German Brass
German Brass is a large group that plays arrangements, generally made by members of the ensemble, of a wide variety of music. The ensemble has survived the waxing and waning in popularity of brass ensembles over its nearly five decades of existence.
German Brass was founded in 1974 by trumpeter Enrique Crespo, who later left the group after disagreements with other members. At first, it was called the Deutsches Blechbläserquintett -- Solobläser deutscher Spitzenorchester (or "German Brass Quintet --Soloists from Top German Orchestras"). The group expanded to its present size of ten musicians (there is also one alternate) in 1985 when it was invited to perform in the Bach 300 recordings celebrating the 300th birthday of J.S. Bach; Crespo felt that the larger group was necessary to do the music justice. In 1986, the group, under the name Deutsches Blechbläserquintett, released the album German Brass. At that point, the group was renamed German Brass; the English name is used even in German-language marketing materials and on the group's website. It retained the practice of drawing its membership from leading German orchestras and from the ranks of faculty members of German music schools. The repertory of German Brass ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century, and concerts often conclude with an international variety of popular selections such as jazz, bossa nova, or hits from Broadway musicals. Long one of Germany's most popular touring groups, the German Brass members enliven their concerts with humorous commentary from the stage.
The ensemble is perhaps most notable internationally for its recording career, which by 2019, included more than 30 albums. Many were issued by the Berlin Classics label, but in the late 2010s, the group was signed to Sony Classical. There, German Brass released the album Trip to America in 2019, featuring music by Gershwin, Bernstein, Barber, Copland, and Cole Porter. The group returned on Sony Classical in 2022 with the double holiday album, It's Christmas Time.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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It's Christmas Time
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 11 Nov 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach on Brass
Chamber Music - Released by Berlin Classics on 1 Jan 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Brass Christmas
Christmas Music - Released by Berlin Classics on 14 Oct 2016
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
German Brass: Everything for Christmas (Complete Christmas Recordings)
Christmas Music - Released by Berlin Classics on 16 Nov 2018
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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German Brass (Heinrich Finck - Johann Sebastian Bach - Anonymous)
Classical - Released by Audite on 1 Jan 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Christmas Around the World
German Brass, Windsbacher Knabenchor
Christmas Music - Released by Berlin Classics on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Trip to America
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 6 Sep 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Celebrating Wagner
Classical - Released by Berlin Classics on 5 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Bach: Concertos
Sebastian Knauer, Asya Fateyeva, Concerto Köln, German Brass
Classical - Released by Berlin Classics on 28 Apr 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Trip to America
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 6 Sep 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Porgy and Bess, Act I: Summertime (Arr. for Brass Ensemble)
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 16 Aug 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 28 Oct 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mondscheinsonate
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 11 Dec 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pathétique
Classical - Released by Sony Classical - Sony Music on 18 Dec 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo