Alison Balsom / Bach, Debussy

British trumpet sensation Alison Balsom is poised to take the U.S. by storm, and this new self-titled album heralds her first mass-market foray and marks the beginning of what promises to be a very busy year for her. The 13 tracks on Alison Balsom, each chosen carefully from her six EMI Classics albums, combine to offer a compelling portrait of her artistic achievements up to this point, while also pointing in the direction of what's to come. Although the music is extraordinarily varied, all of the tracks share an emotional immediacy and listenability - whether it be the singing strains of a Bach Sarabande, the mysterious melodic swirling of Debussy's Syrinx, the smoldering dance rhythms of a Piazzolla tango, or the hymn-like profundity of American standards like "Shanendoah" or "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" (from her last album Seraph, a collection of modern works). The awards and accolades around Balsom continue to pile up - she's twice been named the Classical BRIT 'Female Artist of the Year,' along with a host of other international awards, numerous television appearances including The Late Show with David Letterman, and even a performance on Prairie Home Companion. August 2012 will mark Balsom's Hollywood Bowl performance debut, and will also see her touring all major U.S. markets.

ClassicsToday
This is a compilation drawn from several recordings from the past 10 years, and it's an intelligently designed program that not only shows Balsom's versatility and virtuosity, but flows well from piece to piece... We're led through a wide range of styles and works both originally for trumpet and transcribed for it. Among the latter are Rachmaninov's Vocalise (which seems to adapt well to whatever instrument it's arranged for), Debussy's Syrinx (which Balsom plays in its original flute key), and two songs: a lovely arrangement by Balsom and her pianist, Tom Poster, of "Nobody Knows", and even more beautiful, her version of "Shenandoah", accompanied only by organ... This collection is an ideal way to get to know Balsom's work - and yes, even if you have reservations about an entire disc of trumpet music (and I'm with you on that!), don't be afraid: this is a pleasure from beginning to end.

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Works Details

Piazzolla, Astor : Escualo

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 4 min. 2 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1979

Marcello, Benedetto : Concerto for Oboe in C minor :: Adagio

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 4 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Concerto
Written: 1717

Traditional, American : Shenandoah, folk song

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 2 min. 42 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: 18th Century

MacMillan, James : Seraph for Trumpet and String Orchestra :: 2. (Adagio)

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 5 min. 14 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Concerto
Written: 2010

Rachmaninov, Sergei : Songs (14), Op. 34

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 5 min. 4 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic

Messiaen, Olivier : Vocalise-Etude for Clarinet and Piano

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 4 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1935

Bach, Johann Sebastian : Trio Sonata in C major, BWV 529 :: Largo

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 5 min. 24 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Written: 1730

Neruda, Johann Baptist Georg : Concerto for Trumpet in E flat major :: Andante

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 4 min. 47 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Concerto
Written: circa 1740-1775

Debussy, Claude : Syrinx

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 2 min. 45 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1913

Albinoni, Tomaso : Sonata da chiesa, for violin, cello & continuo no 1 in D minor, Op. 4/1 (T. So 26)

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 8 min. 27 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Written: 1708

Traditional Spiritual : Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 4 min. 29 sec.
Written: by 1865

Lindberg, Oskar Frederik : Gammal fäbodpsalm frän Dalarna, for trombone & ensemble

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 4 min. 11 sec.
Period Time: Modern

Piazzolla, Astor : Libertango

Performer: Alison Balsom (Trumpet)
Running Time: 4 min. 32 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1974

Alison Balsom / Bach, Debussy, Piazzolla, etc.

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