CD-Charts Position 1
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Bach - Works for Trumpet

by: Alison Balsom

Release Date January 09, 2006
Released in January 2006, this is the second CD from Alison Balsom - the third if you include The fam'd Italian master' released on the Hyperion label in 2003, which was music performed by various brass players and The Parley of Instruments group.

The title itself is interesting. It suggests that all the works are written by Bach, but this is only partially true, and none of them were originally scored for the trumpet. In fact, Bach wrote no works specifically for solo trumpet, only pieces such as the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 can be found as possible examples of Bach's affinity to the instrument. The two pieces not wholly Bach are the concerto in D, written as a violin concerto by Vivaldi, and the concerto in C minor by Marcello. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Alison Balsom Trumpet and Organ Recital

from: Debut

Release Date October 07, 2002
...good, in parts.

If I were giving stars for the performance, I would give an entire galaxy. Ms. Balsom's mastery of not only the usual trumpet and flugelhorn, but also the wicked little piccolo trumpet and the valveless natual instrument, are extraordinary - wonderful sound and flawless technique.

The problem is the music. The first pieces (Sweelinck, Bach, Purcell and a nice flugelhorn rendition of "Shenandoah") are great. But, alas, the final pieces are modern, meaning (to my ears anyway), strange, discordant things very useful for scaring the neighbours' cats out of our garden, but not much else. This, I realise, is a very personal opinion, and if you like modern music, this is worthy of five stars. I don't, and sadly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Haydn: Trumpet Concerto & Hummel: Trumpet Concerto

by: Alison Balsom, Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen

Release Date September 01, 2008
...good, in parts.

If I were giving stars for the performance, I would give an entire galaxy. Ms. Balsom's mastery of not only the usual trumpet and flugelhorn, but also the wicked little piccolo trumpet and the valveless natual instrument, are extraordinary - wonderful sound and flawless technique.

The problem is the music. The first pieces (Sweelinck, Bach, Purcell and a nice flugelhorn rendition of "Shenandoah") are great. But, alas, the final pieces are modern, meaning (to my ears anyway), strange, discordant things very useful for scaring the neighbours' cats out of our garden, but not much else. This, I realise, is a very personal opinion, and if you like modern music, this is worthy of five stars. I don't, and sadly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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Haydn; Hummel; Neruda; Albinoni - Trumpet Concertos

by: Tine Thing Helseth, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra

Release Date March 17, 2008
This is a great début CD by this young Norwegian trumpeteress. There may be better recordings of each of these concerti out there, (most notably Hardenberger's Albinoni, Edward Tarr's Hummel, Niklas Eklund's Neruda, Reinhold Friedrich's Haydn), but Helseth stamps her own individual approach to each of these pieces, and does a great job on each one. Her playing style is very fluid and she clearly has a stunning technique and a lovely tone (if a little heavy on the vibrato at times).

One small disappointment is that Helseth chooses to use the publisher's cadenza in the Neruda, rather than writing her own, but she plays David Hickman's cadenza with a vibrant and fresh approach.

A very worthwhile addition to any trumpet player's CD collection.

CD-Charts Position 5
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The fam'd Italian masters /Steele-Perkins · Balsom · The Parley of Instruments · Holman

from: Hyperion

Release Date March 03, 2003
This lovely CD features diverse and stirring works for trumpets and strings by Italian Baroque composers. The pieces are sympathetically performed by the versatile and experienced Parley of Instruments and trumpeters Crispian Steele-Perkins and Alison Balsom. Their mode of delivery makes for exciting and melodious listening!

CD-Charts Position 6
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Famous Classical Trumpet Concertos

by: Håkan Hardenberger

Release Date November 15, 1999
This lovely CD features diverse and stirring works for trumpets and strings by Italian Baroque composers. The pieces are sympathetically performed by the versatile and experienced Parley of Instruments and trumpeters Crispian Steele-Perkins and Alison Balsom. Their mode of delivery makes for exciting and melodious listening!

CD-Charts Position 7
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Trumpet Concertos

from: Sony Classical

Release Date February 11, 2002
These are not demanding works to listen to, just thoroughly enjoyable and mostly well known. Marsalis elicits a degree of subtlety and sensitivity from the instrument that may surprise those who think of brass instruments only in the context of marching bands.
There are many other recordings of this repertoire, but this one must be among the best. The trumpet sound is superb, well balanced with the orchestra, and the recording very life-like.
Good value, too: cheaper than Marsalis's earlier recording, and with more material. Recommended.

CD-Charts Position 8
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All Angels

by: All Angels

Release Date November 13, 2006
Truly amazing voices that will send you into a dreamy haze!! A perfect gift for anyone especially with Christmas fast approaching - not too mention once for yourshelf .............. You wont be disappointed ...

CD-Charts Position 9
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Serenade

by: Katherine Jenkins

Release Date November 06, 2006
I will admit that when I first saw the track listing for this CD, I felt disappointed. "Come on!" I thought, "Katherine should be more original than this! Practically every soprano records 'O Mio Babbino Caro' at one point or another, and here are two common songs from the classical crossover genre, 'Nella Fantasia' and 'The Prayer'. Should I even invest in something that will only be a re-hash of things I have already heard many times?" In the end however, I decided that even with the unimaginative song selections, I would buy this CD.

I am very glad I did! There are so many gems here that I now consider this Katherine's best album. Surprisingly, "Nella Fantasia" instantly became a favorite of mine. Her rich, warm tones really brought this song to life in a way ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
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Elgar - Cello Concerto; Cockaigne; Sea Pictures

from: EMI Classics

Release Date August 02, 2004

There are now many releases in the EMI 'Great Recordings of the Century' series, and this has to be one of the best I've heard.

The three pieces on this CD date from the 1960's and all have benefited from recent remastering.

The 'Cello Concerto' is a 1965 recording performed by Jacqueline du Pre (who else would you expect?) and remains today, more than 40 years on, the standard to which all other performances of this work are measured. I'm sure I am amongst many others who regret not having seen such a gifted musician play live. I've seen several performances of Elgar's cello concerto, and always find that the best are when the soloist totally immerses him/herself into the music and brings out the emotions from somewhere deep within themselves. This recording ... Read More: