February 2014
Trompetenkonzerte des Barock
Program: Molter, Stradella, Hertel, Mozart, and Fasch
Pierre Kremer, trumpet •
Lettisches Philharmonisches Kammerorchester • Carlo Jans, conductor
Thorofon CTH 2596 • v. 2013, n. 2007/8 • 50’20 “
The album ‘Trompetenkonzerte des Barock’ contains five concerts composed by
Baroque composers: J. Molter, J. Hertel, L. Mozart, A. Stradella and J. Fasch. The pieces are recorded by the trumpeter Pierre Kremer with the accompaniment of the Latvian philharmonic chamber orchestra conducted by Carl Jans.
Pierre Kremer performs concerts on the piccolo trumpet, which is an instrument that requires good condition and form, great proficiency, and a musician’s extensive range. The piccolo trumpet is much more difficult to control than the well-known “B” trumpet and not every trumpet player is able to play it. The piccolo trumpet is not very popular, especially in Poland. In Poland, there is no tendency to play such instruments, but in the West this fashion is more and more widespread, and you can meet the names of eminent musicians who are specialists in this field. One of them is Pierre Kremer, who is very good at playing the piccolo trumpet and without hesitation he can be called a virtuoso of this instrument. He performs the pieces effortlessly, coloring the material with notes of pearls, precise, characteristic for baroque ornaments. The artist shows his pinnacle of outstanding skills in his virtuoso cadences.
It is also worth paying attention to the perfect accompaniment of the orchestra. All concerts are accompanied by a string chamber orchestra with basso continuo, which is an integral part of the baroque accompaniment. The orchestra is very well led by the conductor. The game is very clean and in the tutti parts it comes to the fore, and in the moments of the solo description of the trumpet player it constitutes the only unstylish background. The ensemble of musicians fits very well into the Baroque era and performs its part lightly and without unnecessary pathos. I like the restrained vibrato used by artists, which is also characteristic of the given style.
The songs themselves are very interesting and pleasant to listen to. Personally, I really like Johann Hertel’s concert. It is held in a somewhat marching-clear character, which is given by the orchestral instruments part. In this piece, the trumpeter can boast of his range – especially in the upper registers. The second part is absolutely brilliant where the imitation technique, which is a determinant of the Baroque era, is very suggestively exposed. The lively and agile third movement is a display of the soloist’s proficiency and precision.
Among the presented works, there is also a concert record – written by Leopold Mozart – father of Wolfgang Amadeus. It is an interesting composition because it contains only two parts – the first slow and the second fast. Alessandro Stradella’s concert also deviates from the usual three-part pattern, as it includes four parts.
An interesting proposition is a concert by Johann Friedrich Fasch. It is intended for a trumpet, two oboes and a string ensemble. The trumpeter and oboist have brought the timbres of their instruments very close, and it must be admitted that both instruments sound very similar. Both artists, however, do not come to the fore and play a supporting role in the accompaniment, although there are also places of common, equivalent dialogues for the trumpet and the oboe.
I believe that the album is really worth listening to. Firstly, due to the performance of the concerts on a rarely used piccolo trumpet. Secondly, because of the pieces included in the CD constitute a perfect overview of baroque trumpet concerts. Thirdly, mainly due to the very good performance of both the soloist and the orchestra. Exceptional lightness and flawless interpretation cause that the listeners will often come back to the album. At the end, I can encourage you to listen to the album without hesitation by saying: I highly recommend it.
Maria Ziarkowska
