Search - Friedrich Kuhlau, Jean Pierre Rampal, Juilliard String Quartet :: Kuhlau: Flute Quintets

CHARMING, DISARMING MUSIC OF KUHLAU

Melvyn M. Sobel | Freeport (Long Island), New York | 11/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Danish composer, Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832), was no slouch when it came to writing flute compositions! [GROVE'S lists no less than thirty.] And, ready for this? Kuhlau didn't even play the flute; his instrument was the piano, the number of compositions for which is over seventy. Then, of course, there are his stage/vocal and orchestral works to consider. Blah, blah, blah. So, actually, one might say that he was no slouch relative to anything musical. And he was well-regarded in his own time as one of Denmark's foremost composers. And yet, chances are you've never heard of him or dabbled in his music.



Well, these quintets are easy to enjoy. You will be taken immediately by the bubbly outer movement Allegros, the engagingly piquant melancholy that threads throughout the Andantes and Adagios, and the arrestingly modern tension sprinkled gingerly in the Menuettos. This is music of great charm, wit and quality.



Rampal gives a most unusually dedicated, singing reading here; he sparkles with a virtuosity that sheds light on the music, and his phrasing is exemplary in the many tender moments. His interplay with the Julliard, too, is never self-serving. They, as well, are in top form. Fine, full sound supports the artists, with Rampal's tonal color captured beautifully.



[Running time: 74:48]



"

KUHLAU IN HIS ELEMENT

Terry J. Lehane | 01/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In his time FRIEDRICH KUHLAU (1786-1832) was known as "The Beethoven of the Flute". He profitted much from his friendship with Beethoven. Born in Germany, Kuhlau studied pianoforte in Hamburg. In 1810 he fled to København (Copenhagen) to avoid conscription in Napoleon's army. He became a Danish citizen in 1813.

I first fell in love with the Overture to Kuhlau's Elverøj "Elf Hill" as a boy. It is Denmark's national opera. I remember hearing Kuhlau's Flute Quintets back in the LP days and promising that one day I would own them. Now 50 years later I finally have them. My high opinion has not changed. These Quintets represents the premier flute composer at his inventive best. Strongly recommended. The performances are no less than you would expect from Rampal and the Julliard."