and orchestra; BERNARD MOLIQUE: Concertino in G Minor for oboe and
orchestra; MOSCHELES: Concertante in F for flute, oboe and orchestra;
JULIUS RIETZ: Konzertstück in F Minor for oboe and orchestra; VIVALDI:
Concertos in F flat for oboe, strings and continuo from Op. 7: Nos. 1
& 7 – Heinz Holliger, oboe/Aurele Nicolet, flute/Frankfurt Radio
Symphony Orchestra/Eliahu Inbal (I Musici in VIVALDI) – PentaTone
multichannel (4.0) SACD, RQR Series,, PTC 5186 129, 63:10 ****:
We have here more of the early 1970s quadraphonic recordings made by
Philips but which had remained in their tape boxes untouched for 30
years or more because of the realization that none of the quad LP
formats of the time was really a viable means of releasing these
excellent surround sound recordings to the general public. Since they
started in l970 by this time the Philips engineers had perfected their
micing to achieve the utmost realism and naturalness in discrete
four-channelo recording. Unlike some projects such as the Silverline
Utah Symphony DVD-As and DualDiscs, it was decided to do justice to the
original intentions of both the performers and recording technicians by
eschewing the center and LFE channels on this SACD series.
The disc’s title is somewhat misleading because only the
quarter-hour-long Moscheles concerto features the flute along with the
oboe. This was an unusual combo in 1830 when the work was
premiered but it is unknown how the work came about. It opens with a
short Adagio and then continues with a lengthy Rondo movement which
demands considerable virtuosity of both soloists. The rest of the works
are oboe concertos and feature one of the premiere oboeists of the
period, Heinz Holliger. Vivaldi wrote 22 different oboe concertos but
the two presented here different greatly from his usual concerto style
and musicologists differ as to whethere they are really from the pen of
the Red Priest. The well-known Italian string ensemble I Musici
replaces the Frankfurt Radio Symphony members on these two concertos
which close the program. Holliger is front and center but not larger
than life, and the rest of the musicians are in a wide arc behind him
but not completely surrounding the listener. One doesn’t miss the
center channel at all on any of these RQR SACDs, and of course most
classical SACD are not using the LFE channel at all. [It appears,
unfortunately, that Telarc, DMP and Chesky have given up on using the
center and/or LFE channels for overhead or side-frontal channel
playback. Too bad, because some of them were very effective –
such as the DMP Gaudeamus choir SACD. Hopefully sometime in July I will
return to reviewing the 2+2+2 DVD-As from D&G, which make an
entirely different use of those two “optional” channels.]
– John Sunier
