COMPOSERS: Berlioz,Faure,Koechlin,Schmitt
LABELS: Calliope Approche
WORKS: Symphonie funèbre et triomphale; Dionysiaques; Quelques chorals pour des fêtes populaires; Chant funèbre
PERFORMER: Musique des Gardiens de la Paix/Désiré Dondeyne
CATALOGUE NO: CAL 6859 ADD (1976/74)
The thrills of a huge French wind band in full cry made the original issue a sonic classic. Berlioz goes in outdoor style at austerely stirring march tempi, with vibrant cornets and an operatic trombone solo. Beware the fortissimo percussion if you have a weak heart. Fauré’s monolith, better known as a cello sonata movement, attains stoical grandeur. For extremes of contrast, Schmitt’s virtuoso orgy is wild and Rimsky-ish, while Koechlin’s fresh miniatures mix modal inventions and flamboyant fanfares. Robert Maycock