Classical Editor: Rob Barnett


Music Webmaster
Len Mullenger: Len@musicweb-international.com


Reviews from other months
GYÖRGY LIGETI Six Bagatelles JACQUES IBERT Trois Pièces Brèves FRANZ DANZI Quintett in B minor op. 56 No. 1 DARIUS MILHAUD La Cheminée de Roi René ALEXANDER TCHEREPNIN Wind Quintet Op. 107 BEETHOVENs Fifth Bossa Nova BILLY STRAYHORN Take the A Train Domus Quintett DIGITAL AUTOMATIC MUSIC - RESONANCE RES-CD 001 -003
available on sale from www.mp3.com [35.16]

 





This is an entertaining anthology of wind music. The playing is alert and engaging. The recording is bright, close and full.

The tartly scathing Ligeti is darkly dazzling contrasting with the coolly playful Ibert and the sub-Mozartian (but still charming) antics of Danzi. The notable thing that strikes the listener is the variety of styles to which the quintet adapt themselves. Let's face it they have to span Danzi through to light arrangements like the Bossa Nova and the Strayhorn. The Tcherepnin is humorous but somewhat dry. The highlight is the Milhaud work. Its Medieval courtly tapestry is most touchingly done.

Lovely playing from this German ensemble who clearly have an adventurous approach to repertoire choice. The playing evinces an eloquent respect for the music: its underlying emotions and spirit.

There is one eccentric feature that could have been so easily avoided. The title list on the inside flap of the cover makes it very difficult to tell where one work begins and another ends. The CD case spine is similarly lacking - instead proclaiming 'DAM Digitalautomaticmusic mp3.com'. The CD itself is similarly obtuse and, what's more, the works are not fully listed on the disc. Instead the listing is truncated. A listing rather like that on the heading of this review would have been sensible. Perhaps further works from this source could address these aggravations. These features suggest that resonances.com are not attuned to classical CD production. This is a pity as the music and performances are winningly done.

On the negative side descriptive notes are only available if you open the CD in a computer and printed notes are only available if you download them from the website and print them out. It seems less than customer friendly to provide a disc without integral printed notes although perhaps this practice is prophetic of a more tree-friendly future.

None of these presentational shortcomings detracts from a very classy production and some ebullient and subtle music-making. It would not surprise me if Domus were head-hunted by one of the majors before long.

Reviewer

Rob Barnett

The CD is an enhanced CD, meaning that it contains a multimedia presentation that can be accessed on both a PC and a Mac.

The presentation includes full descriptive notes, which are also available in PDF format at http://www.resonances.com/CDs.

Of course, the CDs work in a normal CD player too.

The price of the new CD is $11.99 at mp3.com.

Background material about the artists is available at resonances.com and mp3.com.

Full notes by Werner Köhler (a member of Domus) in an English translation by David Sedlock are also available at the same site.

David Sedlock has prepared "What Every Classical Music Lover Needs to Know about MP3". It can be read at http://www.musicweb-international.com/mp3sedlock.html

Anyone who is interested in buying the CD or learning more about MP3 should be satisfied by a link to the Domus site at mp3.com: http://www.mp3.com/DomusQuintett

Reviewer

Rob Barnett



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