KEVIN WALCZYK (b.1964): Symphony No. 2 "Epitaphs Unwritten", SCOTT MCALLISTER (b.1969): Black Dog, ARTIE SHAW (1910-2004): Concerto for Clarinet (ed. Tory Sherrod), GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937): An American in Paris (transcr. Hiroshi Hoshina [b.1936]).

Description: Walczyk's large, 37-minute, three-movement Second Symphony is made of rather sterner stuff than the other pieces here. It combines a kind of war requiem with a celebration of sacrifice in the cause of freedom, inspired by an epitaph for those lost in the Battle of the Bulge. The work is more multi-faceted than many large wind orchestra pieces, excellent as they may be; Walczyk explores a wide range of moods, textures and techniques, from very tonal, harmonically lush statements of lamentation, full-blooded optimism or militaristic extroversion to mysterious sonic landscapes consisting of complex sound effects of ambiguous pitch and rhythm. McAllister's Black Dog borrows its title, a very freely adapted theme, a menacing bass figure, and the solo clarinet's emulation of electric guitar performance from the Led Zeppelin song of the same title, which it otherwise does not resemble, being instead a rousing virtuoso showpiece with a slow, Coplandish hymn-like central section that has nothing to do with rock 'n roll at all. The Shaw recreates a classic big band recording from 1940, originally part of a film score. North Texas Wind Symphony; Eugene Migliaro Corporon.