Search - Krommer, Amphion Wind Octet :: Partitas for Wind

Another fine period installment by Amphion Wind Octet

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 04/01/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Amphion Wind Octet is today's preeminent period interpreter of the octet-partitas of Moravian composer Franz Krommer (1759-1831), who was once one of Europe's most celebrated musicians. Krommer crossed the line between the Classical and Romantic eras, being born three years after Mozart and outliving Beethoven by four years. He specialized in wind music, having written concertos and symphonies to go along with his most accalaimed creations, the four dozen or so octet-partitas and marches he composed for winds.



This is the Amphion Octet's second recording of Krommer specialties, the first coming in 2001 under the title Franz Krommer: Music for Wind Octet on the Pan Classics label (ASIN: B0000E69KG) and now out of print in USA. Their first recording was an eye-opening experience for me, in part because of the period instruments they played. The Amphion group invests Krommer with appropriate energy and pathos, although they may not always demonstrate his symphonic counterpart quite as well as the Holland-based La Gran Partita, who are in my opinion the greatest performers of Krommer's recorded music.



In this venture, Amphion has cast for posterity three lesser-recorded but still delightful partitas -- Opp. 73 in F major, 78 in B flat major and 83 in F major -- and the second recording in the past couple years of the Parthia ex Dis, a toe-tapping composition that requires prestidigition and acrobatic leaps from the players. The members of this group are clearly up to the task and their period instruments sound delightfully fruity doing so.



The Op. 83 partita is written for an octet that includes trumpet, an instrument Krommer did not represent in earlier music in the genre. Fruszina Hara's playing is exquisite throughout and the packaging gives me a picture of all the players and their ancient instruments as well as notes about Krommer's life and harmonie music in four languages.



I hope you aren't dissuaded by my four star rating; I graded it so because the contents are not up to the standard of Amphion's first Krommer recording. If I graded it again, it might go up to 5 stars for the playing, the sound processeing and packaging make this an interesting and satisfying engagement for anyone that likes harmonie music. Because the repertory is somewhat unknown, most purchasers will probably be hearing it for the first time, too. That will be quite a treat for you!"