Last April 7 that four in the afternoon, the wind quintet Habana Brass, which is part of the National Band of Concerts, offered a performance at the Theater of José Martí National Library. The group conducted by the young gifted Igor Corcuera was created due to the musical interests of its members, providing a new sonority in the wind metal formation.
The show proved without hesitation that beautiful chamber music can be played from unusual formats like this group, formed by two trumpets, a horn, a trombone and a tuba. The band, unique in the country, proved through its musicians its best credentials, with high levels of refinement and harmony.
Particularly, we could highlight the pieces Hiplips II by Leslie Pearson, as a premiere, as well as Bugler´s Holiday, in a happy and festive tone, which they chose to open the evening in order to delight a select audience that thanked the performance.
We were surprised by a closer approach to the audience through the Suite of the Opera Carmen by George Bizet in which, step by step, they transformed the French-Spanish essence of this jewel of the operathat every musician enjoys because of its musical richness and the timber of its melodies.
Moments of introspection and tenderness were the arrangements of Yesterday by Lennon and McCartney, and La gloria eres tú by José Antonio Méndez, proving this way that the most popular of songs can be taken into the most refined areas of the concert music.
To close this sonorous richness we enjoyed the excellent composition of George Gershwin who, through Four hits for five, was acknowledged by the audience with a standing ovation and strong applause. It was also really pleasant to enjoy the widening of the format to a sextet, including the euphonium, well played by Lilian Trujillo in Fantasy Sketch, piece that deserved a long ovation by the audience.
It is important to acknowledge all of its members, because the strength and brilliance of José Aceituno as the first trumpetis surprising, as well as the sweet and tuned sound of Igor Corcuera himself, being the second trumpet. Likewise, applauses fort he trombonist Eyder Sotolongo, Ricardo Travieso playing the tuba and Amanda Busquet in the horn.
Facing surprise and excellence, the author considers that in our concert halls we should widely acknowledge these formats of chamber music, once the pure technique and the sensitivity in playing are demonstrated.
A little more of the excellence we have in our culture and, for unknown reasons, too little promoted in our concert halls.
Translation by Alberto Morales
