Alison Balsom was accompanied by two gentlemen at the BBC Proms on Saturday night, Franz Joseph Haydn and Astor Piazzolla. I didn't find her nimble Haydn trumpet concerto on YouTube but today's featured video does find Piazzolla in the form of Libertango performed by Ms. Balsom and the BBC Symphony Orchestra playing at the Royal Albert Hall.
The "Last Night" of The Proms, more formally The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is broadcast around the world and represents the festive highlight of the eight week summer series of classical music. A potpourri of crowd pleasing music is usually presented so the inclusion of Piazzolla is another recognition of the acceptance of his music on the "pop side" of the classical world. Alison Balsom is one of the best trumpet players in the world today and certainly the easiest on the eye. She had the good fortune of a very nice "pops" arrangement by Julian Milone who is responsible for most of the arrangements on Balsom's CD, Caprice, (including this version of Libertango and an excellent version of Escualo).
To me, the only jarring note in this video comes at the end when an unnamed announcer (it sounds like Clive Anderson to me) praises the performance as a "seductive rendering of that sultry piece." Perhaps his mind was on the trumpeter rather than on the lively and nimble music. But then again, this is the same announcer who proceeds to tell all that the piece was originally written for a "form of piano accordion called a ban-doe-nee-o-nium." The man needs some help from a good musicologist.
If the video does not appear below, click here.
If you enjoy this one, you might want to preserve a copy on your hard drive. This could go the way of that missing Milva video.
To learn more about Piazzolla videos, visit the Piazzolla Video site.
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