Balsom dazzles in the Mozart transcriptions Rondo alla Turca and the Queen of the Night aria, as well as Paganini’s Caprice No 24. She brings out the trumpet’s smoochy jazz character in the Piazzolla pieces and blazing bullfight braggadocio in the De Falla songs.
On the other hand, the Arban and Lindberg pieces sound rather pipe-and- slippers, while Debussy’s Syrinx is too closely associated with the flute to prosper on brass, despite Balsom’s brilliance. Elsewhere, Rachmaninov’s Vocalise sounds suddenly as if it were written for nothing else.
(EMI)