American Brass Quintet
Southern Theatre
Columbus, OH
October 8, 2022

Hu: Chamber Music Columbus Fanfare: Celebrating 75 Years
Three English Fancies (edited by Raymond Mase)
       William Simmes: Fancy a 5
       John Ward: Fancy No. 11 “Cor Mio”
       Giovanni Coperario: Fancy a 5
Garrop: Helios
Hu: A Distant Hope
Tower: Copperwave
Higdon: Selections from Book of Brass
Maurer: Selections from Twelve Little Pieces for Brass                          
Ewazen: Frost Fire

On the heels of the joint presentation with VIVO just over a month prior, Chamber Music Columbus’ 75th season proper officially opened with the dynamic American Brass Quintet. In the spirit of celebration, the first music heard was Ching-chu Hu’s Chamber Music Columbus Fanfare, a work which we will continue to revisit throughout the season for the various combinations of instruments on the docket. The brief work was fittingly celebratory, in this incarnation, leveraging the brightness of the brass to exciting effect.

The repertoire for brass quintet tends to fall into two categories: music for Renaissance brass ensemble recast for modern instruments, and contemporary works – with little in between. The next selections fell into the former category, collectively titled Three English Fancies which included a work from Simmes, Ward, and Coperario. Elegant, refined glances towards a distant time, they readily adapted to modern brass ensemble. Stacy Garrop’s 2011 work Helios followed. Dense textures opened, contrasted by a more solemn central section and a pensive conclusion. In introducing Hu’s A Distant Hope, receiving its world premiere, trumpeter Louis Hanzlik noted a personal connection to the composer who was his music theory TA at the University of Iowa. The work is an extension of the Fanfare; Hu described his objective as “deconstructing a fanfare” to create a work “hoping for hope.”

The opening “Skyward” began with the fanfare theme, a call to attention, but ultimately more mellow material took over, of a resonant lyricism. A busier texture was to be had in the closing “Voyaging,” with the uses of mutes offering a varied, colorful timbre, and an ebullient ending that inspired hope and celebration. Joan Tower’s 2006 work Copperwave was a striking close to the first half. The title evokes South American copper mines, and the work captivated in its rhythmic intensity and vast variety of color. ABQ performed with great energy and virtuosity with their individual talents highlighted by solo cadenzas.

Jennifer Higdon’s Book of Brass officially receives its world premiere at Bowling Green the following Wednesday, but Columbus audiences were treated to a preview of two movements from the suite. “Glide & Fade” was of arching lyricism and piquant dissonances; “Punch it Up” was apt description for its vivacity. Ludwig Maurer’s Twelve Little Pieces for Brass is the odd work from the 19th-century scored for brass quintet. ABQ offered five selections, charming vignettes – what they lacked in depth they made up for in appeal. Eric Ewazen’s 1990 work Frost Fire closed the program, its sonorous scoring making use of the energy and rich resources of the quintet, setting the stage for a tour de force ending. It’s worth noting that several of the featured composers have an Ohio connection – Hu is on faculty at Dennison, Garrop was recently featured as guest composer at Bowling Green’s New Music Festival, and Ewazen is a Cleveland native. An auspicious opening to a banner season!