Smile – that's the name of our new CD! The Trio Gaudio will transport you to the world of operetta, jazz, and film. Names like Johann Strauss and Scott Joplin appear alongside Astor Piazzolla and Charlie Chaplin. Toni Fehse – trumpet, Alexander Kreß – cello, Jonas Wilfert – piano. The CD is available for only €12.00 (plus shipping) via info@fehse-wilfert.de, our contact form, or at our concerts!
Discography
Romantic Transcriptions – that's the theme of our debut CD! You'll hear Romantic music in our own arrangements. With works by Thomas Adams, César Franck, Edvard Grieg, and many more, we'll take you on a musical journey through 19th- and 20th-century Europe. The CD was recorded in Wurzen Cathedral in collaboration with the Leipzig-based label "Rondeau Production." You can purchase the CD for just €15 (plus shipping) by emailing info@fehse-wilfert.de, using our contact form, or at one of our concerts!
CD reviews of "Romantic Transcriptions"
A brilliant, dynamic duo: trumpet and organ
CD Review by Dennis E. Ferrara, Professor at Mott College, Flint, Michigan, Chapter Member of the American Guild of Organists: The Leipzig-based label Rondeau Productions has released one of the most exciting albums featuring trumpet and organ this year (2017). This new release presents the duo Toni Fehse (trumpet) and Jonas Wilfert (organ) with their debut recording. It is a truly exciting and highly programmatic compilation of unique transcriptions for trumpet and organ. The beautifully arranged compositions from a variety of original instrumentations are a perfect match for the interpretation of this dynamic duo. Their playing is fresh and expressive, full of tonal colors and nuances, with a smooth balance between the instruments and a true sense of drama. The chosen organ (Jehmlich, 1932, St. Mary's Cathedral, Wurzen) is an excellent choice for this repertoire. It originates from the German Romantic organ-building tradition and combines full-bodied principals and mixtures, colorful reed stops, and charmingly intoned flute registers. The full plenum sound is rich and exciting. Wilfert is an extremely sensitive accompanist, and his diverse range of tonal combinations makes for a very interesting listening experience, to name just one aspect. His technique is that of an organ virtuoso. Fehse is an outstanding musician with a beautiful tone, excellent balance, intonation, and technique. Fehse and Wilfert have been playing together as a trumpet-organ duo since 2009—and it shows. The two artists don't play as two separate entities, but rather form a musical unity. Wilfert's excellent introductory text is highly interesting and lends this album a subtle musicological element. A highly recommended recording for every organist, musician, and music lover who appreciates this rare approach to unique Romantic repertoire for trumpet and organ.
A Romantic Sound Journey Through Europe: Transcriptions for Organ and Trumpet
Leipziger Volkszeitung, May 15, 2018, by Felix Westerhoff: The organ in the west choir of St. Mary's Cathedral in Wurzen, with its splendor, commands attention: Silver pipes form a truly stunning contrast to the brownish ceiling and enhance the imposing effect of the space. At the foot of the organ, in front of a screen, a young man sits on the organ bench, playing the keys of the ancient instrument and underpinning the warm, romantic sounds with the pedals: Jonas Wilfert, born in Wurzen, is one of the two musicians of the Fehse-Wilfert Duo. The other, Toni Fehse from Leipzig, stands beside him, his trumpet poised with complete concentration and focus. The result is presented on the CD "Romantic Transcriptions." The Fehse-Wilfert Duo is distinguished above all by its interest in Romantic music. This CD brings together not only works by renowned composers such as Richard Wagner, Max Reger, and Edvard Grieg, but also compositions by the lesser-known Englishman Thomas Adams and the Russian Vassily Brandt. The musical journey is also a tour through 19th- and 20th-century Europe. Sounds from England, France, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Germany fill the CD's nearly 70 minutes. Hardly any of the selected composers wrote their works for trumpet and organ, which is why the two musicians transcribed a large part of the program themselves. The transcribed pieces enrich and embellish the original versions in a breathtaking way. The transcriptions are characterized by enormous diversity: while the melody is extracted and an accompaniment written for compositions for solo instrument, with Wagner's orchestral music, the challenge is to grasp the fundamental characteristics of the music, its sound, and its effect, and then focus them on the trumpet and organ. At the same time, transcribing also means preserving the essence of the new instruments, allowing the original works to be heard from different perspectives. A diversity of sound, dynamics, and effect arises from the capabilities of both instruments and the fundamental building blocks laid by the Romantic composers. For example, in Delerue's Cantate, the Fehse-Wilfert duo renders the dynamic spectrum with harmonic sounds and fantastic performance. In Brandt's delicate lullaby, on the other hand, they emphasize the distinctive character of the trumpet, while in Adams's work, they focus on the organ solos. (Romantic Transcriptions, Rondeau)
