Sound The Trumpet: Royal Music From Handel &amp; Purce

Sono un estimatore della musica barocca e questo disco ha soddisfatto pienamente le mie aspettative.

Linus

Un disco molto gradevole

Recensito in Italia il 7 agosto 2013

Un disco molto gradevole
La ‘fonte eterna della luce divina’ è una splendida composizione di Handel, realizzata in modo eccellente dal fantastico English Concert diretto da Trevor Pinnock. L’esecuzione della partitura arrangiata per la tromba naturale, da parte della Signora Alison, è perfetta, in completa armonia con la parte vocale del contratenore.
Tutti i brani di Handel scelti per il programma del disco sono di buona fattura, a partire da “Sento la gioia” fino al “Water piece” dalla Suite in Re.
Che dire dei quattro brani composti da Henry Purcell?
L’arrangiamento di “Sound the trumpet” per tromba e voce, risulta convincente, anche per chi è stato abituato – nel passato - ad ascoltare il brano eseguito da due contraltisti. L’interpretazione di Iestyn Davies, ben temprata, è davvero una gradevole rivelazione.
Il suono complessivo del Consort è sempre quello giusto, curato, preciso, amabile, a cui ci ha abituato la direzione magistrale di Trevor Pinnock.
La tecnica esecutiva di Alison Balsom – che abbiamo già avuto modo di ammirare nei Concerti Italiani - è sbalorditiva anche in questa occasione.
Seppure – per la scelta del repertorio - si tratti di un disco spiccatamente “britannico”, penso che abbia tutte le qualità per poter catturare l’ascolto anche di un uditorio ‘repubblicano’…

2 persone l'hanno trovato utile

la tromba di alison è inevitabile

christian durteste

Recensito in Italia il 12 dicembre 2016

Alison suona a perfezione tutte le trombe :naturale,cioè barroca,senza pistoni come al tempo di Monteverdi e Haendel,la tromba piccolo molto acuta evirtuosa.Con Alison la tromba perde la sua reputazione militare per diventare uno strumento della sensibilità al più alto livello.Consigliato a tutti!

Una persona l'ha trovato utile

Grande musica, eseguita in modo splendido

andrea bissi

Recensito in Italia il 26 gennaio 2014

Un cd bellissimo, giunto in perfetto stato e rapidamente, contenente splendide musiche eseguite magistralmente dalla Balsom, supportata da quel grande direttore che è Pinnock

Recensito in Italia il 14 maggio 2013

Una meravigliosa raccolta di brani del periodo barocco.
In essi il senso del glorioso, del trionfo e della luce: ascoltate l'aria "Eternal Source of Light Divine"...

Grande l'interpretazione della solista, qui alla tromba barocca suonata con vera maestria(mi chiedo: debutto allo strumento antico?),che trova ottima intesa con il controtenore nei brani cantati, accompagnata dalla verve di Trevor Pinnock che ritrova il "suo" The English Concert, con un suono ancora più brillante ed elegante di alcune registrazioni "storiche".

Un bel disco !!!

2 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Marco

Per audiofili

Recensito in Italia il 17 marzo 2013

Brani poco conosciuti al grande pubblico, quindi musica abbastanza particolare; i brani sono comunque ben eseguiti ed arrangiata. Anche con la tromba naturale Alison è una trombettista fenomenale!

Una persona l'ha trovato utile

Un ascolto per appassionati

Desio75

Recensito in Italia il 25 agosto 2014

Tranne qualche brano, come "Sento la Gioia" o le aperture della suite "The Fairy Queen" di Purcell o della suite "Water Piece" di Handel, si tratta di una raccolta di composizioni poco note e di ascolto non comune. Merita di essere menzionata (anche per la vocalità del controtenore Iestyn Davies) la dolce esecuzione de "La fonte eterna della luce divina" di Handel.

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Le recensioni migliori da altri paesi

Yvja

schönste Musik

Recensito in Germania il 7 agosto 2023

Alison Bolsom ist eine fantastische Interpretin dieser schönen alten Musik

caroline lesniak

Il n'y a pas que les trompettes d'Aïda

Recensito in Francia il 30 ottobre 2012

Historiquement les trompettes furent d'abord utilisées lors de cérémonies, pour des interventions à l'unisson dérivées en grande partie des sonneries et fanfares militaires. Dès la première moitié du XVIIe siècle, la trompette commence à revendiquer un rôle soliste et s'intègre aux grands courants musicaux de l'époque, oeuvres profanes ou religieuses, opéras, motets, odes, oratorios.
En tant qu'instrument s'exprimant au sein d'un orchestre , elle reste très souvent, dans le répertoire baroque, associée aux moments de triomphe et d'allégresse. Elle est par excellence l'instrument de l'expression de la puissance ou de la gloire, que ce soit celle des cieux ou celle des héros et des rois.
Mais son potentiel expressif est aussi exploité dès cette période dans des oeuvres à caractère beaucoup plus intimiste, sonate, air, suite, où la sonorité riche et chatoyante de la trompette naturelle, qui ne s'appuie pas sur la puissance du son mais au contraire sur une tonalité toute de retenue, les possibilités qu'elle offre de créer des ornements et de lier les notes, lui permettent de dialoguer à côté simplement d'une voix ou d'un autre instrument soliste, ou au sein d'une formation de quelques instruments à cordes.

Le programme de ce CD, qui puise dans l'oeuvre de Purcell et de Haendel des pages écrites pour la trompette naturelle, présente à côté de celles-ci un grand nombre de transpositions, la trompette se substituant alors à un autre instrument soliste (le hautbois par exemple), ou, comme c'est le cas dans l'air 'Sound the trumpet' de Purcell, à la voix humaine, cet air étant écrit à l'origine pour deux contre-ténors.
Ces transpositions ont été écrites par Trevor Pinnock et Alison Balsom elle- même . Toutes respectent parfaitement le caractère polyvalent de l'instrument, capable de briller dans l'apparat comme dans un registre beaucoup plus intimiste et moins extraverti.

Sa vocation d'instrument de l'apparat est bien présente dans certains morceaux de cet album, où la virtuosité de l'instrumentiste fait merveille, comme par exemple l'extrait d'Amadigi de Haendel, 'Sento la gioia', riche en ornementations virtuoses qui évoquent l'art des grands chanteurs de l'époque. D'autres pièces mettent en avant le caractère solaire, brillant et extraverti de l'instrument, comme l'ouverture d'Atalante ou la suite Water Piece de Haendel, ou encore certains extraits de King Arthur et de The Fairy Queen de Purcell.

Mais c'est essentiellement dans le registre lyrique et l'esprit chambriste que ce CD réserve ses plus beaux moments, comme ce duo entre la trompette et le violon dans un extrait de King Arthur, ou encore l' extrait de l'Ode pour l'anniversaire de la Reine Mary, où la trompette et la voix magnifique du contre ténor Iestyn Davies se répondent en écho. Voix souple et chaude, dépourvue de la moindre acidité, ce contre ténor est au passage une merveilleuse découverte, tout comme la soprano Lucy Crowe, qui chante de sublime façon 'the Plaint' extrait de The Fairy Queen, dans un extraordinaire trio entre la voix, l'orgue et la trompette qui nous transporte hors du temps pendant presque huit minutes.

Magnifique récital d'une grande instrumentiste, soutenue par Trevor Pinnock et The English Concert, qui nous permet de découvrir les possibilités expressives de la trompette dans l'écrin enchanteur du répertoire baroque.

24 persone l'hanno trovato utile

M. Joyce

Virtuoso trumpet arrangements

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 15 dicembre 2012

I really like this disc, even though I feel a bit "sniffy" about it and feel that I ought to disapprove of a disc of famous pieces by Handel and Purcell arranged for a star "glamour-puss" trumpet soloist. Sure, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood's learned sleeve-notes try to justify the project, but really these pieces are better heard in their "original" versions.

Against all the odds, however, Alison Balsom just about makes it work, thanks not only to her impressive virtuosity and wonderful musicality on a baroque trumpet, but also to the empathetic accompaniment provided by The English Concert led by that doyen of harpsichordists, Trevor Pinnock. I would defy even the worst musical snob not to find something to enjoy here.

The sleeve-note suggests that trumpeters were to the orchestra what castrati were to the opera and that composers such as Handel and Purcell embodied the sound of the human voice in the expressive power of a metal instrument, the trumpet.

For me, the Handel arrangements work the best. The disc opens in splendid fashion with "Sento la gioia", originally a showpiece coloratura aria from the opera "Amadigi Di Gaula" and ends with a wholly successful transposition of Handel's Oboe Concerto. The overture to "Atalanta" and the "Water Piece" , taken from items from "The Water Music" and the opera "Partenope" work equally well. The beautiful aria "Eternal Source of Light Divine" from the "Birthday Ode for Queen Anne" is exquisitely sung by the counter-tenor Iestyn Davies and his voluptuous alto line is effectively embellished by Balsom's liquid trumpet vocalisation.

Balsom provides equally sensitive accompaniment to Lucy Crowe's gorgeous singing of "The Plaint" from Purcell's masque "The Fairy Queen"., where the trumpet effectively replaces the original oboe role. The last time I heard Lucy sing this was back in 1997 when we were both part of group touring France with a production of "Dido and Aeneas" which was "fleshed out" by some other Purcell numbers; even at the age of 18, she was a quite remarkable talent. The other duet between voice and trumpet, "Sound the Trumpet" may have seemed a good idea at the time (Miss Balsom writes enthusiastically about it in the sleeve-notes), but for me it doesn't quite work, no matter how brilliantly Mr. Davies sings and Miss Balsom plays. The arrangements of pieces from "King Arthur" and "The Fairy Queen", however, seem to me to work superbly well.

This disc is a bit gimmicky, I guess, and might not appeal to the "purists". but it will, I am sure, give a lot of people a great deal of pleasure.

8 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Dr Andrew Knock

An utterly, utterly lovely disc

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 7 marzo 2014

This is one of those rare discs that work as a complete whole, as well as containing much wonderful music. My wife and I even keep a copy in the car, to be renewed by it at least once a week!

Alison Balsom has collaborated extensively with the great Trevor Pinnock to plan out this whole venture. Pinnock is reunited with his beloved English Concert, in inspired form, for the first time in over a decade, and Alison’s playing is supremely good and also notably distinctive.

People still seem to marvel that such a beautiful-looking musician could be this good, which I think must betray our assumptions about brass players – if Alison Balsom were a singer we would expect such glamour. Here she is playing several Baroque trumpets, not the early ‘natural’ trumpet but a vented adaptation of it, as Andrew Irvine points out in his review. But the point is that these instruments have a much less flashy tone than the modern valve trumpet – blending rather than dominating. Alison’s tone and intonation are fabulous, and to me it’s astonishing that she can perform such lip trills, ornaments and runs on an instrument without valves.

And I would agree with Sid Nuncius and others that Alison plays the slower music with a beauty and tenderness of tone that no other brass soloist I’ve heard can match. This is surely as close to the human voice as an instrument can get, and I was reminded of an interview she gave when she recalled her love of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis’ unique tone.

So what might at first glance put many listeners off – the prospect of an exhausting wall-to-wall blaring trumpet-fest – turns out to be wonderfully varied and subtle. Pinnock and Balsom have re-arranged some of the music for her trumpet, but not in order to show her off. They have planned out a careful balance of different moods, which really brings out the finest qualities of both Purcell and Handel. No doubt a few purists will complain that music has been arranged for a different instrument – but they should remember that all Baroque composers did this regularly, to their own and others’ music.

To emphasise the balance and variety, in some movements from the two Purcell suites (The Fairy Queen and King Arthur) the trumpet is absent, and there are three tracks featuring the intelligent and lovely voices of countertenor Iestyn Davies and soprano Lucy Crowe. Although Purcell wrote ‘Sound the trumpet’ for two countertenors, here Alison replaces the second voice, and her vocal beauty of tone makes the great duet even more thrilling.

In the enjoyable album notes, she says “Purcell is my true hero … (he) repeatedly breaks out of familiar Baroque structures, surprises us with absurd rhythms and daring harmonies.” I think she and Pinnock bring this out superbly – listen for example to the marvellous, exhilarating melody of the chorus that ends the suite from The Fairy Queen.

As the reviewer in BBC Music Magazine said, this disc “contains some of the most imaginative and polished trumpet playing you're ever likely to hear”. I couldn’t agree more.

17 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Andrew Irvine

Worth every penny - but not a true natural trumpet!

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 14 novembre 2012

It is claimed on the cover of this recording that Alison Balsam plays a natural trumpet. This is most definitely not so. The term 'natural trumpet' is most often reserved for the original instruments of the Baroque whose tubing is completely free from interference, and whose harmonics would not have suited the modern ear. They required immense, virtuosic skill to pull their errant harmonics back into tune, a fact that baroque composers would have known only too well, and known not to have dwelled too long on those notes. And while these instruments may have better suited quite well the just intonations used at the time, they definitely do not sit so well with the equal temperament we are used to today. Alison is playing what we usually call a 'Baroque trumpet', a modern modification of the natural trumpet that provides the performer with vent holes to change the fundamental harmonic of the instrument so that the errant upper harmonics can be reached in other ways, and done so with a greater certainty of being in tune. These vent holes are clearly visible on the second yard of the instrument Alison holds on the cover, and you can see her using these in the promotional videos for the album on YouTube.

But this should in no way detract from the skill involved in playing the instrument, nor from the beauty of the music contained on this disc. I bought this disc solely for the excerpt from Handel's Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne. I have Simon Preston's 1978 recording with the Academy of Ancient Music and James Bowman, and I have heard a few others. This is one of my favourite pieces of music. But here on this disc Pinnock manages to take this simple ode and escalate it to the divine. The much slower pace of this interpretation only serves to underscore the awe that is encapsulated in the text, and Iestyn Davies's pure and controlled voice celebrates every word. While I am not a huge fan of some of the liberties taken with other pieces on this disc (notably the rearrangements and altered melodic lines of those pieces not originally intended for trumpet) I am suitably impressed with many of the other tracks on this disc. There is much to enjoy here.

24 persone l'hanno trovato utile