When you weren't looking, Mnozil Brass quietly entered the U.S. And now, they're about to spring their blistering virtuosity and kamikaze-like humor on unsuspecting audiences in such places as Indiana, Penn. and Grand Ledge, Mich.
Although they seem to be keeping things quiet, Classicalite is going to blow their cover. Why? Because Mnozil Brass is one of the funniest, and most creative, chamber groups on the planet.
The Austrian brass septet is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, with a program titled, appropriately, "Happy Birthday." And while they've been together for two decades, this group, known as the Monty Pythons of classical music, continues to break new ground in musical comedy.
Mnozil have staged three operettas in the last few years, and were commissioned by the city of Bayreuth to create a program for the 200th anniversary of Wagner's birth. Hojotoho, a Wagner Brass Comedy, was the result. In this work, Mnozil riffs upon Wagner's idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk--not an easy feat--creating a perfect marriage of brass, dance and comedy.
Meanwhile, here's some of their more acrobatic work--in a homage to spaghetti westerns called Slow Motion.
Mnozil Brass prove that it's possible to play while dancing, lying down, even while turning cartwheels. Given such calisthenics, you'd be wrong in thinking they're only making a spectacle. Whereas they do thrive on attention, their performances are more than just slapstick.
As their own publicity materials state: "Mnozil Brass assumes they will be playing for an intelligent audience, one able to imagine what they are getting at. Enlightenment is their watchword, and this is paired with a kind of laid back perfection."
See for yourself at any of their tour stops in the U.S. during October...
Oct. 18: Indiana, Penn.
Oct. 19: Grand Ledge, Mich.
Oct. 20: Bethlehem, Penn.
Oct. 22: Davis, Calif.
Oct. 23: Azusa, Calif. (SOLD OUT)
Oct. 25: Fayetteville, Ark.
Oct. 27: Gainesville, Fla.
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