| Back from Oblivion - Review Excerpts and Comments |
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International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal (Spring 2008) "Byrne’s playing shows the instrument in the best possible light, complemented by the exceptionally natural sounding recording... This CD is valuable as the recorded history that it is, and, more importantly, it is a very fine example of brass playing with a selection of tracks that will bring the listener back again and again. This one gets my highest recommendation." American Record Guide (USA) (March / April 2008) "you will greatly enjoy this album... Australian-born Nick Byrne, second trombonist with the Sydney Symphony, is a superb player, with beautiful, warm tone... Lovely collaboration by pianist Miller; fine recorded sound." Just for Brass (USA) (February 2008) "The instrument is expertly handled by Nick Byrne... [who] is one of the leading exponents of the ophicleide today... This disc is full of great pieces...is amazing, and gets the highest recommendation from Just For Brass." Roger Bobo (TubaNews / Bomaestro Blogspot - Japan) (January 2008) "a wonderful CD... superb musicality... a great and diverse program played by a great artist. Bravissimo Nick Byrne!" Historic Brass Society (USA) (31 December 2007) "a first-class production, with gorgeous recording acoustics, and stylish and masterful playing... a pleasurable listening experience and the liner notes are excellent... This is one CD to own and enjoy repeatedly." "Byrne is a serious musician who plays his instrument with all the expressive beauty, eloquence and sincerity one expects from any other instrumentalist... anyone with a sense of curiosity will find something of interest here... Performance/Sound: 4 stars" Turok's Choice (USA) (December 2007) "a disc of pleasantly varied repertory... pride of place goes to Grieg's Ich liebe dich, Elgar's Romance and Handel's O Ruddier than the Cherry. Byrne plays very musically... David Miller is the accomplished piano accompanist." 3MBS FM Libretto (Australia) (October / November 2007) "sensuously pleasant listening... Melba is to be congratulated on resurrecting this unjustly neglected instrument and in a beautifully engineered recording." AllMusic Guide (USA) (October 2007) "Byrne plays with such fluency and security that he makes it hard to believe that the ophicleide is really a difficult instrument. His musicality and the uniqueness of the instrument's rich tone make his performances a pure pleasure... Performance: 4 1/2 stars Sound: 5 stars" "Byrne provides a tour-de-force... [together] with accompanist, David Miller, they wear their learning and virtuosity lightly. The result is a highly enjoyable and entertaining recital which reveals the immense possibilities of a neglected instrument." YLE Radio 1 (Finland) (October 2007) "The recording has been made with care all the way from the cover to the final note." "This is a CD dedicated to the ophicleide as a solo instrument and contains mostly period selections plus part of the Simon Proctor Ophicleide Concerto and Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion. A MUST HAVE CD for any enthusiast, with playing of the highest quality." Crotchet (UK) (October 2007) "[Back from Oblivion] consists of premiere recordings of compositions played on the rare and extremely beautiful ophicleide, a brass instrument invented in 1821 by the French maker Halary as a lower-pitched extension of the keyed Bugle family. Musician Nick Byrne is a virtuoso performer on the instrument and a world authority on its history." Sunday Herald Sun (Australia) (16 September 2007) "In short: when an obscure past becomes a vibrant present... This is a revelatory recording... ten compositions that facilitate the fullest range of tonal colour and musical moods of which this difficult instrument is capable... **** 4 stars" The Sunday Age (Australia) (2 September 2007) "this beautifully presented CD is much more than a curiosity: Nick Byrne... is truly adept and gives a delightful program... Handel's O Ruddier than the Cherry [is] technically ferocious and musically delightful." ABC Classic FM 'CD of the Week' (20-25 August 2007) "This extraordinary disc really is a superb piece of musical archaeology... Trombonist Nick Byrne has unearthed a swathe of impressive music for the ophicleide... and produced a unique recording." Assoc. Prof. Thérèse Radic (University of Melbourne) (August 2007) "I've read about it in 19th century reports of brass bands and seen it in band photos but to have it alive and well and right there in SOUND is quite another thing. I had no idea it was so versatile." The Age 'Green Guide' (Australia) (16 August 2007) "Nick Byrne is to be congratulated for bringing the forgotten instrument and its mellifluous tone to a wider audience... the ophicleide has a remarkable bel canto quality that Byrne ably demonstrates throughout this varied recital... very enjoyable listening. Recording and packaging are up to Melba’s usual high standards. Curious listeners will be well rewarded. **** 4 stars" Contrabass.com (USA) (July 2007) "There is no question that Nick Byrne has a fine technique... He handles the virtuoso technical demands of the pieces with aplomb... his tuning is excellent... the sound is often ravishing... What is more the sleeve notes are by Cliff Bevan, well-known author of the standard book on the tuba and an expert of historical brass to boot. This comes highly recommended." Hans Stroeker, Bass Trombone, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (December 2006) "This recording is exceptional, not only in its rarity, but as much in its quality. For one to hear a brass instrument played with this level of musicality and virtuosity is rare. To hear the once forgotten ophicleide played here is really quite remarkable. It is surely one of the most original and natural-sounding brass recordings ever made." Richard Bonynge, Conductor (December 2006) "This recording captures the extraordinary sound of the ophicleide which really approaches the human voice at its very best. There is a wonderful plangent quality which stays with one and touches the heart." |