There have been many recordings undertaken by trumpet and organ, and a number written to feature the pairing with trombone, but Steven Mead once again breaks new ground in seeking this musical partnership with the euphonium.

It is an expertly crafted success, aided by an excellent collaborator in organist Lidia Ksiazkiewicz; her choice of registration, coupled with the use of two contrasting instruments, bringing welcome variety into what could have been a rather monochrome sound picture.

Intimate settings

For the earlier works the small organ from the Church of St Pierre, Guignicourt is used; a new instrument but one which suits the more intimate character of the music.  

Baroque music originally for woodwind or strings can be effectively portrayed on modern brass instruments, as is seen from the sonatas and concerto movement featured here.  

Trumpeter Maurice Andre had considerable success with the Albinoni, and in Steven’s hands it sounds totally idiomatic, with a considered lightness of touch and tasteful expression.

Cathedral glory

The majestic sounds of the Laon Cathedral organ are heard in the more recent repertoire, but care has been taken so as not to swamp the soloist.  

Four of the works were intended for trombone and organ: The substantial Holst ‘Duet’ consists of a funeral march and an aria, the organist being faced with quite virtuosic writing, which is handled with great aplomb.  

Jan Sandstrom has worked closely with Christian Lindberg, for whom he wrote his second trombone concerto, as well as ‘Lacrimae, Lacrimae’.  His contemporary approach, dissonant and complex at times, makes for a challenging but rewarding musical experience.

Contrasting sonorities

Liszt’s ‘Hosanna’ was written for bass trombone and organ, but the deep sonorities transfer well to the euphonium.  In contrast, Gardner Read is believed to have had the alto trombone in mind when writing ‘Invocation’ hence the plethora of high tessitura.  

He gives precise instructions as to the organ registration, and also asks for the trombone to be muted at times to vary the tone colour - all almost perfectly replicated by a soloist is total command of range and texture.

Varied arrangements

The remaining items are arrangements of works for voice (two settings of ‘Ave Maria’, ‘Pie Jesu’), violin (‘Chants Russes’), French horn (‘Romance’) and piano (‘Poem’ and ‘Sicilienne’).  For two items Steven is joined by the talented Japanese euphonium player Misa Akahoshi. 

One has to admire the skill and ingenuity of the production team with this recording - quite a logistical nightmare both in terms of choosing microphone locations and also finding times to record when there would be little extraneous noise. There was plenty of midnight oil burnt on this one you suspect.

There is a feast of music to be enjoyed, but it may be better to digest it in smaller portions rather than all at once.  

It does though whet the appetite at the thought of what could be the outcome of commissions of new music specifically for this instrument partnership.

Peter Bale

Contents

Sonata in Bb Major, Alessandro Besozzi
1. Andante, 2:07
2. Allegro, 2:03
3. Larghetto, 2:10
4. Allegretto, 1:38
5. Duet for Trombone and Organ, Gustav Holst, 9.08
6. Ave Maria, Franz Schubert, 4.22
7. Chants Russes, Eduoard Lalo, 5.09
8. Lacrimae Lacrimae, Jan Sandström, 4.33
9. Romance Op. 36, Camille Saint-Saëns, 3.44
10. Concerto for Oboe in D Minor, Op.9 no.2, 3.40
1st Movement, Tomaso Albinoni
11. Sicilienne, Maria Theresia Paradis, 3.11
12. Invocation Op.135, Gardner Read, 7.23
13. Poem, Zdenek Fibich, 2.39
Sonata in A Major, Francesco Geminiani
14. Andante, 2.16
15. Allegro, 1.52
16. Andante, 1.00
17. Allegro, 2.03
18. Pie Jesu, Andrew Lloyd Webber, 3.10
19. Hosanna, Franz Liszt, 4.48
20. Ave Maria, Guilio Caccini, 4.15