W. A.Mozart
Cassation K 63
Cassation K 99
Divertimento K 205
March K 189
La Petite Bande
Sigiswald Kuijken violin and direction
Accent 2007
Clarinet Quintet K 581
Horn Quintet K 407
Oboe Quartet K 370
Lorenzo Coppola clarinet
Pierre-Yves Madeuf horn
Patrick Beaugiraud oboe
Kuijken String Quartet
Challenge 2005
The playing of this group is excellent. The string players themselves have been involved with period performances almost since the revival began and produce sounds that are absolutely lacking in the edge that one might expect to hear. Indeed one might be forgiven for thinking that these are tasteful modern instrument strings. The wind instruments, however, make it clearer by their tone quality that these are indeed period performances, and performances of outstanding technical and musical merit.
The clarinet quintet, a mature Mozart composition, features smooth clarinet playing that betrays its period nature in the additional warmth and breadth of the tone which gives the faster passages a delightful rustic burbling sound. The horn quintet preceded the four concertos and is more demanding for the player who has to be very adroit with his left hand to produce the 'stopped' notes that fill in the scale work. This playing is quite amazing in its accomplishment. The oboe, like the clarinet, has a broader and richer sound that the modern instrument.
All three of the wind soloists play with skill and with complete mastery which enables their obvious empathy with Mozart's writing to communicate with the listener with total ease. (Amazon review)
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