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John Hagstrom has given the international trumpet community a diverse menu

With this 2006 release, John Hagstrom has given the international trumpet community a diverse menu of standard and non-standard works for trumpet and winds. John Hagstrom has been a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's trumpet section since 1996 and previously was principal trumpet in “The President's Own” United States Marine Band in Washington D.C. It is this very blend of styles from arguably two of the most prominent ensembles in the world that enables Hagstrom so expertly to negotiate the tricky terrain of trumpet soloist and wind ensemble with impressive clarity, balance, and subtlety. His impeccably centered and expressive sound is featured in Rachmaninoff's Vocaliseand Ropartz's Andante and Allegro, and in these works he displays great patience and control with an effectively understated sense of phrasing. In Petrov's Concerto for Trumpet, Davis' Escapade, and especially Mendez' Scherzo in D minor, Hagstrom displays great virtuosity and range, double and triple tonguing throughout the entire range of the instrument with a consistent and effortless tone quality. In this reviewer's opinion, Hummel's Concerto in E Flat, Mozart's Der Holle Rache , and Stölzel's Concerto in D, arranged for wind ensemble, do not work so well and create some timbral heaviness, especially with the clarinets playing violin parts. Hagstrom is, without a doubt, a brilliant trumpet player with the elegance of sound consistent with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's distinguished history of brass playing. Congratulations to the DePaul Wind Ensemble, Donald De Roche, conductor, for a balanced and musically sensitive collaboration. It is noteworthy that information regarding the acquisition of all arrangements featured in this recording is provided in the liner notes. Bravo !This reviewer highly recommends this CD. (Ray Sasaki, St. Louis Brass Quintet, professor of music, The University of Texas at Austin )