About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

There are many brass quintet recordings, to be sure, and many of those focus on Baroque music and include an organ. But the Empire Brass Quintet and organist William Kuhlman should be able to shrug off any market glut with this splendidly executed collection of Baroque favorites. Though these performances don't stand out sharply from other similar discs, they're smooth and expressive and can hold their own with the productions of better-known ensembles. The arrangements are all done by trumpeter and group leader Rolf Smedvig, lending a consistency to the album that will endear it to casual listeners in search of some ideal classical party music. Audiophiles, too, have reason to seek out the disc, either in its regular version or in a special SACD release (not reviewed) that will no doubt shake your house down to the foundations. The brass-and-organ genre has always been a favorite of the thousand-dollar-speaker crowd, and this release additionally gives Telarc's crack engineering team ample opportunity to show off its chops. The liner notes don't indicate how the recording came to be made at Decorah, Iowa's Luther College, but whoever selected that resonant location is due some special praise. A thoroughly enjoyable release for newcomers to classical music, brass enthusiasts, and audiophiles alike. James Manheim, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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• Ratings: 2Reviews: 2