These recordings are not to be downloaded
Published by www.brassquintetforum.com
August 2, 2021
A memorial commemorating American pianist/conductor
Leon Fleisher's death one year ago:
August 2, 2020
(born July 23, 1928, San Francisco, CA - died August 2, 2020, Baltimore, MD)
and
A memorial commemorating Annapolis composer
Douglas Allanbrook's 100th birthday:
April 1, 2021
(born April 1, 1921, Melrose, MA - died January 29, 2003, Annapolis, MD)
August 2, 2021
A memorial commemorating American pianist/conductor
Leon Fleisher's death one year ago:
August 2, 2020
(born July 23, 1928, San Francisco, CA - died August 2, 2020, Baltimore, MD)
and
A memorial commemorating Annapolis composer
Douglas Allanbrook's 100th birthday:
April 1, 2021
(born April 1, 1921, Melrose, MA - died January 29, 2003, Annapolis, MD)
Photo 1977: Conductor Fleisher, Composer Allanbrook and ABQ prior to their dress rehearsal:
(L - R) Robert Suggs, Arthur LaBar, Leon Fleisher, Robert Posten,
David Cran, Douglas Allanbrook, Tim Beck
(L - R) Robert Suggs, Arthur LaBar, Leon Fleisher, Robert Posten,
David Cran, Douglas Allanbrook, Tim Beck
Douglas Allanbrook's
Symphony No. 5
Composed in 1976 for
brass quintet and orchestra
World Premiere Performance
February 20, 1977
Annapolis Brass Quintet
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
Leon Fleisher, Conductor
To listen to this performance of
Douglas Allanbrook's
Symphony No. 5
in four movements for brass quintet and orchestra
(Duration: 27' 41")
Tap > Below
(There may be a slight delay before sound begins.)
SYMPHONY NO. 5
1. Fairly slow
2. Fast enough
3. Very slow
4. Fast
1. Fairly slow
2. Fast enough
3. Very slow
4. Fast
The works of composer Douglas Allanbrook are characterized by precise construction, probing inquiry, and keen wit. By the mid-1970s he had written over 40 works, including four symphonies, three string quartets, two operas, a raft full of piano music and a slew of art songs. Much of his music had been performed across the US (from Oakland, California to New York City and Washington DC), West Germany, France and Italy. He was the frequent subject of articles in the arts sections of the newspapers in Baltimore and Washington. He was worldly but not world-weary, even though he had seen the worst of war as a combat soldier in Italy during World War II. At St. John’s College in Annapolis, he had been on the faculty of its “Great Books” program since 1952. Born and raised in the Boston area, he had a superb education, having studied with Walter Piston and I.A. Richards at Harvard and Nadia Boulanger in Massachusetts and Paris. During his local harpsichord recitals, he displayed what he learned in postwar Italy of the Baroque keyboard masters Bach, Couperin, Scarlatti and Soler.
When Douglas Allanbrook and the Annapolis Brass Quintet met in their own hometown, it was, to quote Humphrey Bogart in the movie Casablanca, “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Before Allanbrook met the Annapolis Brass Quintet, he had not composed for a five-piece brass ensemble. However, he loved the sound of the horn, giving it some prominent passages in his Symphony no. 2 (1962). Even so, the medium of two trumpets, horn, trombone and bass trombone was a fresh field to him. During the next 15 years, he cultivated it thoroughly. [Read More]
When Douglas Allanbrook and the Annapolis Brass Quintet met in their own hometown, it was, to quote Humphrey Bogart in the movie Casablanca, “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Before Allanbrook met the Annapolis Brass Quintet, he had not composed for a five-piece brass ensemble. However, he loved the sound of the horn, giving it some prominent passages in his Symphony no. 2 (1962). Even so, the medium of two trumpets, horn, trombone and bass trombone was a fresh field to him. During the next 15 years, he cultivated it thoroughly. [Read More]
Leon Fleisher was born in San Francisco in 1928 to parents who emigrated to the US from Eastern Europe. He began learning the piano at age four and by the age of nine was a student of famous classical pianist Artur Schnabel. Fleisher's debut at age 16 with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra led to international fame and a prolific recording career. But in 1964 Fleisher developed a neurological condition, focal dystonia, which left him unable to play with his right hand.
After a two-year hiatus, he focused his career on teaching and conducting at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore and in 1970 accepted the position of Music Director for the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. He had channelled his career into conducting, teaching and mastering the left-hand repertoire for piano. "I suddenly came to the realisation that my connection with music was greater than just as a two-handed piano player," he said in a PBS interview. Leon Fleisher returned to two-handed playing in 1995 and went on to record two highly acclaimed albums. One of them, called Two Hands, is also the title of an Oscar-nominated documentary about his life.
Leon Fleisher (July 23, 1928 – August 2, 2020) was one of the most renowned pianists and pedagogues in the world. Music correspondent Elijah Ho called him "one of the most refined and transcendent musicians the United States has ever produced."
After a two-year hiatus, he focused his career on teaching and conducting at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore and in 1970 accepted the position of Music Director for the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. He had channelled his career into conducting, teaching and mastering the left-hand repertoire for piano. "I suddenly came to the realisation that my connection with music was greater than just as a two-handed piano player," he said in a PBS interview. Leon Fleisher returned to two-handed playing in 1995 and went on to record two highly acclaimed albums. One of them, called Two Hands, is also the title of an Oscar-nominated documentary about his life.
Leon Fleisher (July 23, 1928 – August 2, 2020) was one of the most renowned pianists and pedagogues in the world. Music correspondent Elijah Ho called him "one of the most refined and transcendent musicians the United States has ever produced."
FOSTERING BRASS CHAMBER MUSIC
The score and parts for Douglas Allanbrook's Symphony No. 5 for Brass Quintet and Orchestra, along with the entire ABQ music library, are available for research and performance from the Oberlin Conservatory.
Direct access to the Annapolis Brass Quintet Special Collection @ Oberlin
Tap Here
The score and parts for Douglas Allanbrook's Symphony No. 5 for Brass Quintet and Orchestra, along with the entire ABQ music library, are available for research and performance from the Oberlin Conservatory.
Direct access to the Annapolis Brass Quintet Special Collection @ Oberlin
Tap Here