Symphony No. 7
Illinois State University Wind Symphony, Stephen Steele (conductor)
By now the Illinois State University Wind Symphony under Stephen Steele has achieved renown for their adventuresome Albany recordings (TROY500, TROY600, TROY755 and TROY774-775). One of the composers prominently featured in these releases is David Maslanka, who, after Vincent Persichetti, is probably the most important American composer for band. His Symphonies 4 and 5 are featured in this series, and the Symphony No. 7, as Maslanka explains, is a Symphony of old songs remembered: "I am strongly affected by American folk songs and hymn tunes. With one exception all the tunes are original, but they all feel very familiar. The borrowed melody is from the 371 Four-Part Chorales by J.S. Bach. Each song has a bright side and a dark side, a surface and the dream underneath." Samuel Zyman, a long-time Juilliard faculty member, is one of the most prominent Mexican composers. His Cycles is a one-movement work that consists of several distinct sections that appear and alternate "cyclically" throughout the work. Matthew Halper's works are widely performed and his Flute Concerto is an expansive, dramatic work that covers a wide musical terrain in a single movement.
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Symphony No. 7 | David Maslanka | Illinois State University Wind Symphony, Stephen Steele, conductor |
| Cycles | Samuel Zyman | Illinois State University Wind Symphony, Stephen Steele, conductor |
| Concerto for Flute and Wind Ensemble | Matthew Halper | Illinois State University Wind Symphony, Stephen Steele, conductor, Kimberly Risinger, flute |
Reviews
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"This is another worthy entry in this composer's important symphonic project...There is no more American composer than David Maslanka..."
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"...these performances...are truly fantastic! Not only does the ensemble play with tremendous precision; what impresses me even more is the hair-raisingly meticulous timing and balancing of harmonic sonorities...I have heard some extremely fine wind ensembles...but I can't think of any more impressive than this one."
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