The Brown University Wind Symphony performed five "big band" pieces and one percussion piece ranging in origin from 1949 to 2002 for its first concert of the semester in Salomon 101 Friday night.
The symphony was led by conductor Matt McGarrell, senior lecturer in music and director of bands. The program was traditional — it started with an overture, followed by three pieces composed in the last 15 years, and finished with the finality of an old American classic. "I thought more about the moods of the pieces and how they complimented each other," McGarrell said.
"This program is a little different from what we would normally do in that it doesn't have a unifying theme," he added.
To begin the night, Kevin Plouffe, teaching associate in music and coach of the rhythm section, conducted "Avalanche" by composer Billy Madison. The piece was written in 1981 and features the eight percussionists exclusively.
The first piece featuring the whole symphony was the 1965 "Dedication Overture" by Vittorio Giannini, which swayed between lightly driving rhythmic riffs and melodic swells, pausing before sliding into a beautiful interlude with no percussion, and finishing with a repeat of the more upbeat first section. It was a highlight of the night.
The next piece, entitled "The Dragoon's Lament," was written by Brant Karrick in 1998. "It's just a beautiful, simple folk song, well-scored," McGarrell said of the piece. The music was romantic and modern.
Next was "Persis," a 2000 piece by James L. Hosay. It is a musical fantasy set in Ancient Persia. Apart from a prettier, more lyrical center section, this is Iron Maiden in symphonic form. McGarrell characterized it as "neo-primitive, really strong."
The 2002 "A Hymn for the Lost and the Living" by Eric Ewazen was a piece never before played by the symphony or conducted by McGarrell, who expressed enthusiasm about being able to conduct it for the first time. The program stated that Ewazen, a teacher at the Juilliard School in New York City, wrote the work after 9/11 as "a memorial for those lost souls, gone from this life, but who are forever treasured in our memories." Amidst the brief moments of an uplifting trumpet melody or clarinet raised in pitch, the music was fittingly melancholy. The music portrayed the sadness and the strength of the families left behind to endure their losses. Apart from a brief wrong note played by a tuba, the band was tight and did the piece its due justice.
The symphony concluded with Robert Russell Bennett's 1949 "Suite of Old American Dances." The songs were groovy, light-hearted and fun. While there is no "core repertoire" for wind symphony, this is one of a few "really great pieces" all students should have a chance to play, McGarrell said.
