Windows – Music For Trumpet And Organ / Touvron, Krapp Best For Sale

Described as ‘fortuitous’ (by trumpeter and scholar Edward Tarr) the combination of trumpet and organ has inspired a considerable number of composers in the 20th century… With [Bis 565], and a performance by John Wallace at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, Eben’s work, inspired by four of Marc Chagall’s stained-glass windows, looks to be flavour of the month… [Bis 565] sometimes loses the clarity which the closely-miked Touvron boasts. Conversely, this clarity enables Krapp’s precisely articulated chords in Golden Window to contrast more markedly with the melismatic trumpet line.

A misinterpretation of Jolivet’s title Arioso barocco in RCA’s note as ‘poetic evocation of older music’ is corrected by Tarr, who explains the ‘barocco’ derivation as an ‘irregular pearl, with the connotation “distorted” ’… Touvron has a warmer sound (note the mysterious, cup-muted opening) which the various organ stops attempt to throw off-centre.

Performance: 5 (out of 5), Sound: 5 (out of 5)

— Deborah Calland, BBC Music Magazine