The Edge

The word “edge” brings to mind something sharp and clean, which indeed applies to the extraordinary playing on this CD. But it’s much more – it’s about taking chances - riding dizzily on the edge of a precipice, on a ledge on the side of a mountain with a deep canyon below. With these four arrangements, gleaned from the original scores of the compact string quartet to the massive post-Romantic orchestra, arranger Phil Snedecor takes that chance and wins, making you wonder why those composers thought they needed those other instruments anyway. Tailor-made for the select group of musicians known as the Washington Symphonic Brass, these arrangements take you on a wild and exciting ride, and by the time you reach the end of it, you are breathless and want to ride again. Put simply, you will not find more exciting brass (and percussion) playing . . . anywhere. So strap yourself in and get ready for the ride of your life – on the EDGE.

1. Berlioz – Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique
2. Shostakovich –Chamber Symphony (from his String Quartet No. 8)
3. Copland – Appalachian Spring
4. Stravinsky – Rite of Spring, (Part 1)