Comparison Recording of Reicha Wind
Quintet:
Op 88 #5 Academia Wind Quintet of Prague,
Hyperion CDD22006
These pieces by Beethoven-contemporary
Reicha, Professor of Counterpoint and
Fugue at the Paris Conservatory, reside
among the greatest music ever written.
When they were composed they went at
once to the "top of the charts"
and brought to their composer even greater
renown although he was already a popular
and respected figure. Reicha did for
the wind quintet what Bach did for the
keyboard prelude and fugue, what Haydn
did for the string quartet, what Mozart
did for the symphony — that is, he lifted
it to Parnassus. It was only the decline
in the popularity of wind ensemble music
in general that caused these works to
fall out of currency, but that situation
is being remedied.
Reicha eventually became
a French citizen so the French spelling
of his name is very often the one encountered;
Liszt, Gounod, Berlioz and Franck were
among his pupils. One can imagine the
collected professors of the Conservatoire
as they performed these works in the
Grand Foyer of the Théâtre
Favart in the years up to 1820. The
richness of invention, the tunefulness,
the variety of sound qualities, rhythmic
variation are endlessly fascinating,
endlessly delightful. This is a disk
you will enjoy listening to over and
over again, and it will make you hunger
for more. Good news! There are 22 more
quintets yet to hear!
Both recordings are
digitally recorded and beautifully performed.
There is very little basis to choose
between the two, but perhaps the English
players have just the slightest edge
in playful good spirits. But, then,
you get more quintets with the Hyperion
two disk set. Since there is only one
overlap between the two, you might want
to have both as I do. There is no indication
that Naxos intend to continue recording
more these wonderful and underappreciated
works, but let’s hope they do.
Paul Shoemaker
see also review
by Jonathan Woolf
Michael Thompson Wind Quintet: Michael
Thompson, horn; Jonathan Snowden, flute; Derek
Wickens, oboe; Timothy Lines, clarinet; John Price,
bassoon. 
