<<  -- 2 --  Patric Standford    COLOURFUL IDEAS

In contrast the Euphonium Concerto, boldly played by Jíri Vydra, a Moravian soloist of repute who teaches at the Brno Academy, is a much more direct and lively work, though still lacking in succinct musical thinking and development. Its second movement is a Vivace that does, this time, take off [listen -- track 2, 0:00-0:57] and in the finale explores a seductive Brazilian style melodic line [listen -- track 3, 1:50-2:33] before leaping again into the sort of animated and agile territory that euphoniums enjoy and do so well.

This is an enjoyable piece that could well be widely harvested by players the world over. Its performance -- bright and clear -- seems confident, as if the players liked it too. David Gaines is an American, born in 1961, who decided late in the process to give up the euphonium for composition, has studied and travelled widely, acknowledges an allegiance to the neo-classical period, and lives now in Virginia. Both works on this disc were products of his periods of study; the Concerto in 1987 whilst at American University and the Symphony the following year submitted as his doctoral thesis at the Peabody Conservatory of John Hopkins University. There must by now be more mature work for us to savour.

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