02. Warren Benson - The Leaves are Falling [12'31]
03. Henry Brant - Angels and Devils. Concerto for Solo Flute and Flute Orchestra* [22'48]
Benita Boyd- flute*, Eastman Wind Ensemble conducted by Donald Hunsberger
Centaur CRC2014 (recorded January 1980; CD issued 1984)
(flac and scans)
Recording venue: Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York
Recording engineer: Ros Ritchie; Producers: Rayburn Wright and Warren Benson
Here's an interesting collection of Americana from the University of Rochester. It's almost an all Eastman production with the recording team and two of the composers closely connected with the Eastman School of Music. Hanson was Director from 1924 to 1964 and Benson a Professor of Composition since 1967.
The Eastman Wind Ensemble was originally founded in 1952 by Frederick Fennell and it remains one of the world's leading wind orchestras. Donald Hunsberger was its principal conductor at the time of this recording (from 1965 to 2001) and he conducted the first recording of Howard Hanson's Dies Natalis in 1972. It is one of Hanson's more closely-argued works, displaying little of his usual neo-romanticism, and is based on an old Christmas tune. Warren Benson's earlier (1964) The Leaves are Falling is equally evocative and was inspired by a Rilke poem 'Autumn'.
Canadian composer Henry Brant is probably best known as the arranger of Charles Ives'Concord Sonata for orchestra. His Angels and Devils is one of his more approachable compositions - not as avant-garde as many. Originally composed in 1931, it underwent many revisions up to 1977.