The President’s Own United States Marine Band, established in 1798, is a tremendously virtuosic and accomplished ensemble, as this collection shows. The players handle the intricacies of Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments with exceptional finesse, making this one of the most intelligent, flowing, and expressive performances on disc. Under the direction of Lt. Col. Michael J. Colburn, they swagger through such classics as Persichetti’s marvelous Sixth Symphony and Copland’s Emblems, while packing plenty of punch for the “potboilers”: Grainger’s Over the Hills and Far Away, Walton’s Crown Imperial, the ubiquitous Polka and Fugue from Schwanda the Bagpiper, and the disc’s opener, the Triumphal March from Aida.
Two additional points need emphasizing. The basic sonority of the ensemble is big, round, and warm, with not a trace of stridency in the upper brass. The woodwind choirs are impeccably tuned, and the total result is much more “symphonic” and less “marching band-like” than you might expect. In short, the playing never turns harsh or fatiguing, even if you want to take in the entire disc at a sitting. Second, the transcriptions, where applicable, are very well-made. The Polka and Fugue for once doesn’t sound silly, and the extract from Aida (made by one of Verdi’s Italian contemporaries) is a sort of fantasia on the themes of the entire Triumphal Scene, going beyond just the march itself. Indeed, the “Glory to Egypt” hymn doesn’t even appear until a couple of minutes in, and the result is extremely attractive and surprisingly lyrical.
Glorious, naturally impactful sonics complete the picture. This is a marvelous disc in every respect, and we can only hope that it marks the beginning of a series featuring this ensemble. They made a few discs for Musical Heritage Society that were equally stunning (including one of the best-ever recordings of The Pines of Rome), and to have them on hand for a more systematic survey of the band repertoire, both original and in transcription, would be a wonderful boon to collectors and fans of great band playing. [3/26/2007]
