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In hard times, everyone is looking for the killer deal. In respect to
wind chamber music of the early romantic period, one could hardly do
better than with Brilliant Classics' Romantic Ensembles, a six-CD box
set that contains much of the major wind literature from the first half
of the nineteenth century. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, a
fad in Europe for harmoniemusik -- groups of wind bands that usually
played potpourris of operatic hits -- was current. Composers such as
Hummel, Kreutzer, Spohr, Schubert, Berwald, and Beethoven here seized
upon this format to express more complex and ambitious musical concepts.
Beethoven's Septet in E flat, Op. 20, though not as highly regarded
some of his symphonies in retrospect, played a major role in
establishing Beethoven's reputation as a composer. The Schubert Octet in
F, D. 803, and Berwald's Grand Septet in B flat were works that looked
to Beethoven's as a kind of model; others represented here to some
degree tap into the eighteenth century approach to harmoniemusik and
forges something new and original out of it. The early nineteenth
century was the most fruitful era of any concerning developments in the
wind chamber format; as such groups merged into larger units and became
more concerned with popular music, interest among composers in producing
works like these began to flag in the latter half of the century.
One
of the reasons this modest and innocuous-looking box is so desirable is
the performances included. These are not just any groups performing
these works, but top-flight ensembles -- The Berlin Philharmonic Octet,
the Wiener Kammerensemble, and Britain's the Nash Ensemble. The reason
that this can be marketed so cheaply is that all are older recordings,
but most are at least digital and the performances are all first-rate.
Brilliant Classics' Romantic Ensembles would make a lovely gift for a
wind player, or someone specifically interested in wind ensemble music,
and the modest asking price won't break the bank. Uncle Dave Lewis
CD1 :
SPOHR
Nonet in F major Op. 31
Octet in E major Op. 32
CD2 :
HUMMEL
Septet (The Military) in C major Op. 114
KREUTZER
Grand Septet in E flat major Op.62
CD3 :
HUMMEL
Septet in D minor Op. 74
BERWALD
Grans Septet in B flat major
CD4 :
SPOHR
Septet in F major Op. 147
Quintet inh C minor Op. 52
CD5 :
SCHUBERT
Octet in F major D8003, Op. 166
CD6 :
BEETHOVEN
Septet in E flat major Op. 20
Septet in E flat major Op. 81b
Credits :
CD1 - CD4
The Nash Ensemble
CD5
Berlin Philarmonic Octet
CD6
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