This Week's Listen--The 5 Browns

As I have gotten older, I have tried to diversify my listening habits, looking for music that provides a different experience than the metal/rock of my younger days. This is not say I don't enjoy a good guitar or drum solo, but I have found I need something different.

As you can see from my posts under this topic, I have tried (perhaps deliberately so) to talk about different artists. This week's listen is perhaps the most dramatic musical change for me. The 5 Browns are, well 5, piano playing siblings who have a great deal of talent. All five attended Julliard (at the same time, an impressive enough feat) and show incredible talent. Their debut album (link to Amazon) has been at the top of the classical charts for some time now.

I must admit that I didn't know the names of the composers the siblings chose to present (aside for "Scenes from West Side Story'), but I did recognize about half of the works, having heard them in total or in part in varied musical sources.

Four tracks on the CD are performed by all five siblings, a truly wondrous presentation since they had to memorize the pieces in order to watch each other to stay on pace with the others. The pieces were orchestrated so that each sibling plays a different segment, making the whole a powerful piece. To hear Flight of the Bumblebee played by five people is truly a different experience, because it doesn't sound like five people playing--two or three maybe, but not five.

The other half of the album is either piano duets or solo pieces played by various siblings. These are the least recognizable pieces in terms of the music, but I do recognize the names of the composers like Rachmaninoff. In some respects the playing is a little cold and mathematical, a feature I would attribute to the relative youth of the artists. But the mathematical nature of classical music is a little appealing.

I suspect that the 5 Browns could bring about a resurgence of pure classical music. Unlike the classical crossovers of Bond, Vanessa-Mae and others, these five players are playing true classical music, unadorned by synthesizers or drum machines. I would hope that as they mature, this musical family begins to write some of their own music instead of relying on others. Writing original music for five pianos might be challenging, but the possibilities are amazing.

Now for my favorite pieces. Right now I have three,

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Whenever I hear this piece I always think of the brooms carrying water in the Disney movie. But the playing of the five pianos makes this piece a lot of fun.

"La Valse (poème chorégraphique) " I guess what I find intriguing about this disk as a whole is the interaction of the pianos. The duet piece between two sisters is seamless, and fun to listen to.

"Scenes from West Side Story." I know, a bit of a cop out selection, but to be honest I am still learning to like classical music and having some familiar tunes helps.