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A wide variety of 20th-century composers in an attractive and tuneful program. Arnold’s Brass Suite and Horovitz’s Music Hall Suite meet Bernstein’s Dance Suite (dedicated to five actual dancers), plus miniature rarities by Britten, Walton, and Vaughan Williams. A triumph is Price’s Octet for Brasses and Piano with Onyx Brass and pianist Viv McLean beautifully shading some dreamy writing, despite Chandos Records incorrectly claiming this is the premiere recording (that honor goes to Michael Hawes and friends).

Robbie EllisHost

Founded in 1993, Onyx Brass has been a leader in cementing the place of the brass quintet as a medium for serious chamber music. The group has commissioned and performed the world premières of more than 200 new works with many more are in the pipeline for performance and recording. Their new album combines pieces for the ensemble’s core quintet of with works for extended brass forces, plus piano in the case of Florence Price’s Octet for Brasses and Piano. The majority of the pieces here receive their first commercial recording, including two long-forgotten pieces by Benjamin Britten from the Britten Pears Archive in Aldeburgh. Alongside these new discoveries are performances of established favorites such as Malcolm Arnold’s Quintet No. 1, Leonard Bernstein’s Dance Suite, and Joseph Horovitz’s Music Hall Suite. The selection of composers spanning most of the twentieth century, and from both sides of the Atlantic, gives the album a refreshing contrast of musical traditions and styles.

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