Wynton Marsalis: The London Concert

Like any other classical star, Wynton Marsalis felt the urge to re-record the basic repertoire for his instrument after awhile — and so, he goes at the Haydn, Leopold Mozart, Fasch, and Hummel trumpet concertos again, only a decade after his first go-round with these works. While it might seem presumptuous to remake these performances so soon, there are signs of growth here that repay close listening. Marsalis' Haydn, for example, shows considerably more depth of thought and variety in phrasing than on the earlier hit record; the finale, in particular, gains in expressiveness. In general, the tempos are a little slower than on the earlier records, the technical finish of Marsalis' playing is just as polished. Raymond Leppard again is the conductor, and he too displays a freer, more expressive hand as leads the English Chamber Orchestra. Moreover, the sound has more depth than the '80s recordings. What is missing is the sense of occasion of the earlier records, where a brash 21-year-old trumpet virtuoso proves to the world — and specifically to young black musicians (as he claimed in interviews) — that it's possible to play both the classical and jazz repertoire well. By 1994, this was old news. Also, the title The London Concert seems to be rather misleading, for these recordings in St. Giles Church do not sound like live performances, and the fact that they were made in London is nothing special; Marsalis' earlier recordings were done in that city, too. If you don't have the artist's earlier performances, these recordings are preferable, but if you do have them, there's no urgent need to invest in this unless you're collecting the series. The differences aren't huge. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi