I adore Milhaud’s Suite
for Wind Quintet, ‘La Cheminée
du Roi’, especially the concluding
piece ‘Madrigal - Nocturne’,
which I first heard as the signature
tune that introduces most BBC Radio
3 ‘Through the Night’ broadcasts.
The account of ‘Madrigal - Nocturne’
that they use in ‘Through the Night’
has been specially recorded by members
of the BBC Concert Orchestra; outstandingly
performed but not commercially available.
I have been searching for a high quality
account of the ‘Madrigal - Nocturne’
for some time and have been left disappointed
on several occasions. With this superb
performance from the Afflatus Quintet
on Supraphon I have now found what I
have been looking for. In addition to
the Milhaud score this valuable release
also contains works for wind quintet
by his compatriots; Taffanel, Ibert
and Françaix.
Paul Taffanel is remembered
primarily for having been a splendid
flute virtuoso, teacher at the Paris
Conservatoire, and as a founder of the
French school of wind playing. Taffanel
is lesser known as a composer, whose
oeuvre includes brilliant pieces for
solo flute but also a number of fine
chamber works. His creative powers are
displayed to great effect in this quintet,
a three movement work with expansive
outer movements either side of a cantabile
slow movement.
Milhaud, a member of
Les Six, became one of the most
prolific and versatile composers of
the 20th century. He produced his very
best works immediately preceding the
Second World War, prior to his emigration
to the USA in 1940. They include La
Cheminée du Roi René,
originally composed for a film entitled
‘Cavalcade of Love’. The quintet
is in the form of seven short movements
that includes a scene representing jugglers
to a scene depicting games being played
by a Provençal river.
Ibert studied under
Paul Vidal at the Paris Conservatoire
and won the Prix de Rome in 1919 for
his cantata, Le poète et la
fée. His music is considered
‘light’, often witty, colourfully orchestrated
with attractive melodies. Although he
was not a member of Les Six he
shares some characteristics with that
of the group. His chamber music is not
numerous, although his score Three
Short Pieces for Wind Quintet, composed
in 1930, has achieved world renown and
become a concert standard. Designed
in three movements, the two outer pieces
are virtuosic making great technical
demands. An effective contrast is provided
by a short Andante.
Françaix was
a neo-classical composer, pianist and
orchestrator, known for his prolific
output and vibrant style. His compositional
approach is marked by lightness and
wit, as well as a conversational style
of interplay between the musical lines.
He wrote his first Wind Quintet in
1948 which he dedicated to the Orchestre
National de Paris Wind Quintet. The
four movement work an ambitious score
of symphonic dimensions making extensive
use of modern virtuoso techniques. Françaix
wrote a second Wind Quintet
some forty years later.
This Supraphon release
is Afflatus Quintet’s debut CD. They
were founded in 1994 and perform in
the Czech wind school tradition. All
the members are players from leading
European symphony orchestras; flautist
Roman Novotny and bassoonist Ondrej
Roskovec play with the Czech Philharmonic,
oboist Jana Brozkova plays with the
Czech Radio Symphony, clarinettist Vojtech
Nydl plays with the Prague Philharmonia
and French horn player Radek Baborak
is a member of the Munich Philharmonic.
They achieved their greatest success
in September 1997 when they won the
prestigious international ARD competition
in Munich.
Experience has shown
that Slavic woodwind players often have
a special quality to their playing,
which is certainly the case on this
recording. Afflatus are highly suited
to these French wind quintets and prove
themselves a first-class ensemble, giving
secure and alert readings. They provide
performances of great freshness and
vitality, with a strong sense of spontaneity,
akin to a live recital. Their chosen
speeds tend to be on the swift side,
avoiding the temptation to linger, especially
in the slower sections. These are superb
interpretations that engage the listener
from first bar to last.
In Taffanel’s Wind
Quintet I enjoyed the lusty and
exhilarating outer movements combined
with a joyful and carefree Andante.
Afflatus are masterful in La Cheminée,
engaging and feisty in the stately dance
of the Cortège and in
La Maousinglade their playing
is fresh and sparkling. I especially
took to their gloriously seductive and
vibrant interpretation of the final
movement Madrigal - Nocturne,
where the tempos seem instinctively
right.
In the Ibert we are
offered witty and spirited playing in
the outer movements and a stylish and
engaging performance of the central
Andante. In the Françaix
they are confident throughout. Their
interpretation of the opening movement
is playful and energetic, crammed with
humour. The lively Scherzo is
vivacious and spirited with controlled
relaxation in the trio section,
and magical and seductive playing in
the extended slow movement. Bringing
the score and the recording to an exciting
conclusion I especially enjoyed the
brilliant and explosive interpretation
of the Finale.
This Supraphon release
has the benefit of well balanced sound.
The recording is on the bright side
with slight blaring from the horn in
forte passages and some may find
Brozkova’s reedy-sounding oboe unattractive.
Any minor reservations over the sound
are completely overshadowed by first-class
performances.
It is difficult to
find an alternative release in the catalogues
that is an exact match to these scores.
The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet
on BIS-CD-536 perform the Ibert Three
Pièces brèves, Milhaud
La cheminée du roi René,
Françaix Wind Quintet No.
1, Koechlin Wind Sextet
and the Tomasi Printemps.
This BIS issue is positive regarded
mainly for its charming and sensitive
playing. The Danish National Radio Symphony
Orchestra Wind Quintet perform the Ibert
Three Pièces brèves,
Poulenc Sextet for Piano and
Winds, Milhaud La cheminée
du roi René and the Françaix
Wind Quintet No. 1 on Naxos 8.557356.
I experienced on this Naxos issue lacklustre
performances that were short on dynamic
contrast and vitality; a release best
avoided. The polished and affectionate
playing of the Athena Ensemble in Ibert’s
Three Pieces breves admirable
on Chandos CHAN 6543 c/w Gounod Petit
symphonie and Poulenc Sextet.
I am delighted to have
the opportunity of adding this Supraphon
recording to my chamber music collection.
These are French wind quintets superbly
performed by a superior Czech ensemble.
Michael Cookson
Afflatus Quintet: Roman Novotny, flute; Jana
Brozkova, oboe; Vojtech Nydl, clarinet; Radek
Baborak, French horn; Ondrej Roskovec, bassoon
