If you are looking for some cheerful fanfares to brighten up your Christmas festivities, this will be just the thing. Pavel Josef Vejvanovský (1633-93) was the first trumpeter at the court of Kroměříž, which had one of the largest musical establishments of middle Europe in the 17th century. He wrote dazzling sonatas and suites for several trumpets and strings, many matched to occasions of the church year such as Christmas and Easter. A few pieces, such as the lovely Sonata laetitiae, are for strings alone; they provide relief from the continually braying trumpets, vying with each other in splendour, which are always impressive if not always harmonically very adventurous. Lively playing.
