Album

Hornist Thomas Bacon and pianist Caio Pagano have assembled a CD of music written especially for them, including additional instruments such as violin and extra horn, as well as voice. They present a strong program; many of the pieces, particularly those of José Antonio de Almeida Prado, James DeMars, and Robert Avalon, have real musical substance and distinctive character, and they are welcome additions to the horn repertoire. Brazilian composer Almeida Prado's Trio for horn, violin and piano, "from the Diary of Pero Vaz de Caminha," is an especially strong work. Prado's writing for the horn is expressive and idiomatic, without ever falling onto clichéd fanfares. His writing avoids the pitfalls of balance that frequently plague this grouping, and his piece is one of the few works for this ensemble that could hold its own on a program with Brahms' or Ligeti's horn trios.

The security of Bacon's technique allows him to play with a thrilling abandon that perfectly suits the character of the horn, and his tone is unusually full and nuanced. Much of the music here makes virtuosic demands on the pianist, and Pagano plays with sparkle and panache. The sound is clean and bright, with good balance between the instruments.

© Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

CD 1
Almeida Prado Composer Trio 'from the Diary of Pero Vaz de Caminha', for horn, violin, and piano Work 20:28 Caio Pagano Piano, Thomas Bacon French Horn, Katherine McLin Violin
1	The Vision of Pero Vaz de Caminha	1:41			$0.99
2	First sighting of land - The Easter Hill	3:49			$0.99
3	The Savages	4:45			$0.99
4	The Jungle	3:25			$0.99
5	Passion of the Earth	4:54			$0.99
6	Fantastic Mystery	0:47			$0.99
7	The Island of the True Cross	1:07			$0.99
James DeMars Composer Dedicaçe, for horn and piano Work Caio Pagano Piano, Thomas Bacon French Horn
8	Dedicaçe, for horn and piano	6:13			$0.99
Robert Avalon Composer Zeal, for horn and piano Work Caio Pagano Piano, Thomas Bacon French Horn
9	Zeal, for horn and piano	6:35			$0.99
Errollyn Wallen Composer At the Ending of a Year, for 2 horns and piano Work Caio Pagano Piano, James Graber French Horn, Thomas Bacon French Horn
10	At the Ending of a Year, for 2 horns and piano	6:42			$0.99
Kazunori Maruyama Composer Foxtrot for Tomcat, for horn and piano Work Caio Pagano Piano, Thomas Bacon French Horn
11	Foxtrot for Tomcat, for horn and piano	6:03			$0.99
Almeida Prado Composer Celestial Charts III, for piano Work 16:14 Caio Pagano Piano, Thomas Bacon French Horn
12	Crescent Moon	1:25			$0.99
13	Constellation I - Orion, the Hunter	1:41			$0.99
14	Betelgeuse - The brightest star	1:22			$0.99
15	Full Moon	1:18			$0.99
16	Constellation II - Taurus	1:59			$0.99
17	Mars	4:28			$0.99
18	Gibbous Moon	1:16			$0.99
19	Algol, The twinkling star	1:26			$0.99
20	New Moon	1:19			$0.99
James DeMars Composer Dedicaçe, for voice, horn and piano Work Caio Pagano Piano, Thomas Bacon French Horn, James DeMars Spoken Word
21	Dedicaçe, for voice, horn and piano	6:08			$0.99