Audio Review: Eloquentia by Charles Saenz

Eloquentia (2015)
Beauport Classical
Charles Saenz, Trumpet
Solungga Liu, Piano

International trumpet soloist and teacher, Charles Saenz, released his debut album, Eloquentia, in December 2015. The album is diverse, containing works never recorded for trumpet and piano, and more well-known works. Two of the works on this CD, Charles Chaynes’ Concerto for Trumpet and Joseph Jongen’s Concertino, Op. 41, had been recorded prior to Eloquentia, though not in this instrumentation. The Jongen was originally recorded for trumpet and organ, and recordings of the Chaynes only existed with trumpet and full orchestra.

In 1994, Saenz won the International Trumpet Guild competition with the Chaynes Concerto for Trumpet. The recording of the Chaynes has significant pedagogical value, which Saenz explained in his January 2016 interview with David Dupont. “Students, Saenz said, study and perform the piece with piano, not full orchestra. They will ask Saenz if a recording exists with that instrumentation. Now Saenz can say, ‘Yes, there is,’ and direct them to Eloquentia.”

Alongside these rerecorded works, Saenz also contributes the debut recordings of André Waignein’s Trois Mouvements and Henri Challan’s Variations. These pieces are rarely performed and have seemingly fallen by the wayside of the trumpet repertoire. The Waignein offers many physical and technical challenges which Saenz navigates with ease.

The album starts and ends with works that are more familiar to the trumpet repertoire. Beginning with a Sonatina by Belgian composer Bohuslav Martinů, in which Saenz quickly demonstrates both his technical and musical abilities. The piece ends with a chorale-like section in which Saenz demonstrates his ability to play lyrically. The album concludes with Rodion Shchedrin’s In the Style of Albéniz. This solo is rather final in nature, filled with rubato passages that Saenz and Liu execute to perfection. This solo makes for a wonderful closing selection on a recital which Saenz has done on multiple occasions, such as during his faculty recital at Bowling Green State University in the Fall of 2019.

Whether you are looking for new music to add to your repertoire, new materials for teaching, or simply good trumpet playing, Eloquentia should be on your shortlist of CDs to listen to. Eloquentia is available for purchase on Amazon.com and iTunes.

Tracklist

• Sonatina – Bohuslav Martinů
• Variations – Henri Challan
• Concerto for Trumpet – Charles Chaynes
  • Allegro
  • Andante
  • Allegro
• Concertino, 41 – Joseph Jongen
• Trois Mouvements – André Waignein
  • Baracrolle
  • Scherzo
  • Divertissement
• In the Style of Albéniz – Rodion Shchedrin

This review was submitted by Alex Sanso.

Click Here To Purchase Eloquentia.

Click Here To Learn More About Charles Saenz.