Wind Ensemble, Frederick Fennell, conductor – Mercury Living Presence
475 6619 – Multichannel (3-channel) SACD, 66 min. ****:
This disc is yet another of the superb three channel Mercury Living
Presence recordings by the great Frederick Fennell that we finally get
to hear as originally intended – and it’s everything and more than
could be hoped for. The recorded sound spreads marvelously across all
three channels, giving us the best ever offering of these timeless
performances in incredible SACD sound. Crank the volume – you’ll never
regret hearing these classics in full-tilt multichannel sound!
The only problem (and I’m embarrassed to call it a problem, if
anything, it’s an embarrassment of riches) is, how much of this truly
bombastic march music can one endure at a sitting? Even as good as
these recordings are, I found that I could only last through a few
tunes at most! While this disc is not to be missed, beware of
overindulgence!
— Tom Gibbs
