The modern brass ensemble in twentieth-century Britain

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Includes bibliographical references (pages 181-187) and index.Nineteenth-century brass music: the beginnings -- Brass music-making in the early twentieth century -- European brass music after World War II: the establishment of the brass quintet in Britain -- The stimuli of the modern brass ensemble: the record industry, contemporary music, international activity, the player-arranger -- Howarth's Pictures at an Exhibition, and the new reach of British brass playing -- Continuity and change: the succession of British brass ensembles after the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble -- Aspects of historical brass: uncovering phenomena of the past -- Envoi -- Appendix 1. Selective List of Published Music -- Appendix 2. Selective Discography -- Appendix 3. London Brass: major commissions 1986-2001.Whereas the British 'brass band' originated in the nineteenth century and rapidly developed into a nationwide working-class movement, the perceived modern 'brass ensemble' has a less clear foundation and identity. This book is the first to focus exclusively on the performance, practice, repertoire and context of the 'brass ensemble' in the musical world. Following World War II, the brass quintet and other orchestral groupings emerged in the United States and Europe, with musical customs established by professional players playing orchestral instruments. These groups initially played a combination of the music of Gabrieli and his contemporaries as well as newly commissioned works. By the late twentieth century, however, repertory spanned works by Elliott Carter, Maxwell Davies and Lutoslawski, together with music that integrated jazz, commercial elements, and landmark transcriptions. At the book's heart is the story of the London-based, internationally acclaimed, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. But this is not a story of one ensemble, as the 'brass ensemble' can be defined in several forms. The Modern Brass Ensemble in Twentieth-Century Britain offers a comprehensive account by an author and performer who was involved in many of the key developments of the modern 'brass ensemble'.