I bought this CD years ago as a reference while exploring new recital repertoire for trumpet.  I was listening to it recently and felt inspired to write this review.  Lisa Verzella deserves credit for going out on a limb and creating fine recordings of neglected pieces.  

In my opinion, Loretta Jankowski's Sonata is one of the great masterpieces of twentieth-century music for trumpet, and as far as I am aware this is the ONLY recording of this piece!  Fortunately for us, Ms. Verzella has delivered a superb performance of the piece, demonstrating both power and lyricism, and nimbly negotiating the atonal and sometimes prickly melodies.  If you are a trumpet player looking for something new and exciting to program on a recital, by all means obtain the sheet music for Jankowski Sonata and study this recording!  

Although there are several fine recordings of Alexandra Pakhmutova's Concerto available, I would argue that this is another piece that has for the most part been unfairly neglected.  It could be seen as a more dark, intense, and serious counterpart to the extremely popular but fairly "pops concert style"  Arutunian Concerto.  Although the piece loses a lot of Pakhmutova's masterful orchestral color in the piano reduction, the lighter texture of this recording allows a keen appreciation of Pakhmutova's tuneful and highly rhythmic writing.  Trumpeters players preparing to perform this piece with the piano reduction will benefit from hearing this recording in addition to orchestral renditions.

Wildgan's song cycle Der Mystische Trompeter is a great addition to the trumpet/vocal repertoire, yet another under-appreciated gem.  I regret I don't have the singer's name in front of me, but she delivers a very strong performance alongside Verzella's passionate trumpet playing.  

In summary, Lisa Verzella has unshackled her trumpet from the sadly small and stagnant standard repertoire and created a recording of real power and beauty.  This CD should be in the library of any trumpeter that would like to move beyond the innumerable repetitions of Haydn, Hummel and Hindemith that dominate so many trumpet recordings.  Sound quality is clean and crisp.  Any enthusiast of twentieth-century music will enjoy the album, and anybody with a special interest in music composed by women should definitely buy this CD!
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I highly suggest this cd and appreciate Lisa's range.  What a great exposure to some music I might not have heard otherwise.  Beatifully done.
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"It sounds excellent." --Richard Jones, English Sinfonia
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"Great CD! You've got that...immaculate articulation but with a rich, fat tone. Nice picture, too!"
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