This is listed as Vol. 3 in a series of the Lübeck Philharmonic Live and a rather unusual bit of programming – giving more prominence to the orchestra’s first bassoonist than possibly any bassoonist has ever had. The three-movement Honegger symphony starts off the concert, and I don’t believe I’ve ever enjoyed this work so much in this sparkling interpretation. By the way, it doesn’t spotlight the bassoon in any way. The four-movement bassoon concerto is a delightful tonal work and Jokob Mayers shows his very advanced chops in it.
The Ravel piece does feature some fine bassoon work. This “Serenade for a Dandy” is one of the most successful of the orchestral transcriptions from the composer’s piano music. It is full of contrasting moods and atmospheres, with the most colorful orchestration. Stravinsky lavished special attention on the bassoon in several of works – the opening of The Rite of Spring probably being the most unusual. However, the instrument is far from ignored in this Firebird, being important in helping to depict the infernal creatures of King Kashchei. While this particular Firebird is up against some stiff competition in other SACD versions with more famous orchestras, the Lübeck orchestra does an excellent job with the score, and the surround quality is first rate, with the orchestra displayed via a wide sonic soundstage.
– John Sunier
