Page 74 - BBC Music (January 2020)

Concerto Reviews

of the composer’s homeland. of all these works and despite a tip-top form the programme’s Italo- help thinking how much more
With a further fine performance slightly thin sound in the upper German entente proves cordiale even exciting they would sound in their
here from NRO, this disc offers registers of the strings, the Szczecin when compositional inspiration original context. Anthony Burton
an accomplished and exuberant Philharmonic under David Robert sometimes flicks to cruise control. PERFORMANCE HHHHH
celebration of Argentina’s vibrant Coleman offer sterling support Paul Riley RECORDING HHHH
musical culture. Kate Wakeling throughout. Erik Levi PERFORMANCE HHHH The Symphonic
PERFORMANCE HHHH PERFORMANCE HHHH RECORDING HHHHH
RECORDING HHH RECORDING HHHH Euphonium II
Royal Fireworks M Ball: Euphonium Concerto;
Weinberg The Godfather – Masters JS Bach: Christmas Oratorio – Gregson: Euphonium Concerto;
Flute Concertos Nos 1 & 2; 12 of the German & Italian Baroque extracts; Handel: Music for the Paul Mealor: Euphonium Concerto;
Pieces for Flute and Orchestra; Concertos by JS Bach, Royal Fireworks (arr. S Wright); Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto
5 Pieces for Flute and Piano Brescianello, Fasch, Pisendel, Purcell: Sonata No. 2 in D; Funeral (arr. for euphonium)
Claudia Stein (flute), Elisaveta Telemann and Vivaldi Sentences for the Death of Queen David Childs (euphonium); BBC
Blumina (piano); Szczecin La Serenissima/ Mary II; Telemann: Trumpet Philharmonic/Ben Gernon
Philharmonic Orchestra/ Adrian Chandler (violin) Concerto, TWV 51:D7 Chandos CHAN 10997 70:06 mins
David Robert Coleman Signum SIGCD602 66:09 mins Alison Balsom (trumpet); The euphonium,
Naxos 8.573931 68:32 mins There’s Balsom Ensemble the tenor member
We have to thank something a Warner 9029537006 51:83 mins of the tuba family,
Russian flautist little odd about A celebrated is familiar in
Alexander the title of La soloist on modern brass bands,
Korneyev Serenissima’s trumpet, Alison but a rarity in
for inspiring debut on the Balsom is also orchestral music. David Childs,
Mieczys!aw Signum label. True it opens with a superlative brought up in the Welsh band
Weinberg to compose a substantial Telemann who was CPE Bach’s exponent of the tradition, has been active in
number of works for his instrument. Godfather. But the relationship valveless Baroque instrument. broadening the appeal of his
This enterprising release, featuring isn’t pursued. Perhaps director Her performances on this disc instrument through performances
Claudia Stein, who plays in Daniel Adrian Chandler has something of Purcell’s Trumpet Sonata and and commissions. This disc pairs
Barenboim’s Berlin Staatskapelle, less literal in mind? For if Vivaldi Telemann’s only surviving Trumpet him with the BBC Philharmonic
brings almost all of them together on might be said to stand godfather Concerto are exemplary: clean, and its principal guest conductor
disc for the first time. to the high Baroque concerto, he clear and supremely confident Ben Gernon in three concertos
A sequence of miniatures, dating also took a ‘godfatherly’ interest on their ascents into the extreme written specially for the euphonium
from 1947, covers almost half the in his pupil Pisendel’s concerto upper register. and one adapted for it.
programme. The Twelve Pieces for movement in A minor, offering Unfortunately, those are the only The adaptation is of Vaughan
Flute and Piano, which Weinberg corrections to a work smuggling in works presented in their original Williams’s genial Concerto for
later orchestrated in 1983, is nods to the Red Priest’s Op. 3 L’estro scoring. Handel’s Music for the Royal bass tuba, written in 1954 in the
particularly attractive – a series of armonico. Then there’s Pisendel Fireworks is arranged by Simon composer’s lively old age. In his
short and succinct character studies himself whose famed virtuosity Wright (who also directs it from helpful notes, Paul Hindmarsh
that cover a surprisingly wide on the violin possibly exerted an the harpsichord) for trumpets, reveals that a reworking of the piece
range of moods, from the playful influence on JS Bach’s solo Sonatas timpani and strings, which removes a fourth higher for euphonium was
‘Burleske’ and the technical high- and Partitas, not to mention the interplay between choirs of approved by Vaughan Williams,
jinks of the ‘Etude’ to the perfumed an ebullient multi-instrument trumpets, oboes and horns that’s but not carried out in the absence
elegance of the ‘Waltz’ and the concerto movement composed some such a feature of the original. In the of a publishing agreement. The
nostalgic warmth of the ‘Nocturne’. time after Bach’s 1741 trip to Dresden festive choruses which make up transposition, now effected by
In contrast, the Five Pieces, only (where the violinist led the court most of the similarly scored suite Childs and Rodney Newton, has the
discovered relatively recently, are orchestra). Add in Brescianello, an from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, effect of lightening the orchestral
conceived on a more ambitious Italian working in Stuttgart who the trumpet section is joined by a sound, enabling the solo instrument
scale, featuring three rhythmically stitched German ideas into his second group, picking up whatever is to stand out more clearly against
incisive dance movements, as well as native concerto inclinations and playable on their instruments from it. The more recent concertos by
touching allusions to Debussy’s La it’s clear that here is a disc about the oboe parts and the choral lines. Edward Gregson (2018), Paul Mealor
fille aux cheveux de lin in the opening inter-connectedness. Intelligently Purcell’s music for Queen Mary’s (2017) and Michael Ball (2002 with
movement, appropriately entitled planned; eager to stray from the funeral, written for a quartet of slide brass band, 2004 with orchestra)
‘Landschaft’ (Landscape). tried and tested. trumpets, is performed by straight all effectively balance lyricism
Of the two flute concertos, the Bookending the line-up, and with trumpets and a single sackbut – with virtuosity; the Mealor makes
First (1961) is undoubtedly the most a show-stopper halfway through, though it’s good to hear a vocal striking use of extended techniques,
direct, with rhythmically dynamic are D-major works revelling in quartet singing Purcell’s Funeral including glissandos and chords.
fast outer movements framing a three-trumpets-and-drums Sentence ‘Thou knowest, Lord’. Childs plays with richly
reflective Largo, whereas the Second ebullience bolstered by winds and, Make no mistake, everything is expressive tone (using the
(1987) is largely restrained and in two cases, solo violin. Nothing, of superlatively played, in a supportive customary brass band vibrato)
austere, despite the unexpected course, quite matches the intricate, church acoustic. Several tracks – and is fully on top of all the
quotations from the ‘Dance of the dancing exuberance of the Bach, including Bach’s famous ‘Jesu, joy works’ technical demands. He is
Blessed Spirits’ from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Chandler’s direction customarily of man’s desiring’, with the chorale responsively supported by the
Euridice and the famous ‘Badinerie’ punchy and to-the-point. And on trumpets – will surely win a orchestra, although it is relegated
from Bach’s Suite No. 2 in B minor Peter Whelan is a conspicuously lot of airplay. But when I hear, for slightly to the background of the
that find their way into the Finale. suave companion in Brescianello’s example, Alison Balsom’s dazzling recording. Anthony Burton
Stein delivers charismatic and Concerto for violin and bassoon. performances on the top trumpet PERFORMANCE HHHH
strongly expressive performances With La Serenissima on incisively lines of those Bach choruses, I can’t RECORDING HHH

76 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE