Trumpeter Jeffrey Segal may not have the name recognition of Maurice André or Wynton Marsalis, but he turns in virtuoso performances of the Haydn and Hummel concertos. Segal negotiates Hummel’s martial part-writing with impeccable musicianship, dead-on intonation (especially those wide intervals), confidence, and not a little bit of bravura. He does the same in Haydn’s equally challenging concerto, offering a lively and stylish interpretation featuring more than a few marvels.
The relative rarity of trombone concertos makes the rest of the program even more intriguing. Ferdinand David made his mark as one of the early 19th century’s great violin virtuosos, yet his Trombone Concertino sounds as if composed by a devotee of the instrument. David’s boldly contoured solo writing promotes the trombone’s unique tonal qualities, here played to full effect by Michael Bertoncello in his masterful performance. Bertoncello is similarly impressive in Wagenseil’s Trombone Concerto. The smallest of the four works here, its two movements are of equal interest, especially the opening adagio with its beautiful, long-spun melody. David Zinman leads his Zurich Tonhalle musicians in fresh and engaging accompaniments, while the reverberant recording nicely balances soloists and orchestra. This is a real treat for brass connoisseurs.
