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Site review by Polly Nomial July 27, 2008
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
A beautifully played disc of some contrasting composers.
The father (Johann Christian) opens and closes the disc with two triple trumpet concertos, both of which are martial in style. In these works, Wolfgang Bauer is joined by Sebastian Zech and Tobias Ziegler who manage to blend together seamlessly; they are also joined by the timpanist Peter Hartmann in these works - he lends a great sense of impetus to the playing and is rightly listed in the track-listing. Brilliance abounds in the outer movements with wonderful embellishments being passed around between the players; the quality of composition of the slower movements is less memorable.
Between these two works, JC's eldest son (Johann Wilhelm) makes up the remainder of the offering from MDG, namely 3 solo trumpet concertos and 1 for trumpet and oboe (Christian Wetzel). Like his father before him, JW follows a 3 movement model (fast-slow-fast) but there the similarities end; the style of the son is style gallant, with beautiful flowing melodies throughout. Here Bauer is allowed to show off his more lyrical qualities and it is noticeable that his timbre can be so soft that he can blend with almost complete unanimity with Wetzel.
Throughout, Bauer plays with a really gorgeous tone that is very sweet and seductive - indeed, I have heard few examples of trumpet playing at this level of accomplishment. Bauer also directs the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; they respond with considerable sympathy for his playing and the sense of interplay approaches genuine chamber music (as the name of the orchestra suggests it should) rather than a grand soloist strutting his (considerable) pomp in front of lesser mortals. Some may quibble at the lack of HIP manners but with music as simple as this in such fresh and appealing renditions, there is little to concern most listeners.
The sound is good, like most releases from the MDG stable but the 2+2+2 recording format prevents the very highest level of fidelity from being conveyed to those with a conventional 5(.1) speaker layout.
Recommended to all fans of trumpet playing and those with a keen interest in the early Classical era.
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Copyright © 2008 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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