The Majestic Sound of Rafael Mendez

The selections on this CD showcase the full range of Rafael Méndez’s formidable technique and expressive range, which earned him the title “The Heifetz of the Trumpet.” Méndez dazzles with his virtuoso trumpet playing of such diverse music as the “Bell Song” from Delibes’s opera Lakme (originally written for a coloratura soprano); the “Danse Boheme” from Bizet’s Carmen; and “Czardas” by Vittorio Monti and a second “Czardas” by Méndez himself.

MIM’s popular Artist Gallery includes a Rafael Méndez exhibit featuring his one-of-a-kind, custom-engraved trumpet that was presented to him by the maker, F. E. Olds and Son, when the “Mendez model” trumpet design was complete. The trumpet is on loan to MIM courtesy of Rafael Méndez Library.

8 tracks; 32 minutes