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Music : Music of the Federal Era
Rating: 
- Interesting.. but you have to poke around a bit to find the fun!
This is an interesting collection of period pieces played on period instruments--even the piano used was built in New York in 1823. I say interesting because I enjoy music played on historically tempered instruments. That quality, combined with some primitive construction, can result in crazy cacophonies in ensemble performances. Some of that is evident here, but if you know about it it doesn't jar you too much. To most folks it would sometimes sound slightly out of tune or even "wrong." I dug it.
I must take exception to two items on the menu. First, "Alknomook (Death Song of the Cherokee Indians)". It's just so preposterous that I don't know what to say... it's like... it's like... Andy Williams singing a gangsta rap number. There is nothing remotely Cherokee about that melody AT ALL. Look, there's nothing wrong with it--it's just wrong.
My other complaint is about "The Cypress Wreath." A complicated, chromatic melody over a harmonically awkward accompaniment, sung quite flat (off pitch) at times by the tenor John D Broome. (Who also sings the majestically harebrained Alknomook.) Just listen to the opening phrases of the sample that Amazon offers on this page and I think you'll hear what I'm talking about.
My Favorite piece is "Gov. Arnold's March." Listen to the sample on this page and you'll hear some of that authentic tuning that I was talking about. This song also features a crazy, 8-bar horn solo at 2:18 into the piece! Completely out of left field. It cracked me up! Actually, I enjoy the disc most of all from that tune on to the end--mostly marches.
I like it, I appreciate it and I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it!
- Interesting.. but you have to poke around a bit to find the fun!This is an interesting collection of period pieces played on period instruments--even the piano used was built in New York in 1823. I say interesting because I enjoy music played on historically tempered instruments. That quality, combined with some primitive construction, can result in crazy cacophonies in ensemble performances. Some of that is evident here, but if you know about it it doesn't jar you too much. To most folks it would sometimes sound slightly out of tune or even "wrong." I dug it.
I must take exception to two items on the menu. First, "Alknomook (Death Song of the Cherokee Indians)". It's just so preposterous that I don't know what to say... it's like... it's like... Andy Williams singing a gangsta rap number. There is nothing remotely Cherokee about that melody AT ALL. Look, there's nothing wrong with it--it's just wrong.
My other complaint is about "The Cypress Wreath." A complicated, chromatic melody over a harmonically awkward accompaniment, sung quite flat (off pitch) at times by the tenor John D Broome. (Who also sings the majestically harebrained Alknomook.) Just listen to the opening phrases of the sample that Amazon offers on this page and I think you'll hear what I'm talking about.
My Favorite piece is "Gov. Arnold's March." Listen to the sample on this page and you'll hear some of that authentic tuning that I was talking about. This song also features a crazy, 8-bar horn solo at 2:18 into the piece! Completely out of left field. It cracked me up! Actually, I enjoy the disc most of all from that tune on to the end--mostly marches.
I like it, I appreciate it and I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it!