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Review by JJ February 14, 2008 (5 of 6 found this review helpful)
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Considered an important musical theoretician, composer Antonin Reicha (1770-1836) was also a professor of counterpoint and fugue at the Paris Conservatory, where his students most notably included Berlioz, Liszt and also César Franck. Awarded the Légion d’honneur after his French naturalization in 1829, Reicha was a contemporary of Beethoven and Haydn. The latter was close to the Czech composer and Reicha dedicated his “Thirty-six Fugues” for clavier to him in 1803. The originality of Reicha’s chamber music can best be heard in his works for winds. As Jan Smaczny remarks: “Reicha’s characteristic wind-instrument writing is striking not only in his numerous symphonic works, but also guaranteed the popularity of his wind quintets.” The program on this disc unites unexpected bedfellows: the Octet in E flat major Op. 96 dating from 1807, the Variations for Bassoon and String Quartet from 1818, and the “Great Quintet” for Horn and String Quartet from 1829. In a pure DSD recording, once again remarkable, the performance by the Czech Nonet is a marvel of balance in flamboyant tones. Hats off too to Vladimir Klanska on the horn and Pavel Langpaul on the bassoon, both of whom, while overcoming with brio the scores’ difficulties, demonstrate perfect mastery of their instrument in high-wire virtuosity. A compelling Super Audio CD of pleasant, even delicate, music of undeniable charm.
Jean-Jacques Millo
Translation Lawrence Schulman
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