The Suite of Old American Dances was originally titled 'Electric Park' as a tribute to an amusement venue in Bennett's hometown of Kansas City.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bennett was attracted to wind band music for its 'inexhaustible colors and its fabulous vitality,' writing over thirty scores for the medium.
Composer Biography
Robert Russell Bennett, the composer, is best known for orchestrating over 300 musicals for Broadway's 'golden age' songwriters like Gershwin, Porter, and Rodgers.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded using 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which provides a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.
Composition History
The 'Four Preludes for Band' are tributes to four great theatre composers with whom Bennett worked closely: George Gershwin, Vincent Youmans, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern.
Compositional Technique
Bennett regularly composed and orchestrated directly to the full score in ink, without needing to work things out at the piano first.
Composer Biography
Bennett composed music for NBC TV's 'Project 20' documentary unit for two decades, including the score for 'Down to the Sea in Ships'.
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