Thursday, September 13, 2007

Ten Recordings You Should Listen To - #9

While Jon Roth has taught trombone, trumpet and other low brass instruments at PMAC for the past four years, he recently decided to leave his faculty position to take on the assistant conductor position with the Seacoast Wind Ensemble. He is also the band director and music teacher for the Kittery elementary and middle schools. He is a wonderful musican and teacher and we will miss him dearly. We will, however, continue to collaborate - and our next event is a combined concert with PMAC's New Horizons Band (for adults) and the Kittery Middle School Band at the Kittery Middle School's Holiday Concert in December. Though he is leaving us, he did take the time to give us his ten picks. Here they are:


1) New Queen's Hall Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth, conductor - Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves

Features several of Vaughn Williams' incredibly beautiful melodies in powerful arrangements.










2) Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1

There are several great recordings of this sometimes overlooked symphony. One of the best examples of late Romantic music.










3) Chicago Symphony Orchestra, George Solti, conductor - Johannas Brahms: German Requiem
Great choir, great orchestra, great music.












4) John Rutter: Requiem

Several different recordings available. It's fun to compare and contrast the way Brahms and Rutter use the same latin texts in different ways. Also I highly recommend the requiems of Faure, Mozart, and Andrew Lloyd Weber (I'm not particularly morbid, I just like requeims).











5) The Central Band of the Royal Air Force - British Music for Concert Band

If you like concert band music it doesn't get any better than this. All of the early 20th century band classics are here by Holst, Vaughn Williams, and Percy Grainger.


6) John Williams and the Boston Pops - Bernstein by Boston

Some of Bernstein's best Broadway show music in classic 'pops' style.













7) Maynard Ferguson - Chameleon

It's not always in tune or particularly musical but if you like your jazz big, bold and dog whistle high this recording is for you!











8) Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority

The rock group Chicago's first album. Nothing comercial about this music. You can't dance to it but there's plenty of soul, gritty guitars, and tight brass. From the era just before disco ruined rock and roll.









9) Bruce Springsteen - Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ

The boss' firstalbum. An old favorite.













10) The Choir of Winchester Cathedral - Christmas Fantasy

If I could only take one Christmas album on a desert island this would be it. Well worthchecking out.

1 comment:

jorodu said...

sad to hear about Jon's departure!