The Wallace Collection - Baltic Brass
The Wallace Collection - Baltic Brass (Sibelius, Ewald)
CD, 2001
Baltic Brass
Sibelius, Ewald
This CD, recorded in 2000, focuses on works for small brass ensembles from the later part of the 19th century in Finland and Russia. It was among the first recordings by The Wallace Collection of brass chamber music performed on period 19th century instruments. In Finland, Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) wrote 6 pieces in the 1890s for brass ensembles, including the typical Finnish brass septet of soprano cornet (in Eb), 2 cornets in Bb, althorn in Eb, baritone in Bb, tuba in F and tuba in Bb. This Petite Suite was edited and published by Holger Fransman from the 3 of those works that were written for the brass septet in the town of Loviisa, where Sibelius spent his summer holidays. His tone poem Tiera is for this septet configuration along with percussion.
Concert life was also thriving in pre-Revolutionary Russia, often with sponsorship of wealthy industrialists. Musical dilettantes were common in this period, and Ewald (civil engineer), Borodin (chemist), Mussorgsky (civil servant) and Rimsky-Korsakov (naval instpector) were in the same circles, playing string chamber music under the sponsorship of timber merchant Mitrofan Petrovisch Belyayev. Ewald’s Quintets Nos. 1, 2, and 3 (Op. 5, 6, and 7 respectively) were written for 2 cornets, tenor horn, baritone and F tuba, likely following the model of Ewald’s own string quintets.
Playlist:
Petite Suite Jean Sibelius
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Preludium
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Andantino
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Menuetto
Tiera Jean Sibelius
Brass Quintet No. 1 (Op. 5) Victor Ewald
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Moderato
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Adagio
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Allegro moderato
Brass Quintet No. 2 (Op. 6) Victor Ewald
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Allegro risoluto
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Theme with variations
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Allegro vivace
Brass Quintet No. 3 (Op. 7) Victor Ewald
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Allegro
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Intermezzo
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Andante
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Vivo
Performers:
John Wallace: Bayley Acoustic Model Bb cornet (London, 1862) [Ewald]
J. Higham Eb soprano cornet (Manchester 1865) [Sibelius]
John Miller: Courtois Cornet in Bb/A (Paris, c1880)
Peter Gardham: W. Wolf Eb rotary valve Althorn (Frauenfeld, late 19th C)
Simon Gunton: Meinl Baritone saxhorn in Bb (Vienne, 1849-1862)
Robin Haggart: Boosey & Co. Class A compensating pistons F Tuba (London)
Sibelius as above plus
Roy Bilham: Distin Levy model Bb cornet (c1870)
Anthony George: Wolf Bb rotary 4-valve Tenorhorn (c1880)
Kevin Hathaway, Christopher Terian Percussion (Tiera)