Empire Brass
Empire Brass:
presented by the Singapore Symphonia Company
Saturday 26 January 2000
Victoria Concert Hall
SUSATO Rondeau & Dance Bergeret
ALBINONI Alleluia Concerto in C (No.5 Op.6)
DVORAK Slavonic Dance no.1 Op.46
DEBUSSY “Quant j’ai ouy le tambourin” from Three Songs of Charles D’Orleans
SATIE Genossiene No.2
DE FALLA Ritual Fire Dance
MANDEZ Romanza
MOZART Rondo (Alla Turca) from Piano Sonata in A
Trad Two Irish Jigs
PROKOFIEV Morning Dance from Romeo and Juliet
PROKOFIEV Troika from Lieutenant Kitje
MUSSORGSKY “The Old Castle” from Pictures at an Exhibition
AMIS Allegro con brio from Quintet No.1
BERIO Sequenza No.5
BERNSTEIN “Something’s Comin” from West Side Story
GERSHWIN “Summertime” | “It Ain’t Neccesarily So” from Porgy and Bess
COPLAND “Simple Gifts” from Appalachian Spring
The EMPIRE BRASS:
Rolf Smedvig trumpet
Marc Reese trumpet
Gregory Miller french horn
Mark Hertzler trombone
Kenneth Amis tuba
he Empire Brass is an internationally-renowned brass quintet, comprising two trumpets, one French horn, one trombone, and one bass tuba (or simply tuba). Their repertoire ranges from transcriptions of pre-1500 medieval dances to pieces by “ultra-modern” contemporary living composers, including works written specifically for brass quintet by their own members. And the arranger for most of tonight’s pieces is Rolf Smedvig himself, which might explain the very prominent parts for first trumpet in most of the works. Not that this reviewer is complaining, though, for Smedvig is an extremely fine trumpeter who plays with flair and heartfelt enthusiasm.
The first half of the concert featured mainstream classical pieces arranged for brass quintet, opening with the rustic Rondeau and Dance by Susato from the 16th century, followed by one of Albinoni’s violin concerti transcribed for trumpet and brass quintet (with Smedvig on solo trumpet). Though these pieces were originally written for small string-and-wind ensembles, under the brilliant Smedvig the brass quintet did sound suitably Baroque with a feel for the smaller but livelier sound of that period. Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance No.1 similarly did not lose any of its brilliance or bounce with this scaled-down ensemble.
The most atmospheric pieces of the first half, however, must have the Impressionistic French pieces. Fond of using a Sarabande-like lilt as in his Gymnopedies, Satie’s Genossiene opened up a portal into the ancient French courts, with fluttering satin and stately allure, all amply re-created by the ensemble.
Los Angeles-based Rafael Mandez was Smedvig’s teacher, and his Romanza was slow and tango-like, interpreted intimately by his able pupil. In contrast, Spanish composer de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance was all fiery aggression and stoic rhythmicity that kept the audience breathlessly on the edge of their seats. Though Kenneth Amis explained profusely how purists may balk when a piece originally written for piano is transcribed for another instrument, I believe the audience had no qualms with Amis’ transcription for bass tuba of Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca” (originally for piano). If you thought that Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee transcribed for tuba was incredible enough, wait till you hear this. The common notion that the tuba is cumbersome and stupid (!sacrilege!) is quickly revoked by Amis’ versatile and virtuosic, plus cheeky, performance on this instrument.
Marc Reese
The second half was no less impressive, featuring music of a different calibre; mostly lighter music from modern American composers. Mussorgsky’s “Il Vecchio Castello” was convincingly portrayed by Smedvig on solo trumpet complemented by Reese on muted piccolo trumpet, creating the atmosphere of a musty decaying castle in whose air hung heavy the nostalgia of a glorious past.
Amis’ invigorating Allegro con brio, from his Quintet No.1 was written before he joined the actual ranks of the Empire Brass, and is a well-thought-out ensemble arrangment for five brass instruments, each with an indispensible part. Naturally the Empire Brass was in its element here, as they were with excerpts from pieces by the three most eminent 20th century American classical composers: Copland, Gershwin, and Bernstein. Though the arrangements favoured mostly the first trumpet with a few melodies in the horn and trombone to diffuse the dominant instrument, the pieces were played with an innate understanding and sympathy for the composers’ intentions and different styles.
Though, as Smedvig pointed out, the members of the Empire Brass may be frustrated closet string/ woodwind/ piano players, they are really excellent brass players in their own right. When he was just 19, Rolf Smedvig was chosen by Seiji Ozawa to be the youngest member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, already taking the Assistant Principal’s Chair. As the original founder of the Empire Brass, he commands immense stage presence and is easily the most charismatic and communicative of the five.
Equally in his element playing Albinoni and Ellington, Smedvig has fluent technique and a deep brilliant tone as befits a first trumpeter, giving the pieces an extra edge and fullness; however this bordered on dominance in some places were he not balanced by Marc Reese. The latter, on second trumpet, has incredible range of tone, from being full but inconspicuous for supporting the upper brass, to being equally brassy and penetrating when he takes over some solo phrases from Smedvig, and in some solos of his own as well.
Gregory Miller as a horn player is extremely versatile. Though the arrangement for most of the pieces requires him to just chug along in the typical symphonic horn role of support and filling-in, when his turn comes to play solo he does so with no holds barred; it may also have helped that this reviewer sat on the left of the concert hall where the bell of the horn was directed, for the acoustics of Victoria Concert Hall are notoriously unpredictable when it comes to showcasing individual players. (postscript: I just discovered that I’m quoted on Miller’s own website. Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Marc Hetzler‘s enthusiasm, when he plays, is very evident on his face and movements of his gangly frame. He featured as a lone player in Berio’s pieces for one trombone, Sequenza No.5. It was a piece inspired by the comic yet profound effect of a stage entertainer who, after trying to play a violin onstage in vain, throws down the instrument in a frustrated “Why?”. In the same vein, Berio’s piece features the trombonist trying to make sense of the ‘random’ sounds he makes by blowing and inhaling through the instrument, with the help of a mute.
In this performance, Hetzler displays his ability to be a comic and entertainer in conveying deep-seated emotions across the confines of the stage. Kenneth Amis, besides displaying his skills on the tuba by playing the entire musical range and other virtuosic passages with unbelievable ease, has also shown himself to be a formidable composer and arranger, with a Masters in composition.
What sets the Empire Brass apart, however, was their interaction with the audience and candid humour. They took the trouble to provide introductions to each piece they played and actually joke with the audience: “Would it be illegal if we spit on the floor through our brass instruments?” in response to emptying their saliva (accumulated inside the coils of their instruments) on the floor, a common practice with brass players. (postscript: this is a jibe in direct reference to Singapore’s law on spitting: persons caught spitting on the ground are liable to be fined.)
They also managed to rouse the audience, so much so that spontaneous shouts of “encore!” resonated through the enthusiastic, albeit small, audience, when they returned to the stage for their curtain call after the last piece. They happily obliged with two pieces, one of them being the rowdy Jungle Night in Harlem by Duke Ellington depicting a major bar-room brawl. The irreverant character of this irrepressibly mischevious ensemble, however, came across most convincingly in their last encore, which, after a whole hullaballoo of preparation and getting-ready, ended in a pang of silence followed by a jovial “Goodnight!” before the group retired for the night. A most enjoyable evening, I might add.
