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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, December 8, 2011
This review is from: Trumpet & Organ (Audio CD)
To the best of my knowledge, the combination of trumpet and organ is a very recent one, and there is no 18th-19th century music written for such a combination. Thus, everything on this CD consists of adaptions of pieces written for other instruments/ensembles. To many purists, this is completely off-putting. However, not being a purist, I am not at all off-put. Super-trumpeter Maurice André always felt the lack of music for his instrument and was always willing to adapt other pieces for it (the versatility of the piccolo trumpet made it possible to play things that could never be played on the natural instrument). The initial trumpet and organ records were made with the French label Erato and Hedwig Bilgram as partner, later with other partners. To my ears, the combination two sounds, the clear sound of the trumpet and the sonorous richness of the organ, almost seem meant for each other, and the result here is a wonderful listening experience, with André's burnished tone and dazzling virtuosity showcased by splendid accompaniment. Indeed, the only quibble I can think of that listening to it all at once is like having a banquet consisting entirely of your favourite ice cream. You end up totally sated by it all. As a result, I tend to listen to bits at a time. I confess to having played some bits to death, such as the marvellous version of "Gloria in excelsis Deo " to the tune known as "Angels we have heard on high". In this regard, I'd echo Tom Lehrer's famous version of the carol and say: Angels we have heard on high Tell us to GO OUT AND BUY!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Profound!, December 21, 2009
This review is from: Trumpet & Organ (Audio CD)
If you know Maurice Andre's trumpet playing, you know the level of excellence he brings to every performance. And if you're a fan of the trumpet and haven't heard Maurice Andre, don't hesitate: This is, perhaps, his most virtuosic recording. This is Maurice Andre at the absolute height of his powers. His tone is overwhelmingly beautiful and full. His technique is flawless. His range and endurance is uncanny. He can sail into the stratosphere with the most graceful piano, and in a moment can produce the most powerful yet glorious forte imaginable. This particular recording is a collection of well-known Classical favorites (and a few lesser-known works) in brilliant transcriptions for trumpet and organ. Andre's dramatic, passionate interpretation of Albinoni's "Adagio" is alone worth the price of the disc, and the virtuosic displays in the traditional Trumpet Voluntary and Trumpet Tune (here arranged with challenging variations) are staggeringly executed. Everyone with whom I've shared this recording responds the same: "I had no idea the trumpet could be played so well. Is this really possible?" It is. Enjoy.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended!, November 30, 2009
This review is from: Trumpet & Organ (Audio CD)
Beautiful, very well performed and recorded, majestic, moving, soaring. You just can't go wrong. Playing duration: 66:47.
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