Wayne Marshall & Ole Edvard Antonsen - Pulling Out the Stops! Popular Pieces for Trumpet and Organ (1994/2023)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 341 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 266 MB
1:02:48 | Classical | Label: Warner Classics
Ole Edvard Antonsen came to my attention, initially, in an accomplished disc of trumpet concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra (EMI, 2/94), where his dazzling virtuosity and lyrical, if unrefined, musicality was refreshing to say the least. This latest recording is less artistically ambitious in its popular vein though this is not the overriding reason why it is ultimately a disappointment. ''Pulling out the stops!'' is a trite and misjudged title, for a start, since the disc is notable more for its arrangements of melodic gems than the rousing voluntaries which most people associate with the 'no holds barred' combination of trumpet and organ. What is more, this admittedly limited instrumental medium has greater expressive potential than one might imagine (listen to the arrangements and performances of Maurice Andre and Marie-Claire Alain) and therefore a more appropriate catch-phrase would not have gone amiss.