These days I seem to
start every review with words such as
‘this disc enters a very crowded field’.
Well, here we are again, with masses
of available competition in the Haydn
and Hummel concertos for this new Arte
Nova disc (Hardenberger, Marsalis, André,
Wallace, Steele-Perkins etc.). They’re
very short pieces, so I guess what counts
is the how the remainder of the disc
is made up, and here’s where this new
one might find a market.
More often than not,
the fillers are either other trumpet
concertos or other concertos by Haydn.
Here, we get a slightly different take,
that of coupling two late Classical-early
Romantic trombone concertos which share
the same key as the Haydn. The result
makes a welcome change, particularly
as the two trombone concertos are pretty
much unknown, at least to me.
As for the main bill
of fare, I doubt anyone will have much
cause for complaint. If you know Zinman’s
other work for Arte Nova, especially
his Beethoven Symphonies, you will know
what to expect. Tempos are brisk, rhythms
sharp and tight, phrases beautifully
moulded and ensemble very clean and
crisp. It’s in the Rattle/Mackerras
mould, where historically aware practices
are observed with a modern orchestra.
His two soloists are young, hand-picked
players who, as might be expected, follow
him all the way. The overall result
is fresh and invigorating, with no place
for sentimental lingering. The delightful
outer movements of the Haydn, as charming
as anything he wrote, are done with
great charm and wit. The tiny, lilting
andante middle movement shows
how trumpeter Jeffrey Segal can really
hold a long, melodic line, something
as taxing for a brass player as any
note-spinning fireworks might be. The
exuberant finale, so typical of this
composer, is completely satisfying.
The Hummel concerto
(wrongly given on the cover and booklet
as also in E flat) is a slightly more
substantial work, probably due to the
influence of Beethoven, which can be
detected at intervals throughout. As
with Hummel’s other concertos (particularly
those for piano) all three movements
are a delight melodically but technically
very demanding. Segal and the orchestra
take all difficulties easily in their
stride, allowing the music to come alive
yet breathe. The long notes of the slow
movement are superbly done, with pitch
rock solid, and they rattle through
the ebullient rondo finale with lightness
as well as the required virtuosity.
Of the two fillers,
the concerto by Ferdinand David is easily
the most interesting. As in the Hummel,
Beethoven’s influence looms large, particularly
in the funeral march slow movement,
but David himself influenced a whole
generation of violinists, and there
is much to enjoy here. Themes are broad
and on the whole memorable, and tutti
gestures big and bold. This is an early
work but extremely assured in its handling
of material and interplay of soloist
and orchestra. It is very much of the
German Romantic tradition (complete
with four melodious horns in the texture)
and the relative simplicity of design
and lack of pretension only add to its
immediate appeal.
The Wagenseil concerto
makes up the disc but is ultimately
the least satisfying piece here. It
is in two rather than the usual three
movements, and its ambitions are limited.
Trombonist Michael Bertoncello plays
superbly (as he does in the David) but
neither he nor Zinman can really make
a case for it being more than mere filler,
albeit a tuneful one.
The recorded sound
is excellent, orchestra and soloists
captured with a nice blend of warmth
and clarity. Notes are very basic and
there are odd typos. Still, it is super
budget and if you don’t own a version
of the Haydn or Hummel you could add
it to your shortlist to try out.
Tony Haywood
Jeffrey Segal (trumpet) 
