Holt is principal trumpet with the Dallas Opera Orchestra and this is his second Crystal CD of trumpet works. All four pieces are of excellent quality, my favorite being the most-recently composed concerto of Robert Planel. It’s full of great tunes and exciting playing, and somehow the backing of just the strings provides a fine accompaniment to the very contrasting sound of the trumpet. The Tomasi concerto sounds very French and conjures up some sort of procession in Notre Dame Cathedral or such. The Jolivet is of course more acerbically modern and less tonal, and the Desenclos brings the program to a close with both lyrical and spectacular moments. All the concertos are around a quarter-hour length, which seems just right for this type of work. Recorded in Slovakia, the orchestra is first rate and so are the sonics. A most enjoyable and recommended program to be sure.
– John Sunier
