Haydn, Hertel, Hummel, Stamitz: Trumpet Concertos

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Hakan Hardenberger possesses a polished technique, a clear tone, and a smooth legato, and his playing is superb. A few examples of questionable musicianship (such as the undue stress he puts on the resolution of trills) point to the fact that he is a not-yet-fully-educated virtuoso. One might prefer a somewhat less bright, more mellow and burnished sound, but the technique and control the trumpeter exhibits are not to be faulted. He offers an excellent cadenza, true to the style of the period. Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields do a smashing job with the rest of the piece. Philips's engineering is excellent, though the trumpet is larger-sounding and closer than it should be--a small flaw. --Ted Libbey

Tracks:

Trumpet Concerto In E: 1. Allegro Con Spirito
Trumpet Concerto In E: 2. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In E: 3. Rondo
Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Allegro Non Troppo
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Largo
Trumpet Concerto In D: 3. Vivace
Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Allegro Non Troppo Presto
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto In D: 3. Allegro Molto
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, Hob. VIIIe:1: 1. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, Hob. VIIIe:1: 2. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, Hob. VIIIe:1: 3. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Allegro Moderato
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In D: 3. Allegro

Tracks:

Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Allegro Moderato
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In E Flat: 1. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In E Flat: 2. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In E Flat: 3. Vivace
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In D: 1. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In D: 2. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In D: 3. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto No. 2 In C: 1. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto No. 2 In C: 2. Allegro Molto
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 1. Grave
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 2. Allegro
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 3. Grave
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 4. Allegro
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 5. Allegro
Concerto In B Flat, Op. 7 No. 3: 1. Allegro
Concerto In B Flat, Op. 7 No. 3: 2. Adagio
Concerto In B Flat, Op. 7 No. 3: 3. Allegro
Adagio In G Minor
Trumpet Tune
Chorale Preludes: 'Erbarm Dich Mein, O Herre Gott' BWN 721
Chorale Preludes: 'Ich Ruf' Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ' BWV 639
Chorale Preludes: 'Herzlich Tut Mich Verlangen' BWV 727
Ave Maria

Customer Reviews:

Virtuosic Trumpet: Baroque And Classical Showcase.......2004-02-22

This album is an incredible showcase for the trumpet and the orchestra, in other words, the trumpet concerto. Hakan Hardenberger, the featured trumpet player, is highly talented and at the top of his game. Even the great jazz and classical trumpeter Winston Marsalis does'nt seem to reach the flights of fancy on the trumpet as does Hakan Hardenberger. Hardenberger masters the trumpet to perfection, capturing every nuance and every tone, from fortissimo fanfares to the softest pianissimo. On this compilation are the trumpet concerti of Baroque and Classical Era composers, among them Corelli and Albinoni and the Classical masters Franz Joseph Haydn and Leopold Mozart, Mozart's father. The sheer scale and magnetism of this music cannot be neglected. It is the greatest gathering of trumpet concerti ever made. The trumpet was perhaps the most fascinating instrument for Baroque composers. The trumpet produces grand, triumphant tones when played forte. It was an instrument that was displayed in ceremonial pomp- weddings, coronations and marches. The Baroque composers were sponsored by kings so they were expected to compose music for trumpet, which could be expressive not only as a fanfare for the king himself, but as an instrument of many dynamics. It can be played softly and slowly, which seems to create a nocturnal, reflective mood and staccato and fast-paced which made the music sound exciting and lively. In my opinion, it was the premier instrument of the Baroque Age.

The cd opens with the Trumpet Concerto In E Flat Major by Johann Hummel. This colorful piece is particularily impressive as it really explores the dynamic potential for the trumpet. It's third movement, the Rondo, is very exciting music, as it is played very fast and in a bouncy, dance-like manner. The Trumpet Concerto by Stamitz, Hertel and Richter are very stylish and must have been highly admired in the Baroque Era. The Trumpet concerto in E by Franz Joseph Haydn, who influenced Mozart, is beautiful, especially in its serenade-style andante second movement. In the last cd, Leopold Mozart's trumpet concerto is featured, and it's a good work. Perhaps his son Mozart greatly admired it, though Mozart did'nt really expand on trumpet concerti himself nor really ever showcased the instrument greatly. There are trumpet arrangements for the famous Albinoni Adagio in G, which on this version, sounds chilling, dark and dramatic. The cd concludes with trumpet versions of Bach's Organ Preludes and the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria.

superb playing.......2003-10-30

Hardenberger is indeed an extraordinary. The playing is right up there with the best of them. One thing unique to hardnberger is his ability to lock in ever note of every passage reguardless of register, speed, etc. In addition he playes with great character. The only reason i give hims less than 5 stars is because his lyricism, the most important thing, is surpassed by Maurice Andre and Phil Smith without questiong. especially after seing all of them live and buying their CDs. He is definitely among the greatests ever.

The Best Trumpeter in the Business.......2003-05-25

It's a rare treat for a reviewer when he can throw caution to the winds and go out on a limb for a musician. This is such an occasion for me. Hakan Hardenberger is a phenomenon. I think he is the Babe Ruth, the Wayne Gretzky, the Michael Jordan, the Vladimir Horowitz, the Jascha Heifetz of trumpet players.

Hardenberger is a Swedish trumpeter who made his first recording (Haydn, Hummel, Hertel, and Stamitz trumpet concertos, with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Neville Marriner, on Philips) in 1986 when he was only 25 years old (in the cover photo of the original CD he looks like a boy). The first time I played this debut CD of his, my jaw dropped and I could hardly believe my ears. His playing was a revelation--absolutely stunning. I'd never heard trumpet playing to compare with it. In my opinion, with his first two CDs young Hardenberger not only moved into the top rank of trumpeters; he swept right past his competitors to the head of the class. I've compared a number of his baroque concerto performances, here and elsewhere, with those of other famous trumpeters, and he always comes out on top. I believe him to be in a league of his own. He has everything: virtuosity and technique to burn, dead-on intonation, clean trills, smooth legato, expressive shading, beauty of tone, brilliant high notes, enormous dynamic range. He is also a sound musician, with taste and a sense of style. His arsenal is complete and unassailable; there is no chink in his armor.

Everything that was on that debut CD is now in this Philips Duo set, which is a much better value, because it offers two generously filled CDs--72:55 and 78:27--for the price of one, adding most of the contents of two later Hardenberger CDs of baroque music for trumpet (the recordings here were made from 1986 through 1993). It's a good buy, and if you're going to own only one collection of baroque trumpet music, this is the one I'd recommend.

The trumpet has always been a difficult instrument to record and reproduce accurately. Here, although the consistently excellent digital recording presents Hardenberger very much front and center, it captures the timbre, "bite," and wide dynamic range of his trumpet with exemplary vividness and fidelity. On a top-quality playback system, he sounds like he's standing right between the speakers playing for you. And what playing it is! Not to be missed.

Hardenberger's second CD, of Telemann Trumpet Concertos, also accompanied by the ASMF, this time under Iona Brown, was recorded in 1987 (again on Philips). It too is marvelous, fully as impressive as his first CD, but unfortunately none of it is included in the Philips Duo reviewed here, so you have to acquire it separately. It's well worth it.

Long live the king!

Virtuosic... Incredible.......2001-08-06

You don't have to be a fan of the instrument in order to appreciate and become overwhelmed by the beauty, the splendor and acrobatics of the trumpet. In the Baroque era, it was a instrument for the royal treatment and heralded arrival of kings and war. The performances here are excellent- Hardenberger, I Musici and Neville Marriner and his orchestra deliver virtuosic renditions of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E flat, Hummel's, Hertel's, Molter's and Albinoni's concerti, as well as incredible arrangements of Ave Maria by Bach and Albinoni's Adagio.

A non-trumpet player's view..........2001-02-12

Although I love classical music and have done so for a long time, I must confess that I am not a trumpet player. With that said, I must say that these two CDs are wonderful. My first recording of the Hummel and the Haydn concertos was the second Marsalis/Leppard/ECO recording on Sony Classical (titled Wynton Marsalis - The London Concert). Inexperienced with trumpet recordings at the time, I really treasured the CD. After all, a big name artist known for his virtuosity was performing the technically demanding concertos. What more could you ask for? After a while, though, I began to feel that Marsalis didn't really do it for me in these works. Sure, he played with a flair (and what a flair it was), but he lacked the focused, rich tone that I've come to associate with great trumpet players (Herseth comes to mind here).

The current reviewed recording, on the other hand, is quite a piece of gem. Even though I have never heard of Hardenberger before (you trumpet players out there please excuse my ignorance), he delivers precisely what I am looking for. Hardenberger has the centered tone that most trumpeters would envy, yet he lacked none of the technical virtuosity needed for the music. His vibrato is light and very classical (as opposed to the wider jazz vibrato). On top of all that, he shows much understanding and affinity for the various works on these two CDs.

Tracks:

Tpt Con in E: 1. Allegro con spirito
Tpt Con in E: 2. Andante
Tpt Con in E: 3. Rondo
Tpt Con in D: 1. Allegro ma non troppo
Tpt Con in E: 2. Largo
Tpt Con in E: 3. Vivace
Tpt Con in D: 1. Allegro non troppo presto
Tpt Con in D: 2. Adagio
Tpt Con in D: 3. Allegro molto
Tpt Con in E flat, H. VIIe:1: 1. Allegro (Cadenza-Kadenz-Cadence: Hakan Hardenberger)
Tpt Con in E flat, H. VIIe:1: 2. Andante
Tpt Con in E flat, H. VIIe:1: 3. Allegro

Amazon.com

Hakan Hardenberger possesses a polished technique, a clear tone, and a smooth legato, and his playing is superb. A few examples of questionable musicianship (such as the undue stress he puts on the resolution of trills) point to the fact that he is a not-yet-fully-educated virtuoso. One might prefer a somewhat less bright, more mellow and burnished sound, but the technique and control the trumpeter exhibits are not to be faulted. He offers an excellent cadenza, true to the style of the period. Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields do a smashing job with the rest of the piece. Philips's engineering is excellent, though the trumpet is larger-sounding and closer than it should be--a small flaw. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

remarkable...........2005-06-13

This compilation of some of Hardenberger's recordings is absolutely phenomenal. It is rather difficult at times to believe that he is playing a trumpet; his musical choices and his drop-dead gorgeous sound make this album one of the strongest trumpet recordings available. Highly recommended for trumpet players, and classical music lovers in general!

The Best Trumpeter in the Business.......2003-05-20

This is the Swedish trumpeter's first recording, made in 1986 when he was only 25 years old (in the cover photo he looks like a boy). The first time I played it, my jaw dropped and I could hardly believe my ears. His playing was a revelation--absolutely stunning. I'd never heard trumpet playing like his. In my opinion, with his first two CDs young Hardenberger not only moved into the top rank of trumpeters; he swept right past his competitors to the head of the class. I've compared a number of his baroque concerto performances, here and elsewhere, with those of other famous trumpeters, and he always comes out on top. I believe he is in a league of his own. He has everything: virtuosity and technique to burn, dead-on intonation, clean trills, smooth legato, expressive shading, beauty of tone, brilliant high notes, enormous dynamic range. He is also a sound musician, with taste and a sense of style. His arsenal is complete and unassailable; there is no chink in his armor. The ASMF under Marriner provides exemplary support, but the star here is clearly Hardenberger.

The trumpet has always been a difficult instrument to record and reproduce accurately. Here, although the excellent digital recording presents Hardenberger very much front and center, it captures the timbre, "bite," and wide dynamic range of his trumpet with exceptional vividness and fidelity. On a top-quality playback system, he sounds like he's standing right between the speakers playing for you. And what playing it is! Not to be missed.

This CD contains only four concertos, with a total playing time of 58:36. A better way to buy this material is to get the Philips Duo (two generously filled CDs--72:55 and 78:27--for the price of one) entitled Famous Classical Trumpet Concertos, all played by Hardenberger, which includes everything here, plus most of the contents of two later CD's. It's a good buy, and if you're going to own only one collection of baroque trumpet concertos, this is the one I'd recommend.

Hardenberger's second CD, of Telemann Trumpet Concertos, also accompanied by the ASMF, this time under Iona Brown, was recorded in 1987 (again on Philips). It too is superb, fully as impressive as his first CD, but unfortunately none of it is included in the Philips Duo recommended above, so you have to acquire it separately. It's well worth it.

Long live the king!

Top quality performance.......2002-01-01

Of the three Hakan Hardenberger CD's I own, this is the least spectacular in terms of its selection of music. It was also the third I bought based on the outstanding virtuosity heard on the previous two. Nonetheless the recording is excellent and I have never tired of listening to it.
The first three tracks are the Hummel composition and my favorite on the CD.
Booklet comes with historical notes and bio of the soloist in English, German and French.
All the tracks feature the strong, bright trumpet work of Hakan Hardenberger - I recommend it as well as any CD's featuring this artist.

The best around.......1998-10-26

Forget Marsalis, André, Stevens and Nakariakov, this disc is definitely the one to get if you're looking for a recording of Haydn's concerto. Hardenberger's playing is impeccable throughout, and very stylish and precise; simply better than the rest (as usual). Hummel's concerto might not be well-known, but it's really superb. As for the remaining two, well they're OK, but belong to the baroque era and are played with a very high-pitched trumpet. ASMF's play is execellent as usual, but lack some bass at times. The big (and only?) downer on this disc is the high level of noise. (A remix, Philips...?)

If you only own one trumpet CD, make it this one.......1998-09-10

This CD has the familiar Haydn trumpet concerto, and the slightly less-familiar Hummel concerto, as well as two little-known works. They are all played brilliantly (in all senses of the word) by Hakan Hardenberger, accompanied by the inimitable Sir Neville Marriner. Every other version sounds wrong once you've heard this one!

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