The long success of Antoine Reicha's wind quintets is due to two important factors, both of which are readily apparent on this fine CD from Naxos. First and foremost, Reicha took great pains to write idiomatically for the instruments, instead of arbitrarily assigning musical lines to available registers without thought of timbres or special capabilities. His individualized treatment of the horn, flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon has recommended these pieces to wind players, who relish the opportunity to perform parts that ...
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The long success of Antoine Reicha's wind quintets is due to two important factors, both of which are readily apparent on this fine CD from Naxos. First and foremost, Reicha took great pains to write idiomatically for the instruments, instead of arbitrarily assigning musical lines to available registers without thought of timbres or special capabilities. His individualized treatment of the horn, flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon has recommended these pieces to wind players, who relish the opportunity to perform parts that lie well under the fingers, and music that really sounds like five interlocking solos. Secondly, Reicha sustains interest through unpredictability and variety (e.g., the constantly changing combinations in the Wind Quintet in B flat major, Op. 88/5, and the surprisingly freewheeling counterpoint in the Wind Quintet in C major, Op. 91/1, keep both performers and listeners engaged, in expectation of novelties at every turn). The five musicians plainly enjoy themselves here, and their...
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