Recital Gems and Concert Classics for the Trumpet
Henry PURCELL (1659-1695)
Sonata in D major (arr. J Durrant) [6:06]
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)
Concerto for Trumpet in E-flat major; Andante (1796, arr. J Durrant) [3:35]
George ENESCU (1881-1955)
Legende (1907) [5:45]
Paul HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Trumpet Sonata; 1st and 2nd movements (1939) [7:14]
Jean HUBEAU (1917-1992)
Trumpet Sonata: 3rd movement (1944) [6:23]
William LLOYD WEBBER (1914-1982)
Trumpet Suite in F major (1952) [5:54]
Jon HALTON
Blue Ice [4:06]
Charles TRENET (1913-2001)
La Mer (1945) [2:27]
MONTERDE (1880-1959)
La Virgen de la Macarena [3:32]
John Durrant (trumpet), Russell Lomas (piano)
Barrow Shipyard Band/Kevin Donaldson (Halton and Monterde), West Coast Big Band (Trenet)
rec. 1985, St James Concert Hall, Guernsey: 2004, Buccleuch Hall, Lindal-in-Furness, Cumbria (Halton and Monterde) and live, undated, Berlin Recording Studio (Trenet)
TROMBA RECORDS TJD201 [45:22]
John Durrant is a gifted and experienced trumpeter with a wide and versatile list of achievements to his name, not least in session work, and jazz and Big Band playing. He also has a raft of students to his name and has branched out into the shark-infested waters of conducting. Back in 1985 he released ‘Recital Gems for Trumpet and Piano’ with the late Russell Lomas, who seems to have been an inspiring colleague and accompanist to many musicians. It’s this that has been remastered for CD and to which three other things have been added.
The recital pieces are a mixture of Durrant’s own arrangements and originals, though not always heard in complete performances. There’s the Purcell Sonata in D major, in Durrant’s arrangement, notable for his employment of different trumpets for the two movements in which it is heard – the central movement is performed solo on the keyboard. The incisive sound of the piccolo trumpet dominates the opening movement whilst the long natural trumpet takes over in the third. The other arrangement is that of the slow movement of the Haydn Concerto in E-flat, sensitively phrased. Enescu’s Legende is well-known in both a test piece context and in recital. It’s also been recorded many times, which attests to its technically nutritious demands, as well as its expressive depth. Durrant is a good surveyor of its topography, its colour and changeability, and with Lomas turns in a strong reading.
They play the first two movements (only) of Hindemith’s sonata, omitting the Trauermusik, and include the third movement of Jean Hubeau’s 1944 Sonata. This is the Spiritual (Tempo di Blues). Like the Hindemith, this work is a boon for the mid-century trumpet repertoire, and Durrant plays it with a knowing awareness of its stylistic roots – his association with jazz helps though he doesn’t overdo it, the Hubeau seemingly aligned to the similar movement in Ravel’s Violin Sonata in that respect. A performer needs to know how far to go. Durrant knows.
He and Lomas also play William Lloyd Webber’s Suite – misnamed a sonata in the track listing but not in the notes – which is a work Durrant performed with the composer. It’s been something of a staple in British trumpeters’ repertoires since its publication in 1952. There’s a Handelian second movement, a languorous Larghetto and a delightful finale; plenty of vigour and wit in six minutes.
The extra pieces not included on that original disc are with band accompaniment. The first is John Halton’s 2004 piece Blue Ice performed by Durrant with the Barrow Shipyard Band – brass band goes all funky. They also play Monterde’s ballsy La Virgen de la Macarena, which you know, even if you don’t think you do; Don Rickles, for example, used it as his intro music. Finally, Durrant plays a nice version of La Mer with the West Coast Big Band.
This ‘Now for Something Completely Different’ appendix brings the 45-minute album to an end. It’s full of variety and interest. I suppose the fact that whole sonatas were not played is down to what I assume was an LP timing for the mid-80s recording. That’s a shame, but it can hardly be rectified now and if you allow for this you won’t be too disappointed. I certainly wish we’d had the whole Hubeau sonata as Durrant plays the third movement so well – including some fine mute work.
The booklet is perfectly respectable – not sumptuous, it’s true - but it tells you all you need to know, and some sumptuous booklets don’t manage to do that.
A donation of £1 for each copy sold of this disc is given to two very worthwhile children’s charities.
Jonathan Woolf
