“MUSIC FOR FESTIVE OCCASIONS.” Richard Giangiulio, trumpet;...

“MUSIC FOR FESTIVE OCCASIONS.” Richard Giangiulio, trumpet; Paul Riedo, organ. Dallas Trumpets. Crystal Records, Digital S232. Giangiulio’s sensitive and strong playing ought to please anyone who enjoys music of an unflinchingly festive spirit. The selections--including popular works by Handel, Wagner and Mendelssohn--are bright, short and varied. But the trumpeter’s playing does not quite have the sheen and sparkle of his famous teacher, Maurice Andre.

“CHOPIN PIANO FAVORITES.” Thomas Richner, piano. Towerhill Records, T-1022. Richner plays with character and strength. But there are problems. Tunes which ask simply to be sung are sometimes whispered, sometimes rushed and sometimes swamped by subordinate notes. Also, an overly resonant sound clouds the raging flames of the C-minor Etude, and slower pieces, when they ask for a brief quickening of pace or a burst of momentum, receive no reply from their interpreter.