Classical Net

The Internet's Premier Classical Music Source

Related Links

Recommended Links

Give the Composers Timeline Poster



Site News

What's New for
Winter 2018/2019?

Site Search

Follow us on
Facebook    Twitter

Affiliates

In association with
Amazon
Amazon UKAmazon GermanyAmazon CanadaAmazon FranceAmazon Japan

ArkivMusic
CD Universe

JPC
ArkivMusic

Sheet Music Plus Featured Sale

SACD Review

John Philip Sousa

Sound Off!" & "Sousa on Review

  • Sound Off
  • Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
  • Sabre and Spurs
  • The Picadore
  • Our Flirtation
  • The High School Cadets
  • The Invincible Eagle
  • Bullets and Bayonets
  • The Liberty Bell
  • Riders for the Flag
  • Solid Men to the Front
  • The Gallant Seventh
  • The Rifle Regiment
  • The Pride of the Wolverines
  • Golden Jubilee
  • The Gridiron Club
  • New Mexico
  • Sesqui-Centennial Exposition
  • The Black Horse Troop
  • The Kansas Wildcats
  • Manhattan Beach
  • Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company
  • The National Game
  • The Glory of the Yankee Navy
Eastman Wind Ensemble/Frederick Fennell
Mercury Living Presence SACD 475618-2 73m ADD
Find it at AmazonFind it at Amazon UKFind it at Amazon GermanyFind it at Amazon CanadaFind it at Amazon FranceFind it at Amazon Japan
Also released on CD 434300-2
Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic

This has always been one of the most enjoyable and sought after Mercury discs and in its superb re-incarnation on SACD, the recordings have come up astonishingly clear and bright. Recorded in 1960-1, Sousa's marches come alive in wonderful three channel sound that fairly destroys your living room, if you keep the volume high enough that is!

Frederick Fennell directs the famous marches with great swagger and pomp and the Eastman Wind Ensemble respond with expected virtuosity to their director's promptings. 'The Invincible Eagle', 'Bullets and Bayonets', 'The Kansas Wildcats' and 'The Glory of the Yankee Navy' are amongst the better works here but one would indeed be hard pressed to choose as all marches are written with a feel for the medium and Fennell's measured interpretations bring out the endearing musical qualities of all of them.

It goes without saying that the sound is pretty astonishing for 1960. The CD transfer is excellent but on three-channel SACD, the fantastic recordings really come to life and it is a wholly different ball game. I spent many hours of enjoyment playing and re-playing favourite marches and enjoying the fruits of Mercury's talented recording team. Definitely a must for the audiophile.

Copyright © 2006, Gerald Fenech

Trumpet

© 1995-2024 Classical Net
Use of text, images, or any other copyrightable material contained in these pages, without the written permission of the copyright holder,
except as specified in the Copyright Notice, is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.