Recital: Ivano Ascari
Wednesday 2:00pm
John Burgess, Reviewer

Ivano Ascari has been Professor of Trumpet at Riva del Garda State Conservatory of Music in Italy since 1992.  His performance background includes performing with the Verona BrassEnsemble, the Scala Theater Milano Orchestra, and principal trumpet with the Haydn Symphony Orchestra of Bolzano. An appreciative audience heard an outstanding program of new works for trumpet by Italian composers.  Ascari's playing can be described as extremely lyrical with a warm sound throughout the entire range of the trumpet.  The first piece on the program was Stefano Melloni's Three Preludes for solo trumpet.  The three short movements quickly demonstrated the virtuosic talents of Ascari.  The angular melodic lines were played in a lyrical manner, and he managed to make this difficult work sound easy.  Pianist Janice Knox entered the stage for the next work, Carlo Galante's Three Portraits.  The first movement of this work begins reflectively in nature and builds to a joyous nature by the end of the piece.  "Q" for solo trumpet by Nicola Straffelini was improvisational in style with short "jazzy" fragments incorporated into the work.

Although there was an intermission listed on the program, Ascari returned immediately to the stage to perform the longest piece on his program, the Copla Suite by Giafranco Grisi.  This four-movement work involved several mute changes and a strong jazz influence with regard to harmonies and melodic writing.  The audience enthusiastically received this piece.  Ascari has recently recorded this piece on his latest CD.  Two shorter works Tribute to Roy for solo trumpet by Peter Anthony Monk and Serenade by Riccardo Giavina for C trumpet and piano.  The recital included over an hour of almost non-stop playing by Ascari, and although there were signs of some fatigue, it never interfered with the quality of music being presented in the recital.  This was an outstanding recital of new, significant literature for trumpet. (Jon Burgess, assistant professor of music, Texas Christian University)