Onyx Brass: Transatlantic CD
Onyx Brass has been a leader in cementing the place of the brass quintet as a medium for serious chamber music. Their new album combines pieces for the ensemble’s core quintet with works for extended brass forces, plus piano in the case of Florence Price’s Octet for Brasses and Piano. The majority of the pieces presented here receive their first commercial recording, including two long-forgotten pieces by Benjamin Britten. Alongside these new discoveries are performances of established favorites such as Malcolm Arnold’s Quintet No. 1, Leonard Bernstein’s Dance Suite, and Joseph Horovitz’s Music Hall Suite. The selection of composers spanning most of the twentieth century, and from both sides of the Atlantic, gives the album a refreshing contrast of musical traditions and styles.
