Winter’s Tale is presumably
a selection of music that trumpeter
Martin Winter enjoys playing. A graduate
of the Royal Northern College of Music
and former principal of the BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra, he goes back to his Manchester
roots for the first three items and
then returns to Bergen in Norway (where
he currently plays when not freelancing
as a soloist) for the later, less substantial
items; these were recorded live. In
doing so he successfully embraces a
range of musical styles and idioms.
The most substantive,
serious and impressive piece here is
the Bennett concerto which was commissioned
by the conductor on this recording,
Timothy Reynish. In two movements, it
uses a 12-note row and manages to be
both melodious and atmospheric. The
opening is an extended declamatory solo
which makes a powerful impression and
there are several further solo interludes
within the first movement as the music
gradually gains momentum. The second
movement, entitled Elegy for Miles
Davis, starts Lento and the
trumpet is muted. The idiom is blues,
the mood bitter-sweet and, played blind,
I suspect few would be able to guess
the composer in a month of Sundays.
Eventually the concluding Vivo section
steals in and here above all Bennett
demonstrates the effectiveness of his
winds-only accompaniment. Winter is
a most convincing soloist and, given
his collaboration with the dedicatee,
this would seem to be pretty definitive.
If the rest of the
music on the disc is not at the same
level of inspiration, it does represent
a thoughtful and well-chosen programme.
Nigel Clarke’s Premonitions consists
of three short fanfares intended to
reflect "the atmosphere and direction
which the modern world is travelling".
Tomlinson’s Cornet Concerto is in conventional
three-movement form and, as would be
expected, relatively light and attractive.
It also requires considerable virtuosity
from the soloist. The disc concludes
with 4 varied encores. Spring can
really hang you up most is the most
extended and is strikingly arranged
for the combination of flügelhorn
and vibraphone. The applause which follows
rather spoils the calm mood and perhaps
should have been edited out. Dizzy Gillespie’s
Tanga is one of the first latin-style
jazz pieces he wrote and is raw and
raucous.
I enjoyed listening
to Martin Winter’s playing and he is
well-supported and recorded. The documentation
is generally good, if a little odd in
the lack of prominence given to the
composers on the track listings on the
rear insert and their omission from
the back of the booklet. Overall, this
is a worthwhile disc, one to put on
at that time in the evening when you
have a little mental energy left (for
the Bennett) but then just want to relax.
The Gillespie will certainly make sure
you don’t find yourself asleep in the
chair next morning.
Patrick C Waller
Martin Winter (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn†)
