Search - Francaix, Prague Wind Quartet :: Gay Paris Wind Quintets 1 & 2

The elegant refinement of Françaix comes across vividly in his wind music. The famous First Wind Quintet, a notoriously difficult piece, sounds great in this spectacularly well-played recording, with its crisp ensemble. The players also capture the music's humor, especially in the last movement. The Second Quintet, while not as distinctive as the First, is also quite amusing. The two shorter character pieces are plenty of fun, as well, and Kozderka's trumpet solo is not only "gay" but also amazingly light-handed. We could have used more than 54 minutes of music on this disc, and Praga needs better program notes and English translations. (Was Françaix's mother really a "reputed singer," or did she actually sing?) But what's here is highly entertaining. --Leslie Gerber