Wind Soloists of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen with Silke
Avenhaus, piano – Berlin Classics 0012522BC (73 mins.):
As the leading edge of Berlin Classics’ newest attempt to penetrate the
North American market, this breath of fresh air recital is a
representative sample of what both audiophiles and music lovers alike
can expect from the label. The repertoire is definitely different, the
performances are warm, full of life and totally charming, and the sound
is gorgeous.
Although both the suite of eight favorites from Smetana’s opera, The
Bartered Bride, and Franz Krommer’s delicious Partita Op. 57 (the
best-known of his many wind octets, and deservedly so) are totally
delightful, pride of place must go to the superbly elegant Concertino
for piano and eight wind instruments by Josef Triebensee (1772-1846),
an outstanding oboist who arranged operas by Mozart for wind band,
studied composition with Salieri and eventually succeeded Weber as
director of the Prague Opera.
Recorded in 2000 in the studios of Radio Bremen, the sound has space,
color (great woody bassoons, fluent clarinets, golden French horns, and
a stunning piano in the Triebensee) and great definition. Ursula
Kramer’s liner notes are not only fascinating but written and
translated with a definite sense of poetry. Highly recommended.
– Laurence Vittes
