Saint-Saëns: Wind Ensemble Music

 

What a strange release from Naxos and Jun Märkl. Granted, Naxos gets to add to its Wind Band Classics Series and Märkl adds another recording to his own Saint-Saëns series on Naxos. Yet, none of these wind ensemble pieces were actually arranged by the composer himself. Instead, other hands converted orchestral pieces into music for Concert Band, and Jun Märkl, an orchestral conductor, leads the proceedings.

The reason I mention a certain strangeness to this recording is that tried and true Classical Music lovers rarely carry over their appreciations to a Symphonic Band. There are a few chestnuts from Vaughan Williams, Holst, Grainger, and Elgar, which are beloved in the catalog, but rarely does band make up for an orchestra. While I do not have this prejudice, however, on an album of music meant for orchestra, these pieces sound curious, hardly carrying the weight of their originals. Yet, sometimes it is fun to see how arrangers make up for the lack of strings, and the choices they need to make for Wind Ensemble effectiveness. 

So, how does wind ensemble work in classical music? Well, obviously there are no strings, although one can sense why John Philip Sousa often added Double Bass and harp to his marches, for there is a depth in the lowest range missing in the band variants which a tuba cannot replace. To accommodate that missing string-section sound, an enlarged clarinet section utilizes that instrument's wide range, plus saxophones and horns fill in the middle tessitura, although bassoons and tuba can't do too much to replicate the lower end of the spectrum.

I am no lover of the saxophone sound either, but I will admit their sound does work when Saint-Saëns is in exotic mode, where that instrument's husky, reedy quality fits quite well in absence of the oboe. Otherwise, saxophone is often doubled by French Horn, a pairing I do not especially enjoy. With this instrumental pairing, the opening Lion episode from Carnival of the Animals sounds more like elephants with a Concert band playing.

As expected, the most familiar pieces work the best as showpieces, such as the famous Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah and the final movement March Militaire Française from Suite Algérienne. Jun Märkl takes these numbers at speeds much faster than even his own orchestral versions on Naxos. 

There are a number of marches I was heretofore unaware of, and seem to fit Wind Ensemble rather well. Marche Héroïque, Marche Religieuse, Pas Redoublé, and Vers La Victoire all fit the band sound quite nicely (minus the baritone saxophone in Victoire). As a special bit of rarity, sections of the ballet from Henry VIII are included in this program as well. Sometimes though, the sheer number of clarinets across their range makes me wish for strings instead, including the Scottish drones which you would think would work remarkably well done by winds.

I can't really complain about the Royal Air Force College Band though, for they have a crisp, taut quality which also extends to their percussion section. As mentioned earlier, Jun Märkl seems to relish pushing the tempos to their breaking point in the showpieces, and the RAF College Band holds everything together expertly. Listen to the unanimity of the winds when they are forced across blazingly fast scalular work; a wonderful achievement from these players.

 

 

 

Works
Orient et Occident, op. 25 (7.37)
Samson and Delilah, op. 47
    Act III. Bacchanale (6.44)
    Act I. Priestess Dance (2.15)
Marche Héroïque (6.26)
Suite Algérienne, op. 60
    IV. March Militaire Française (4.14)
Pas Redoublé, op. 86 (4.20)
Vers la Victoire, op. 152 (3.45)
Marche Religieuse, op. 107 (5.10)
Carnival of the Animals, R. 125
    I. Royal March of the Lions (2.01)
Coronation March (6.49)
Henry VIII: Act II. Ballet selections
    I. Entrée des Clans (3.57)
    II. Idylle Écossaise (4.09)
    IV. Danse de la Gipsy (2.38)
    VI. Gigue et Final (3.26)

Ensembles
Royal Air Force College Band
Jun Märkl, conductor

Label: Naxos
Year: 2021
Total Timing: 63.57

 

 

 

If you enjoy Wind Ensemble, this recording of Saint-Saëns favorites, aside a few rarities, should greatly please.

For orchestra lovers, the effectiveness of the composer's music will depend on your tolerance for a lack of strings. One can hardly fault the playing either way.

Find more Saint-Saëns recordings HERE!