Friedrich Hartmann GRAF (1727-1795)
Concerto in C for Flute, Strings, and 2 Horns (1770s) [17:51]
Concerto in G for Flute, Strings, 2 Oboes, and 2 Horns (1770s) [16:02]
Concerto in D for Flute, Strings, and 2 Horns (1770s) [16:15]
Concerto in G for Flute, Strings, and 2 Horns (1770s) [15:31]
Gaby Pas-Van Riet (flute)
Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester, Pforzheim/Johannes Moesus
rec. Ev. Matthäuskirche Pforzheim-Arlinger, September 2011
CPO 777 724-2 [65:57]
In a flute-mad age, Friedrich Hartmann Graf was acclaimed as both a flute
virtuoso and a composer, given patronage by the nobility, and receiving honours
later in life in Scandinavia and Britain, as well as his native Germany. The
outer movements of the present concertos maintain a strong Classical profile,
with clean, masculine contours. The slow movements sound simple, but aren't
entirely unruffled: the brief outbursts of the C major concerto's Adagio
point the way to Beethoven, while that of the second of this program's two
G major concertos projects a sombre mystery.
In three of these concertos, Graf supports the strings with just a pair of
horns, reinforcing rhythmic thrust in the midrange. An additional pair of
oboes in the first G major concerto adds bite to the outer movements and brightens
the timbral palette of the Andante grazioso. In both the D major and
the second of the G major concerti - we could really use a Köchel-type
catalogue here - the start of the finale resolves the final cadence of the
slow movement, a nice way to maintain continuity.
Such music practically demands the sort of energetic approach rarely given
to "new" Classical repertoire these days, and it receives it here. The Pforzheim-based
ensemble isn't large - the string proportions are 4-4-3-2-1 - but the players
"bow into" the Allegroswith an incisive vigor befitting a larger
orchestra. The finale of the C major concerto - a rondo in form, if not in
name - is positively rollicking. These bracing, even robust readings are a
tonic.
Oh, yes, the soloist; mustn't forget her. Gaby Pas-Van Riet produces a relaxed,
pleasingly chiffy tone, a nice change from the air-resistant sounds popularized
or, at least, propagated by Rampal and Galway in the 1980s. She takes nothing
for granted, inflecting even the simplest motifs expressively. Her phrasing
of the scales, arpeggios, and curlicues of the passagework is deft and shapely.
The conducting of Johannes Moesus is, as I've suggested, stylish and committed.
The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!
Stephen Francis Vasta
Stephen Francis Vasta is a New York-based conductor, coach, and journalist.
Stylish and committed and the sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!
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