Each movement of Leonard Bernstein's Dance Suite is dedicated to a choreographer friend, and many originated as birthday pieces for family and friends.
Interpretation
Although not all pieces on this album are strictly dance music, most have a strong rhythmic element traceable to dance music.
Composition History
Jan Bach's Rounds and Dances was a joint commission by leading American brass organizations and was composed in the summer of 1980.
Composition History
Leonard Bernstein's Dance Suite for Brass Quintet was his last work, mostly written in late 1989, and premiered at the 50th Anniversary Gala of the American Ballet Theater.
Performer Biography
The Stockholm Chamber Brass, formed by leading young players, won first prize at the International Festival of Chamber Music in Narbonne, France, in 1988.
Album & Artwork
The original idea for this album, 'Clockworks', was to feature dance music from various periods, but the final selection focused on contemporary works.
Compositional Technique
The first and fourth movements of Jan Bach's Rounds and Dances are canonic, contrasting in spirit and form, while the remaining movements are homophonic dance forms from Europe and South America.
