# SS 31.10.20 - Maslanka #4



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

David Maslanka (1943 - 2017)*

Symphony #4 for Wind Ensemble

1. Symphony No. 4

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment. This weekend is the first appearance of American composer David Maslanka with his Fourth Symphony. I'm not familiar with Maslanka so this will be a new one for me. I hope everyone can join in and give this one a spin.

I'll be watching/listening to this one:




Mallory Thompson/United States Navy Band


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Never heard this one before. I will pick this from spotify


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Mika said:


> View attachment 145171
> 
> Never heard this one before. I will pick this from spotify


New one for me too and I shall Spotify it


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

This is a new one on me too. I'll listen to what everyone else is.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

My only Maslakna CD. I guess that's the one I'll be listening to


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

realdealblues said:


> Another weekend is upon us and another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment. This weekend is the first appearance of American composer David Maslanka with his Fourth Symphony. I'm not familiar with Maslanka so this will be a new one for me. I hope everyone can join in and give this one a spin.
> 
> I'll be watching/listening to this one:
> 
> ...


This one later for me, never heard it before.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

I love this symphony! It's epic! Here's another Youtube performance by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble and the charismatic Jerry Junkin.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

I know I've listened to this before but not in a while so I don't really recall the piece. I'll go with Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Mallory Thompson via Spotify.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I'd never even heard of Maslanka, so I turned the dial to the US Navy Band on YouTube. The work is about a half-hour long and, seemingly, an extended set of variations for concert band. It is all quite tonal.

Maslanka obviously enjoys making a lot of noise, which is fine with me. Each variation brings about a new combination of instruments, and the percussion especially have a lot to do. It has the flavor of a concerto for orchestra, with plenty of changes and sonorities.

Heard throughout (evidently adaptable from the main theme) is a well-known Lutheran hymn, often presented verbatim - Ein Feste Burg? Well, a bit different.* Listen, for instance, at 10:50 -- can someone help me out here?

Anyway, it's a lot of fun and I think a worthy SS entry.

*In fact it seems to be _Praise God, from whom all blessings flow_, aka "The Doxology".


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## Simplicissimus (Feb 3, 2020)

I've been listening to the Dallas Wind Symphony under Jerry Junkin, which is the only recording of this work I can find on my streaming service. Unfortunately, I'm hobbled by not being able to play it through my speakers because my AVR is acting up and Airplay is not working. Hmm, need to get that fixed. So I'm listening on my iPad speakers, holding it pretty close, which is surprisingly decent sound.

This symphony is a lot of fun. It screams "Pops!" This is the kind of music I enjoy best on a sunny afternoon sitting on a blanket on a green lawn as the band plays on a stage under a bandshell. A good beer would be nice, too, and maybe a Bratwurst with Feuersenf. Maybe as a function of listening to it in the confines of my family room with the cats curled up next to me, it gets a little to relentlessly heroic after a while. Nevertheless, I found the orchestration constantly interesting, so I enjoyed this work overall, though not as much as I'm sure I would in the surroundings that it conjures.


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