Voluntary Trumpets

The latest BBC Music magazine free disk is a showcase for trumpeter Alison Balsom. It is repertoire that I did not have in my collection, despite two of the featured pieces being the most famous for trumpet. These are the concertos by Hummel and, of course, Haydn. Balsom is accompanied on both of these by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Hummel conducted by Stefan Solyom and the Haydn by Douglas Boyd. I have to admit that my preference regarding solo trumpet is for a jazz context as opposed to within classical music but I am pleased to have this disk as a sample. Balsom is undoubtedly a serious musician and both concertos are tuneful good natured works. The other two pieces on the disk go back to the baroque with Balsom transcribing for trumpet an oboe concerto by Albinoni and a violin concerto by Vivaldi. I don't know either in their original form but both work perfectly well for trumpet and it is a valid way of expanding what must be a somewhat restricted repertoire. The Albinoni again features a stripped down BBC Scottish SO under Baldur Bronnimann, while the Vivaldi is played with an instrumental trio of violin, harpsichord and cello.