Brass, Reeds, and Percussion

Óscar Navarro was born in Alicante, Spain, in 1981. He is a composer, musical educator, conductor and clarinetist. In April 2005, he premiered his symphonic poem "Noah’s Ark" with the Young National Orchestra of Spain. In October 2006, he won first prize at the Adolfo Ventas International Music Composition Competition in Amposta with his arrangement of this same work. He earned his master’s degree in soundtrack composition and television music from the University of Southern California.

Today's edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion features transcriptions of the overtures to four of Giuseppe Verdi's less well-known operas. And this gives us an opportunity to talk about the cimbasso, which was Verdi's preferred bass brass instrument. A cimbasso is a bass trombone operated with keys instead of a slide. That makes it easier to play fast passages. And it's more bass than the bass trombone with a slide.

Cincinnati is known as the Queen City of the West from when Ohio was the western part of the United States. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow even refers to the city by that name in one of his poems. So today's edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion opens with the "Queen City March," written by a musician and boilermaker named William H. Boorn who lived from 1906 to 1959. Brass, Reeds, and Percussion thereby salutes one of the one-hit wonders of the wind-band world—since this is just about the only composition Boorn is known by.

Ferdinand David was a German virtuoso violinist and composer who lived from 1810 to 1873. His life is connected to that of Felix Mendelssohn in several ways. First he was born in the same house in which Mendelssohn was born. He was the concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra while Mendelssohn was the conductor. David gave Mendelssohn technical advice while Mendelssohn was composing his Violin Concerto in E minor.

Frederick the Great (1712-1786) was king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, the longest reigning Hohenzollern monarch. He took Prussia from a weak military power to one of the five major powers of Europe. he was not only a significant military leader, but also a social reformer, ending the practice of torture in his kingdom. He was also a musician, taking flute lessons from none other than Johann Joachim Quantz. And not only did he play music, but he also composed music, especially marches for his army.

In recognition of Bastille Day on July 14, this edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion features French music. The turning point of the French Revolution is considered July 14, 1789, the day the Bastille was stormed. The Bastille was a prison and armory in the center of Paris and was considered a symbol of the French king's abuse of power. Every July 14, the French celebrate Bastille Day with one of the oldest regular military parades in Europe and with the president of France reviewing the troops and bands, of course.

This edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion celebrates Robert Browne Hall Day. Robert Browne Hall was born in Bowdoinham, Maine, in 1858. Both his father and mother were musicians. By age 18, he was the solo cornettist of the summer band in Old Orchard, Maine. By age 24, he was a solo cornettist with the Baldwin Cadet Band of Boston. He composed over 200 marches, but only 62 were published. Nevertheless, several are famous and popular around the world. For example, the "10th Regiment March" is frequently performed at almost any British brass band concert.

Elbeblech is a German brass quintet. At least four of the five members were taking lessons on brass instruments before the age of 10. All are members of various symphony orchestras around Germany. The group came up with concept album: music attributed to Johan Sebastian Bach, but not actually composed by him and music from the same period as Bach that was as good as Bach.

In 1993, a comedy horror film premiered with the character Ash Williams as a time traveler transported from the modern day to the Middle Ages armed with a chainsaw. As might be expected, the main character has a quest: to find the Necronomicon, which can be used to return to the present. But he has to fight the undead to succeed in his quest. Born in 1958, Joseph LoDuca wrote the music for the Army of Darkness and won awards for his efforts.

Today’s edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion opens with a 1932 hit written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. It’s called “You’re Getting To Be a Habit With Me.” It was one of three songs by Warren and Dubin composed for the film musical 42nd Street. Warren was of Italian descent, born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1893. He composed mostly for film, but 112 of his songs not only appeared in movies but also in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Dubin was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1891.