Search - Benoit Fromager; flute; Christoph Poppen; Munich Chamber Orchestra :: Krommer: 4 Partitas

Krommer's partitas expertly played

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 07/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of a pair of well-filled CDs the Zurich Wind Ensemble released in the mid-1990s of the octet-partitas of Moravian comopser Franz Krommer (1759-1831). The son of an innkeeper, Krommer was born as Handel died and went on to outlive Beethoven. For a time during their period, Krommer -- whose prolific works number 300 and include concertos, chamber music, symphonies and harmoniemusik -- actually was more popular than Beethoven.



History has relegated him to a different place, of course. He is, with Mozart, Triebensee, Myslivecek and a few others, one of the masters of harmoniemusik or music for wind band. That music is aptly and generously demonstrated here by the Swiss group.



This disk shows Krommer at his most imagainative and facile. His partitas have been characterized as mini-symphonies for they each have four movements, often with allegro-allegretto-andante-allegro format. The octet-partitas Opp. 57, 67 and 79 are Krommer's most popular in that genre and Opp. 57 and 79 are the most oft-recorded.



They are not the best, however, as Opp. 71 and 76 outshine these and provide greater longlasting pleasure. Purchasers of this recording will delight in one of Krommer's most imaginative and unique elements -- the "Alla Polacca" fourth movement of the Op. 57 partita. It is something of a rondo dance whose marking may mean all polka.



The Zurich Wind Octet, aided here by contrabassoonist Martin Hosli, is comprised of players from the Zurich Tonhalle and Zurich Opera orchestras. They formed in 1975 to record literature such as the Krommer octets and have since recorded harmoniemusik by Fiala, Krommer, Beethoven, Hoffmeister and Mozart on the Tudor label.



They are experts at this repertoire and outshine most groups that take on this music. I find their tempos to occasionally be a bit broad on this CD, especially in comparison to their work on Krommer's octet-partitas Opp. 71, 73, 77 and 78 they recorded about the same time on Tudor 7027. Amazon lists that one as "La Gran Partita Vol. 2"; it is out of print but Tudor will probably release it again in USA soon.



Even though this import CD is on its second go-round in the USA Tudor still requires full price, making it somewhat expensive when you consider most of this is available on the Naxos label in adequate performances and sound. Those performances don't compare with this group, however, and those that invest in these performances will not be disappointed artistically or sonically."