Suites 1 & 2 / Moorside Suite

This recording was made in Dallas's showcase Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in June 1990. The repertory is a mix of standards-- Holst's two suites--and the mildly esoteric A Moorside Suite and Hammersmith. Of these, Hammersmith will appeal to those who like the composer's Planets, particularly Uranus. The selections are played in Holst's original instrumentation, and sound much the better and cleaner for it. The ensemble is crisp, and the solo and sectional playing measures up to a truly "symphonic" standard. While there are places where the band's tuning could be better--one notices some piquancies in unison passages for the clarinets--the Texans seem to have a secure grasp of Holst's idiom. The hall provides something very close to an ideal sound envelope, and the recording presents a well- focused image with lots of depth, good presence, and, except for some brightness in the high brass, natural tonal balance. --Ted Libbey