the highest order.

[AndyCat]

Yes, seconded. Absolutely stunning playing all round. Tuba is FANTASTIC all the way through, but Concerto Grosso is something else!

[Jan H]

If I may give some additional information...

For this CD, the RCO Brass was conducted by Belgian conductor Ivan Meylemans, who I happen to know really well, since he has been my band's conductor for the past 7 years as well .

Ivan playes trombone with the RCO himself. However, he will leave the RCO in July to become a full-time orchestral conductor. He won several conductor awards in the past years (a.o. a place in the final three of the Donattella Flick Conducting contest in London). He has been standing in for Mariss Jansons during rehearsals of the RCO and he has already conducted most other Belgian and Dutch orchestras in concerts.

But besides that, he will always remain a true "band" person, conducting Fanfare Band "Kempenbloei" Achel (my own band ) and the Noord-Limburgse Brass Band as well. Some of you may remember him from when the NLBB won the SCABA Crawley Entertainment Contest two years in a row (dressed up as bird for The Cuckoo...), a couple of years ago.

In 2005, Ivan won the "Prix de Salon", a Dutch incentive award for young musicians. He decided to use the awaded money for the recording of this CD. The recording took place in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, by many considered to be one of the best concert halls in the world. The RCO Brass ensemble includes a.o. Peter Masseurs and Frits Damrow on trumpet, the fantastic Jacob Slagter on french horn and Jurgen van Rijen on trombone.

[brassneck]

The CD has been recorded in Super Audio and it also says SURROUND / 5.0 on the back, whatever that means!

- recorded in SACD format, a hybrid that allows players capable of playing such recordings in surround sound (... many DVD surround sound systems such as Sony cope well with this as they have a SACD laser as well ... mine does!).

N.B., the recording in question is one of the best brass CDs to emerge in the last 10 or more years .... BUY IT!

[Texus]

The RCO orchestra are one of the best sections in the world. Listen to any recordings of big stuff with them, especially Shostakovich and Mahler and you will see what i mean.
This promises to be an outstanding release.

[tubaloopy]

Excuse my ignorance, but if it is only being launched in June, how is it so many people have heard it?
I dont want it in June, I want it now, and you had better tell me how Cattanach or I will never let you play in Glossop bandclub again!!

[AndyCat]

Excuse my ignorance, but if it is only being launched in June, how is it so many people have heard it?
I dont want it in June, I want it now, and you had better tell me how Cattanach or I will never let you play in Glossop bandclub again!!

What a threat!

You could try here:

http://sales.codaex.com/rco/catalogu...l_en.php?ID=18

Or wait til Carl has it at WoB.

I'll see you tomorrow. No doubt?

[tubaloopy]

Merci. Ordered.

You wont see me if you are drinking in the hell hole that is the Galleon.

Think we will be headed for the sports bar or some Irish place, will no doubt bump into you beforehand.

Good luck for tomoz if our paths dont cross beforehand.

[WorldofBrass.com]

Excuse my ignorance, but if it is only being launched in June, how is it so many people have heard it?

The UK supplier told me this week when they sent me a copy that it was due for launch in June. I've no idea why that is as the CD seems to be available from Europe already!

[Jan H]

The UK supplier told me this week when they sent me a copy that it was due for launch in June. I've no idea why that is as the CD seems to be available from Europe already!

The CD was launched last month during a concert of the RCO brass ensemble which was broadcasted live on Dutch national radio. In this concert, they played a part of the CD (including the last movement of Concerto Grosso).

The CD was already for sale directly through the "RCO Live" label (see Andy's link, which comes from the RCO website http://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/ )

Of course I bought my copy directly from Ivan Meylemans

[WorldofBrass.com]

I'll ask the UK supplier why it's a June release date in the UK when it is clearly available in Europe already.

[Brian Kelly]

What else is on the CD, apart from "Concerto Grosso" and "Ragtimes & Habanernas"?

[brassneck]

Full Tracklist:-

- Serenade (Willem van Otterloo)
- The Call, the brass presented (Nick Woud)
- Canzon in echo duodecimi toni a 10, from Sacrae Symphoniae no. 11 (Giovanni Gabrielli)
- Ragtimes and Habaneras (Hans Werner Henze)
- Variants with Solo Cadenzes for trumpet quartet (William Schmidt)
- Concerto Grosso op. 61 (Derek Bourgeois)

[Jan H]

According to Ivan, the first pressing of 3000 CD's has been sold out, and they are now working on the second batch. So that may be the reason why the CD is not available until June...

[brassneck]

According to Ivan, the first pressing of 3000 CD's has been sold out, and they are now working on the second batch. So that may be the reason why the CD is not available until June...

- I think this particular album will be one of the biggest selling brass CDs once more people find out how good it is!