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Site review by Polly Nomial March 28, 2006
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
This is my second encounter with Pentatone's RQR series, where RQR stands for Remastered Quadro Recording. I have to say that the remastering on this disc is simply outstanding - one would never guess that these recordings will celebrate their 21st anniversary in mid 2006! The recordings, as in the other releases in the RQR series so far derive from the quadrophonic archive of Philips Classics, are superbly balanced; both those made in Bad Homburg (all except the Vivaldi) and La Chaud de Fonds (Vivaldi) are wonderful - spacious and just ever-so-slightly overly resonant. Pentatone have (just!) placed each of the original quadrophonic tracks to the relevant speaker of today's MCH set-up (i.e. Front Left/Right, Rear Left/Right) so there is no subwoofer track (in common with Pentatone's own recordings) nor a centre channel (not in common with their own recordings).
As for the playing, well, seasoned listeners to oboe music will know that in this era, Heinz Holliger was second-to-none (and arguably has never been bettered). His rich tone is a joy to the ear and his phrasing is masterly as is the technique. In all except the Vivaldi works, he is sympathetically accompanied by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and Eliahu Inbal; this is despite the relatively routine accompaniments. In the Vivaldi, we have one instance of Holliger's many recordings with I Musici. The disc overall is a collection of pre-20th century oboe concertante works (minus the obvious Mozart concerto).
The Bellini Concerto that opens the disc is a relative piece of juvenilia in 2 movements, and so whilst it does not compare favourably with his operatic masterpieces, it is easy on the ear and given a masterly account by all concerned. The second piece is a from a lesser known Romantic composer Bernard Molique (1802-1869) in the form of a Concertino written in 1829. It is written in the (by then) conventional three movement style. The music itself is unremarkable apart the development it granted oboists the world over. As in the Bellini, Holliger is completely self-effacing and free from mannerisms (apart from distinguished musicianship and a marvellous technique).
Holliger is then joined by Aurèle Nicolet for Moscheles' Concertante for Flute & Oboe from 1830. Today, Moscheles is chiefly known for his piano compositions (thanks mainly to Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series), so it is welcome to greet this rarity on SACD. The Concertante has the same form as the Bellini but is much extended and plumbs greater emotional depths. Throughout, Holliger and Nicolet are entirely sympathetic to each others musical lines, play with touching sensitivity and not a little virtuosity!
The last concerto to be composed on the disc is Julius Rietz's Konzertstuck from the 1850's and seems to have taken its structure from Weber's Concertino for Clarinet (slow-faster-fast). As with the remainder of the items, Holliger is suitably self-effacing. We are then presented by two concerto's that purport to come from Vivaldi's pen, though as the notes point out, they sound very different from the usual Vivaldi style. Despite the uncertain origin, Holliger & I Musici play the music with as much dedication as it if were from the master himself, although it must be said that the string sound is a little plush for those accustomed to HIP in the tutti sections.
For fans of light Romantic music and any oboe fan - this is self-recommending; the performances are unlikely to be significantly bettered in the foreseeable future.
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Copyright © 2006 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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